Atlanta Falcons: Michael Palmer is No. 1 Y-Tight End
072912 FLOWERY BRANCH: The defensive line (left) and the offensive line face off in pads during team practice in Flowery Branch on Sunday, July 29, 2012. CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM
FLOWERY BRANCH – I spoke to Falcons tight end Michael Palmer shortly after he returned from Serbia on a mission trip.
We chatted about his work and then a little football. He told me — (I covered him when he used to smash those Brookwood Broncos when he was at Parkview) — that he had improved his strength and in-line blocking.
Falcons coach Mike Smith confirmed that after Thursday’s practice and declared Palmer was the team’s No. 1 blocking tight end, a position that Reggie Kelly held last season.
The Falcons flirted with bringing in a veteran blocking tight end. They held a workout for 10-year veteran Daniel Graham. However, they are pleased with Palmer’s progress as a blocker.
Palmer, a former Clemson standout who made the team as an undrafted player, has picked up some route-running tips from Tony Gonzalez.
“He understands how to sit down in zones,” Smith said. “When you play behind a guy like Tony Gonzalez, if you have a fairly good skill set, you’re going to learn a whole lot. Michael has taken advantage of learning behind Tony.”
Palmer shined in the red-zone practice session. He caught a touchdown in the back of the end zone.
“Michael had made some very nice catches,” Smith said. “Michael is very athletic.”
THE LATEST NEWS
A season of promise for White-Jones receiving duo
Matt Ryan rested for Thursday’s practice; Vance Walker suffers undisclosed injury
Former Falcon Chris Doleman to be enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame
5 things you don’t know about Hall of Famer Chris Doleman
5 questions with right tackle Tyson Clabo
Professor Ledbetter hands out first quarter training-camp grades for the rookies
Former Falcons running back Art Malone passed away, 148-2012
OTHER TOP STORIES
New offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter say Matt Ryan is a Top 10 quarterback
Asante Samuel takes offense with notion that he’s in steep decline
Falcons counting on Sean Weatherspoon’s playmaking ability
Former Alabama linebacker Jerrell Harris turning some heads at camp
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
Get instant updates on Twitter at AJCFalcons and you can join the Facebook Fan page at AJC Falcons.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
44 comments Add your comment
SeenThis B4
August 3rd, 2012
2:02 pm
First!
SeenThis B4
August 3rd, 2012
2:04 pm
Serbia? Whats he doing in Serbia?
bgslow
August 3rd, 2012
2:20 pm
why don’t you see your a$$ somewhere else.
WooYeah
August 3rd, 2012
2:23 pm
Good to see a local guy doing well and improving. It was a great story seeing him make the team his rookie year, and now, it looks as if he’s got a true role on the team.
SeenThisB4
August 3rd, 2012
2:25 pm
Hold me.
Die Hard Falcon
August 3rd, 2012
2:33 pm
He was in Serbia on a mission trip. Not exactly sure what was being done, but it was definitely a goodwill trip. Class act
Michael M.
August 3rd, 2012
2:33 pm
How does this aints troll keep beating us all to the punch? We’re all a bunch of pansies!
SeenThis B4
August 3rd, 2012
2:36 pm
I know he was on a mission, but what kind? A clandestine mission? A military mission? An evangelistic mission? Serbia? Weren’t they the ones that tried the ethnic cleansing on the Bosnians?
Esquire
August 3rd, 2012
2:54 pm
That is awesome that he has brought his game forward……….and enough to send a 10 year veteran packing. I look forward to seeing the strengths in his blocking attack.
hiramsaint
August 3rd, 2012
3:03 pm
hey seen – with the failclowns , it will be mission impossible for a playoff win ! hehehehehehehehehe
to real
August 3rd, 2012
3:05 pm
I look forward to seeing this guy put dudes like curtis lofton on tha ground in our run game im sure every falcon fan can digg dat
Atlanta Falcons: Michael Palmer is No. 1 Y-Tight End | NFL Online News
August 3rd, 2012
3:09 pm
[...] Atlanta Falcons This entry was posted in Atlanta Falcons and tagged Atlanta, Falcons, Michael, Palmer, YTight. Bookmark the permalink. ← Arizona Cardinals training camp: QB quandary needs solving [...]
hiramsaint
August 3rd, 2012
3:14 pm
to be real you gotta dump in one hand and look forward to in the other hand and see which one fills up first.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
August 3rd, 2012
3:20 pm
SeenThisB4 — He was on a mission trip. A little preaching and some football. I put the link in for you.
