Jeff -
Atlanta Falcons training camp is set to start on July 30th in Flowery Branch. The Falcons have a few positions that are firmly established with not much excitement in terms of competition. However, there are a few positions to keep an eye on that could see some intense battles. Here are my top 3 position battles to watch during training camp.
Running Back
In the hunt:
In the hunt:
Tevin Coleman, Devonta Freeman
Potentially the most exciting battle come training camp is the one for the lead back in this high powered offense. The Falcons haven’t had a threatening run game since Michael Turner in 2012. The last 2 years have been disappointing with Steven Jackson looking nothing like the beast from St. Louis and Jacquizz Rodgers never taking the next step in the run game (although he was still effective in the pass game).
This year pits 3rd round pick Tevin Coleman and last year’s 4th round pick Devonta Freeman against each other for the top spot in the stable.
Before the draft Devonta Freeman seemed liked he would be the guy. Dan Quinn had fallen in love with his aggressive style and people were amazed with his off-season work ethic. All signs pointed towards him being the guy.
Then day 2 of the draft came and the Falcons snagged speedy back Tevin Coleman out of Indiana.
Since that day, both guys have voiced their obvious desire to take the starting job and both have embraced the competition and seem to be pushing each other to new heights.
Freeman has the 1 year of experience under his belt and is an aggressive runner but Coleman has the pure speed and ability that can excite any coach.
On his pro day Coleman ran a 4.39 40 yard dash with a bum ankle, One would have to assume a healthy Coleman will have speed comparable to Jamaal Charles out of Kansas City. In the Falcons fast paced offense with the need for a balanced attack I see Coleman edging out Freeman for the lead back. Although, I see Freeman still getting a decent amount of touches.
This battle could extend through training camp and spill over into the preseason and regular season. Regardless of what happens here, I am confident in saying that the Falcons run game will look better than it has in the past few years.
Free Safety
In the hunt:
Charles Godfrey, Ricardo Allen, Kemal Ishmael
The free safety spot is an interesting battle. With Dezmen Southward making the transition to Cornerback it makes the position a little less cluttered but it is still a crowded position.
Charles Godfrey was brought in to basically be a 1 year stop gap until the Falcons can find a more long term fix, however Godfrey might not even make it through training camp before losing the job.
With Southward moving to corner, 2nd year corner Ricardo Allen has made the move to Free Safety. Allen spent most of last year on the practice squad but got a few snaps towards the end of the year. Word around the front office is that Allen has impressed the coaching staff and already seems to have a good lead for the starting spot.
My personal favorite is Kemal Ishmael, who played mostly safety last year when William Moore went down. Ish made some big plays last year and a few exciting interceptions, He may not have the range of a guy like Allen, but he is a hard hitter and plays with intensity. He isn’t as good in coverage as Allen (obviously as Allen was a corner) but he can still hold his own.
I personally see Allen winning the starting job with Ish getting some snaps at both safety spots as well. Either way the Falcons seem to have a few young options for the future that could eventually turn into difference makers in the secondary.
Cornerback #2
In the hunt:
Robert Alford, Jalen Collins
This is a tough one and another one that I don’t think gets fully settled over the summer. Both guys possess certain qualities that make it tough to undoubtedly pick one over the other.
Robert Alford has speed, good mobility, physical play in press coverage, and great ball skills going for him. However, there is a downside to him. First off, he is only 5’10” and playing on the outside puts him at a disadvantage with that stature. He also gives up the edge in run support as well. He often takes bad angles at the ball carrier.
Jalen Collins has the the size that Alford lacks. Standing 6’2” he has that elite size you look for in an outside corner. He has decent speed and mobility to hang in coverage. With his height and a 36” vert he can compete for every jump ball. The downside for Collins is his technique. He relies heavily on pure talent instead of proper technique and discipline.
Overall, I don’t think one player is much better than the other as an overall corner. What I think determines this battle is where they fit. Alford has that top notch speed and change of direction ability that is better suited playing inside while Collins has the size and ability to play out of the press to excel on the outside.
Follow Jeff on Twitter at @Jeffkey1989
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