CAMP BATTLES: Reynolds vs. Johnson
Garrett Reynolds is lined up at right guard for this snap during the first day of training camp Friday July 29, 2011. Brant Sanderlin bsanderlin@ajc.com
FLOWERY BRANCH — With the mean and nasty Harvey Dahl off to play for the St. Louis Rams, one of the early training battles will have Garrett Reynolds and Mike Johnson fighting for the starting right guard spot.
“It’s an open competition for that position,” head coach Mike Smith said. “It will be interesting to see how that one plays out.”
Smith made it clear that the Falcons still hope to re-sign starting left guard Justin Blalock, who also is an unrestricted free agent.
Reynolds, a 6-foot-7, 310-pounder, was drafted in the fifth round (156th overall) of the 2009 NFL draft.
Johnson (6-5, 312) was drafted in the third round (98th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft.
Both players were inactive for all games last season.
“I feel very confident in the guys that we have that were backups last year that are going to get than opportunity to step in and play, Mike and Garrett Reynolds,” Center Todd McClure said. “Those guys are very capable. They work hard.”
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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69 comments Add your comment
Mean & Nasty
July 31st, 2011
4:22 pm
`
Garrett Reynolds is the nephew
of former NFL linebacker Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds,
who was also mean and nasty.
SeenThisB4
July 31st, 2011
4:33 pm
@WDRU: At best, and like Kenneth, you’ll be on my six alright.. Just like the falcan’ts will be,…. lagging behind the Saints. Ray Waywards! Puleeze!
J.J.M.
July 31st, 2011
4:49 pm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/07/31/atlanta.falcons.postcard/
brown paper bag on my head
July 31st, 2011
4:50 pm
The 7-9 Seattle Seahawks exposed the Saints scoring 41 points in the beat down.
Ken Strickland
July 31st, 2011
4:51 pm
DEL706-The Falcons had to waive 2 players just to come up with the money to sign FA DE REdwards. There’s no way they’re going to waive the 2 or 3 players necessary to clear enough money to sign ASamuels when they have yet to resign CB BGrimes. And why would they spend big money to sign Samuels and resign Grimes, just to have a Probowl caliber CB coming off the bench as a nickel CB? It just doesn’t make sense.
JERSEYFALCON-Take a look at the list of undrafted FA’s we’ve signed and you’ll see a TE, DT, multiple LB’s and CB’s included. The only thing we actually NEED TO is to resign CB BGrimes and OG JBlalock, which we’ll do this wk. Whether RB JSnelling is resigned is up to him, and what it is he’s looking for. If he wants a starting salary and/or position, then he’s gone.
WEDATRISEUP!!-SEENTHATB4 isn’t a bad guy. If fact, he’s quite entertaining. However, you’re going to get heavy doses of delusional talk from B4 and certain other AINT FANATICS before the season starts. However, once the season does start, you’ll start to notice how infrequently you hear from them.
That’s because they know that once the season starts, they can’t boast or brag about their BELOVED AINTS winning another NFC South title or Superbowl when they’re struggling to make the playoffs. During training camp they can allow their delusional minds wonder and believe whatever they choose, despite the hard facts.
Monduj1
July 31st, 2011
5:27 pm
@DOL
The reason everyone is up in arms about Grimes’ situation is that if he IS given an offer by another club AND the Falcons don’t match, sure we have a 1st Rd pick in 2012, but we won’t have a starting CB on the field in 2011 opposite Dunta Robinson. The longer the Grimes’ situation drags out, the less likely other FA CBs of starter quality will be available.
Our depth at CB is less than zero right now, with Owens, Franks and a bunch of rookies vying for the second starting position should we lose Grimes. That’s very, very unsettling.
Kane337
July 31st, 2011
5:57 pm
Blalock just re-signed. So who wins the right guard spot? Reynolds or Johnson?
BOOGIES THE MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
July 31st, 2011
6:18 pm
..
BOOGIES THE MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
July 31st, 2011
6:24 pm
Filter will not let me mention his disgusting name, but he was #7 for the Falcons, went to prison, was let out WAY TOO EARLY for the crimes he committed……………
KNOW WHO I AM REFERING TO NOW ?
