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THE 2009 FALCONS TRAINING CAMP GUIDE FALCONS DRAFT PICKS FREE AGENTS AND OTHER ACQUISITIONS DT TE (13th year) Pick: First round, pick No. 24 (24th overall) out of Mississippi The skinny: With Gonzalez (pictured below), the Falcons bring in arguably the greatest of The skinny: Jerry (pictured right) is the kind of high-motor, ath- all time to play alongside QB Matt Ryan, WR and the rest of the offensive unit. Gonzalez letic interior lineman that Mike Smith covets. Jerry should provides instant leadership, as well as the ability to stretch the defense, and will be a reliable outlet become the starter right away and will help anchor a defensive for Ryan. The veteran, who has never been on a team that has won a playoff game, hopes to get line that already has sack artist John Abraham. Last year, Jerry that chance this season. ranked second in the nation with 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. His combination of size (6-1, 299), strength and RB Verron Haynes (7th year) speed should help the Falcons for years to come. The skinny: Haynes was out of football last season after spending his entire career up to that point with the . The former North Springs High School and Georgia Bulldog star will bring S William Moore a veteran presence to the position and will serve as a quality backup. Expect Haynes to Pick: Second round, pick No. 23 (55th overall) out of Missouri see time on special teams and in some third-down situations. The skinny: Moore has prototypical safety size (6-1, 220) and is a brutal force roaming the secondary. Having played LB Edmond Miles (3rd year) receiver in high school, Moore has great hands for a defend- The skinny: Miles comes over to the Falcons from the . He did not receive much er. In fact, he converted four of his 11 career intercep- playing time last season, but in his rookie season with the , Miles made a name for tions into while in college. With the depar- ture of , Moore has a chance to earn a himself on special teams by leading the team in special-teams tackles. starting spot right away. LB Mike Peterson (11th year) CB Christopher Owens The skinny: Peterson follows former Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mike Smith and posi- tion coach Brian Van Gorder to the Falcons, and will immediately be plugged in as a starting Pick: Third round, pick No. 26 (90th overall) out of San Jose State The skinny: Owens is a versatile who was a true shutdown corner in college. outside . Peterson is well rounded and brings veteran leadership and savvy to a young In fact, Owens only allowed one reception in his final 37 collegiate games. At Falcons linebacking corps. 5-10, 195, Owens was equally effective in shutting down both speedy and physical receivers. He will compete for time in a young Falcons secondary. C Brett Romberg (6th year) The skinny: Romberg has split his previous years in the league between St. Louis and Jacksonville, DE and will bring what seems to be a trend in this free-agency class: depth and a veteran presence. Pick: Fourth round, pick No. 25 (125th overall) out of Richmond Romberg will see time as a backup for both the center and guard positions. The skinny: Big (6-2, 265), fast and ultra-athletic, Sidbury (pictured below) could be the steal of the draft in the fourth round. He was a premier pass rusher in college, getting 11.5 sacks OL Will Svitek (4th year) his senior season, including a record four in the FCS title game against Montana. Playing with The skinny: The former Kansas City Chief is set to back up both offensive positions. Svitek is a veteran like John Abraham should really accelerate his learning curve. a nice addition to an offensive line that has improved its depth after losing Todd Weiner to retirement.

CB William Middleton UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT Pick: Fifth round, pick No. 2 (138th overall) out of Furman SIGNINGS – Offensively, the Falcons The skinny: Though he doesn’t have great size (5-10, 190), picked up many talented undrafted Middleton’s strength and speed should make up for it. free agents. Perhaps the biggest Middleton was named MVP for Furman last season with 95 name, John tackles (nine for loss), five sacks, four and Parker Wilson (Alabama), will nine pass breakups. bring moxie and intelligence to the field in his quest to earn OT a backup role to Matt Ryan. Pick: Fifth round, pick No. 20 (156th overall) out of Guards Ryan Stanchek (West North Carolina ) and Jose Valdez (Arkansas) will The skinny: Reynolds has ideal size (6-8, 309) for the tack- bring size and experience to the Falcons le position and provides toughness and consistency on the offensive line; both blocked for big-time right side of the line. He started for three seasons at UNC and will add even more depth to the Falcons offense. runners in college. Receiver Darren Mougey has an interesting blend of size (6-6, 230) and skill, as he played both receiver and quarterback at San LB Diego State. Walton High School alum Aaron Kelly (6-5, Pick: Sixth round, pick No. 3 (176th overall) out of Miami 203) is Clemson’s all-time touchdowns reception leader (20) The skinny: Adkins (5-11, 246) had his best season for the and received All-ACC honors during his time there. Another 'Canes last year, accounting for four sacks and six tackles for a receiver, Bradon Godfrey from Utah, led his team in recep- loss. Adkins