SeenThis B4
August 3rd, 2012
3:51 pm
Thanks.
good old joe
August 3rd, 2012
3:59 pm
GO FALCONS LESS WIN THIS YEAR PLAY HARD & GOOD LUCK, STAY WELL
John
August 3rd, 2012
4:10 pm
D.Led the one thing about Palmer that has always bothered me is he just doesnt LOOK athletic. I know Smith said he is but what do you think? I’ve never seen the guy in person but one thing is for sure, when you see T.G. or even guys like Gronk you can tell they are lean machines. Every time I see Palmer he looks like hes still working off his baby fat. Any opinions? Please tell me Im wrong.
Michael M.
August 3rd, 2012
4:19 pm
Falcons fly high !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since it’s inception in 2002, no NFC South team has had back-to-back division championships, and every team in the division has won the crown at least twice
NFC South Power Rankings
1 Atlanta Falcons
2 New Orleans Saints
3 Carolina Panthers
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is a lot of offensive firepower, Think about it. Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas to line up at wide-out. Running backs Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling, who are all not only dangerous rushers, but are also able to catch passes on quick check-downs or designed screens
Atlanta is still solid on the defensive line and with the veteran additions of cornerback Asante Samuel and safety Chris Hope to the secondary, the Falcons took a serious step into potential elite pass defenses for this season. Mike Nolan is just plain scary good at his job, and every defense he has taken on has improved under his tutelage.
Falcons’ success in 2012 will lay squarely on the shoulders of their two new coordinators, Dirk Koetter and Mike Nolan.
The Falcons have a very well put-together team, and have a favorable schedule as well. With the rest of the division taking a step back, the Falcons will undoubtedly take a step up, and win this division.
hiramsaint
August 3rd, 2012
4:21 pm
funny- that also sounds like a re-post from last year. oh-it is LOL LOL LOL
Michael M.
August 3rd, 2012
4:26 pm
Afraid not there lil buddy
hiramsaint
August 3rd, 2012
4:46 pm
i’m sure the results will be the same as last year too. ooops =almost forgot- along with arty trying to hire a saints asst coach for the open h.c. spot in atlanta.
johnm
August 3rd, 2012
5:00 pm
@hiramsaint- Get off the crack. And mike smiths not going anywhere
hiramsaint
August 3rd, 2012
5:05 pm
sure he’s not and y’all are gonna win it all too ! LOL LOL LOL
TrollbloggercalledAints
August 3rd, 2012
5:21 pm
Wish we had give back guys in New Orleans instead of bounty hunters who fight the NFL to play even when we know we were caught doing dirt. We are the Aints! We dont need no stinking give back guys! We got the real black ops take your kneee out guys! Go Falcons!
TrollbloggercalledAints
August 3rd, 2012
5:28 pm
O yea, I am sure all the NFL will be lookingto pull coaches from the coaching tree that teaches players to take out players by any means necessary! You know “kill the head and the body will follow”. Thats what we teach in Aint land! All the NFL wants those type of coaches leading! You know you want us on that wall; you need us on that wall! You cant handle the truth NFL. I will be back next year to teach this type of play! Wait I have an assistant coming back in 2 months to teach my methods! You all will pay! Look at my picture in the locker room watching you watch me! I see you and you shall heed my commands! Go Falcons!
SeenThis B4
August 3rd, 2012
6:28 pm
@Michael M. Your little falcan’t report lost all its credibility when you said that Michael Turner could catch passes on quick checkdowns on designed screens. Turner couldn’t catch a cold, and that is a bonfide truth. The Saints have two running backs that can execute a screen, Sproles and Thomas…Colston, Henderson, Moore, and Arrington are all more sure handed than any of your WRs. And you left out one important aspect of the falcan’t offense, the lack of an elite QB at your helm.
And Mike Nolan’s defense at Miami last year was ranked 15th last year, down from being 6th the year before, weren’t you guys ranked 12th last year in team defense? Now, you were saying something about taking a step back?
TrollbloggercalledAints
August 3rd, 2012
6:41 pm
You tell him Seen! Tell him how our offense is predicated on nothing but the pass! Tell him we dont need no stinking Turner who cant catch a pass cause he was never asked in that Mularkey offense. Tell him Seen that I, Sean Peyton the smartest offense mind in the world, smarter than the Evil Genius Spurrier, smarter than Mike Marx, both who said to heck with a running game; we dont need no stinking running game we will outscore everyone, because we are smarter and we throw the ball 40 times a game. We are the Aints and we will continue to throw the ball 40 times a game! Stinking running game! I call the plays around here ( well next year I do) but that does not matter! We are the Aints! Go Falcons!