He is not sorry for his previous actions, could care less about dogs or women……
Yeah, go buy his new book….. Support a t h u g ……..
SeenThisB4
July 31st, 2011
8:38 pm
Hey Ken, once the season starts you’ll hear less from me cause I’ll be out dropping verbal ordinance on that week’s opponent’s online beat.
And the hard fact is, nobody has won this division two years in a row,……….. and it won’t happen this year either.
SeenThisB4
July 31st, 2011
8:40 pm
Hey Boogies: You talking about V i C k?
hiramsaint
July 31st, 2011
9:56 pm
@ dol- why when i post a real non argumentative and somewhat admirable post about the falcons it always gets deleted? when i post trash talk about them it always goes through. many of the bad feelings towards one another come from you. it’s your blog and thats understood but why delete post like my last one. do you feed on strife? must be just wonderful in the bedwetter household
larry w
July 31st, 2011
10:58 pm
weakness of the falcon lack of CB , lack of speed RB , lacl of WR help Old TE
FalconsFan284
July 31st, 2011
11:42 pm
Seen, hiram—-Here’s something nice about your Faints. They were pretty good two years ago. Now it’s back to reality for you bums.
The Faints have lost a good deal of their depth and haven’t replaced them yet. With half of your starting O-line still being free to sign with another club and you’re realistically looking at five new starters on defense just how is it that you believe you are going to be better than last season? It’s a silly question, I know, because you’ll just say something about last season. The points might be of value in your minds but this isn’t last season. Drew probably had his worst season since his rookie year and the Dirty Birds gave the league the blue print for running all over your team. Yes, I do mean run. Run the ball hard and your defense folds like a cheap carpet.
larry w—-Lack of CB? You ever hear of Brent Grimes? He went to the Pro Bowl last season. Lack of speed at RB? Ever hear of Anton Smith or Jaquizz Rogers? Lack of WR help? No, we didn’t draft Julio Jones or anything. Old TE? Micheal Palmer will be in his third season and should be the primary backup this year. The kid has soft hands but is a little slow. Why not going after the only real problems Atlanta does have? We are lacking an experienced nickel corner and we have depth issues at safety. All in all, that isn’t a lot. It’s not like we’re the Faints!
SaintsFansAreFunny
August 1st, 2011
9:35 am
Will you people please shut up about Turner “not being what he used to be”, “on his last leg”, and “in decline”. There is nothing to back up your claim other than your own uneducated observations. The man led the NFC in rushing with a nagging groin injury the entire year. Not to mention that half our games were against the top 10 defenses in the NFL. If he can “be on his last leg” and still lead the conference in rushing, then I hope he continues his massive downward spiral. My lord some of you would pee on your own leg just to complain its raining.
SaintsFansAreFunny
August 1st, 2011
9:43 am
Here is Turner’s rank among the top 10 leading rushers. 3rd in total yards. 7th in ypc. 5th in longest run. Tied for 7th in runs over 20 yards. Tied for 4th in TDs. Tied for 4th in fumbles. What part of that screams he is in decline to you? Hi Falcon’s fans, this is reality. Glad to meet you.
Falcorave
August 1st, 2011
10:51 am
the reason i think that you have to give the upper hand to Johnson is that while you can’t put too much merit on which school they went to, he did block for a heisman running back and win a national championship. also, his slightly shorter frame is more ideal for an interior lineman
G as in Georgia
August 1st, 2011
11:59 am
I think losing Dahl was kinda bad, however if we have johnson or reynolds ready theyn heck with it, they’re young and have great size and im sure if coached up correctly, will produce. Edwards was the missing piece to our defense. End of Story. Team has a hard schedule, I beileve we actually are in posistion to do this thing RISE UP PROTECT THE DOME.
G as in Georgia
August 1st, 2011
12:02 pm
Well one things for sure, WE must have amazing colums, if Saint fans from New Orleans are coming to a Atlanta, Ga sports page to read what the falcons are doing, Edwards was the man we needed to get the job done.