enters the mix on a young defense and will have the chance to earn playing time in the linebacker rotation and on tions, receiving yards and touchdowns. … Because of a special teams. defense-heavy draft, the Falcons only signed two undrafted free agents on that side of the ball. Linebacker Rashad Bobino DT thrice won All-Big 12 honors playing at Texas. Bobino started Pick: Seventh round, pick No. 1 (210th overall) out of 45 of 52 games at Texas, compiling 235 tackles and 25 tack- The skinny: Last year, Walker (6-2, 304) was the anchor of a star- les for a loss. Maurice Lucas (Colorado) played defensive studded Georgia Tech defensive line. While his teammates garnered tackle in college, but has good size for an NFL more headlines, Walker was quietly named to the All-ACC First Team (6-4, 260) and is the kind of high-character player that General and totaled 33 tackles, three sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss. Manager Thomas Dimitroff and Head Coach Mike Smith love. THE 2009 TRAINING CAMP GUIDE

for us Week 1. , Thomas DeCoud, and all con- tributed to our team’s success last year, and we expect even more from those guys as we enter A WORD WITH the 2009 season. Matt was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year and had a fantastic season. He has become the unquestioned leader of our football team. Sam has worked hard this offseason to get back to full strength after battling through some injuries last year, and he is a key compo- THE GM nent to our running and passing game. Curtis is growing into more and more of a leader, and we anticipate him being our middle linebacker for a long time. Harry has proven that he is an After being named the Falcons GM in January 2008, Thomas Dimitroff stepped in and immediately changed the direction of electric player when he gets the ball in his hands, and he has added about 20 pounds this off- the franchise by bringing in stars such as Matt Ryan and Michael season and we look forward to him becoming even more of a weapon on offense. DeCoud Turner in his first offseason. Heading into his second season with the Falcons, the 2008 Sporting News NFL Executive saw action on special teams last year, and we are anticipating him competing for a starting of the Year took some time out with Score Atlanta’s I.J. role on our defense this year. Chevis did a solid job for us as our nickel , while Rosenberg to talk about his philosophy on the draft as Kroy provided us with a pass opposite John Abraham. well as the team's prospects for '09. What do you think Tony Gonzalez and the other free-agent signings bring to this team? You’ve been the Falcons GM for over a year and a half now.What have you learned so far? Dimitroff: Tony will add a dynamic to our offense that we didn’t have last year. Our draft basi- Thomas Dimitroff: The biggest thing I have learned over the last year and a half is how to cally started on Thursday, not Saturday this year. One of the goals that Coach Smith and I had separate work life and personal life. Last year when I took vacation with my family, I spent a lot of time trying to watch film, learn the salary cap and evaluate players. This year, I have a was to have two full draft classes so we were not going to give up a pick from this year’s draft, better handle on those things and have become better at my time management. We left for but once we were able to agree on a pick in next year’s draft, we knew we had to make the vacation this year and I was able to focus on my family and our time together. move. We look at Tony as another piece to this puzzle as we attempt to reach our goals. We were also able to add linebacker Mike Peterson and offensive lineman Jeremy Newberry in free How have and Mike Smith made things easy for you so far in Atlanta? agency. Mike is familiar with Coach Smith and his defense from Jacksonville, and he will add What’s it like working with them? another leadership presence on the defensive side of the ball. Newberry will provide us with another veteran versatile player on offense that will help our younger players progress. Dimitroff: It is a pleasure working for Mr. Blank. His ultimate goal is to win a champi- onship and he provides us with all the tools we need to achieve that goal. He is extremely Talk about this year’s draft class. Who do you have interested in the football-related decisions and it is refreshing to know that he cares as much high hopes for, and what do you think some of as he does about our team and the direction we are heading. Smitty (Head Coach Mike these players can do in their first years? Smith) and I have a tremendous working relationship. We watch film together prior to the draft, we discuss every personnel decision and we both have the same goals for this foot- Dimitroff: This year’s draft is really a credit ball team. He is a phenomenal leader for our club and there is no doubt that we made the to our personnel department. They basically right choice by hiring him as our head coach. conducted an entire draft using only half our What is your overall philosophy, if you have one, for the draft, in regards to the type of board. Seven of our eight selections came from player (both skill-wise and personality-wise) that you want to bring onto your team? the defensive side of the ball and anytime you are able to work off of just one side of the board it is Dimitroff: We have a needs-based draft philosophy. We