TrollbloggercalledAints
August 3rd, 2012
6:44 pm
Besides it only proved that we needed a running game when we could not outscore another team with our “take out the head and the body will follow defense”. We are the Aints and we play the game to hurt our opponents! Who has something different to say? We are the Aints I tell you all and you will subcumb to our type of play! You must because we are smarter than you all! Go Falcons!
hiramsaint
August 3rd, 2012
7:11 pm
oooooooooooooooooooooh- mikey m got schooled by the professor !
hiramsaint
August 3rd, 2012
7:12 pm
go falcons ?- oh , you mean to the sofa to watch the rest of the playoffs again
jim
August 3rd, 2012
7:25 pm
B4 is here because he’s the only aints fan that can read and write. They don’t have a blog.
TrollbloggercalledAints
August 3rd, 2012
7:39 pm
Yes to the sofa those darn Falcons will get another first week bye in the playoffs! We are the Aints, we dont need no stinking bye we will outscore our opponents! Defense is for pop warner! You tell them Hiram, tell them who we are! We are the greatest football team! We dont need no stinking head coach! Our team has proved our coach is only a figure head! What do these other team know! And what does that darn Commissioner know about our team! We will win the South this year with our defense, yes I said it with our (what were we ranked last year? It does not matter what we were ranked, this is a new year!!!!! A new year does not count for other teams we are the only team it counts for). We are the Aints! And we impose our will on all! We are the Aints I tell you and we got in trouble only because we tried to hurt people! Its the NFL and it stands for Not For Long (as in I will not be gone for long, only one year!)I. You all shall feel my stare from my home in Dallas ( I dont stay in the NO for a reason, however I am still head coach). Now who shall fall to my prey! Who! We are the Aints and we shall destroy you all! Go Falcons!
Jimmy Crack
August 3rd, 2012
7:40 pm
That’s right, Jim, sports illiteracy was so high there, the New Orleans Times Pickynose recently cut back on its own circulation. Now only half of the litterboxes and birdcages in the Crescent City are protected against animal “seepage”, or as we call it here in Atlanta, “vitt”.
falcon057
August 3rd, 2012
9:21 pm
Speaking of play-offs Seattle’s Lynch said HI …. to all you Saints fans
TrollbloggercalledAints
August 3rd, 2012
9:45 pm
Heheheheh Lynch……Seattle…….dog gone you falcon dont you bring that up…..we, we, ummmmmm we were off that game! And we were up against another “genuis” in Carroll who left USC before his cheating scandal hit. I cant believe you are bringing up the past! We are the great Aints and I have my eyes on you. Dont you call me out! I will put a bounty on you buster! Go Falcons!
FALCONinNO
August 3rd, 2012
11:28 pm
What?! Sean Payton got another woman pregnant?!
Michael M.
August 4th, 2012
12:25 am
Sorry so late here but this is directed towards nimwit and dimwit………….GO GET SCHOOLED .
hiramsaint
August 5th, 2012
4:24 pm
naw mikey- our team does that to your team and usually in primetime -remember last year. who gave up the nfl passing record on national t.v.-YOUR ATLANTA FAILCLOWNS .
Atlanta Falcons: Exhibition game depth chart released | Atlanta Falcons
August 6th, 2012
1:06 pm
[...] Michael Palmer is the No. 1 Y-Tight end right now [...]
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
August 6th, 2012
3:08 pm
WOW…..and I thought this was suppose to be a blog with comments about the Michael Palmer article……
Video: Most starters to play at least a quarter vs. Ravens | Atlanta Falcons
August 7th, 2012
8:17 pm
[...] Michael Palmer is the No. 1 Y-Tight end right now [...]
TV, Radio: Falcons vs. Ravens, 7:30 p.m. Thursday | Atlanta Falcons
August 8th, 2012
3:48 pm
[...] Michael Palmer is the No. 1 Y-Tight end right now [...]
Dent suffers concussion; Ewing out with knee injury | Atlanta Falcons
August 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
[...] Michael Palmer is the No. 1 Y-Tight end right now [...]
Reserves get worked out, as Ravens rout Falcons, 31-17 | Atlanta Falcons
August 9th, 2012
11:51 pm
[...] Michael Palmer is the No. 1 Y-Tight end right now [...]