are going to always draft based on truly a testament to the work of your scouts. We feel the needs of our team. That doesn’t mean that we will reach for a player, meaning we won’t that Peria Jerry will help anchor our defensive line for draft a guy in the first round that we have a third-round grade attached to, but we are always years to come. He is a hard worker that has a tremen- looking for guys that will help us in our positions of need. dous talent for getting to the football. William Moore is an athletic safety that possesses good With Matt Ryan, did you know exactly what you had as a quarterback when you draft- speed in addition to a physicality that we like in our ed him, or were you a bit surprised at his success? players. We were focused on getting faster on defense this offseason and we feel that all of our draft picks will Dimitroff: I have said a number of times, I consider myself a quarterback snob, because of bring that element with them. in New England. That being said, once we visited with Matt in Boston prior to the draft I knew what we would get if we selected him. His understanding of the game was very impressive when we had him on the whiteboard. Matt possesses all the intangibles you look With the players you have now, what is this for in your quarterback and we knew he was the guy to lead our team. Matt has the drive to be team’s ceiling? a great player, and I am looking forward to watching him grow over the course of his career. Dimitroff: I feel that we are a better team than we were last Talk a little bit about how last year’s draft class, top to bottom, gave the franchise a boost. year and that fans will see a better product on the field. I don’t want to get into what our ceiling is, but I will say that Dimitroff: We were able to lay the foundation for our organization’s future through the draft I think the fans will be pleased with the product they see last year. Our first three selections, Matt Ryan, Sam Baker and , were starters on the field this season. “I feel that we are a better team than we were last year and that fans will see a better product on the field.” THE 2009 ATLANTA FALCONS TRAINING CAMP GUIDE A FEAST FIT FOR A FALCON NEVER (TRAINING CAMP PROJECTED FOOD QUANTITIES) 14,400 Egg Whites 1,020 lbs Broccoli 23,600 Eggs 1,300 lbs Fish (Salmon, Grouper, SATISFIED 600 lbs Bacon Tilapia, MahiMahi, Catfish) 4,800 Biscuits 4,800 lbs Chicken Matt Ryan enjoyed a 720 Pineapples 1,200 lbs Steak stellar rookie season as the Falcons’ start- 720 Qts Strawberries 2,560 lbs Ground Beef ing quarterback. Now, 1,500 lbs Bananas 1,500 lbs Angus Beef Burgers entering his second year in 360 Seedless Watermelons 600 lbs Beef Top Round the league, the precocious 600 lbs Shrimp signal caller continues to 500 gal. Milk improve his game. 3,000 12 oz Servings of Cereal 20,160 Yeast Rolls 10,800 11,520 hen Matt Ryan addressed the media following the Falcons’ loss to the Arizona Servings of Servings WCardinals in a NFC Wild Card battle last season, it was apparent that he was ready to move past his stellar rookie season and look ahead. He wasted little time. Just Trail Mix of Fresh hours after the loss to the Cardinals, Ryan was already studying film. He focused 1,680 lbs Fruit mainly on self evaluation and scouting while detailing what he needed to work on to be a better player in 2009. Lettuce Parfait “I came in and wanted to watch the game we played against Arizona,” said Ryan. “I thought there were certainly some things I could learn from that game. At the end of the day, it’s invaluable experience to have a playoff game under your belt and under- receptions (916), yards (10,940) and touchdowns (76). stand everything that goes with it. When we get back there in the future, I’ll be better “Tony’s arrival will have an instant impact, not served to play in those situations.” only on the offensive side of the ball, but on the team Ryan’s spectacular season in 2008 included a 3,440-yard passing campaign and overall,” Ryan said. “I feel privileged to be throwing 16 touchdown passes. For his efforts, he was named and Sporting the ball to a future Hall of Famer.” News NFL Rookie of the Year. He was also named NFC Rookie of the Month For Ryan, this offseason couldn’t have been more (October) and NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against different compared to his graduation from Boston Oakland in Week 9. College in 2008. After shining in the spotlight all As great as the accolades were for Ryan, he was not satisfied. The Falcons did year as a Heisman Trophy candidate for the not get the result they were looking for in the postseason. Now, heading into the 2009 Eagles, he followed that up by participating in campaign, the goal for Ryan and the Falcons is simple: Continue to improve and make the NFL Combine and Boston College Pro Day. a deeper push into the playoffs. Coupled with two Falcons minicamps and train- “We did a lot of things really well last year, but losing in the playoffs serves as great ing camp, Ryan was continuously throwing the motivation,” Ryan said. “We did some things that probably exceeded people’s football after college. With a break from the expectations and we created a culture within the locker room where we expect gridiron this offseason, however, Falcons fans to win. I think that will motivate us heading into the season.” could have the chance to reap the benefits of a rejuvenated Matt Ryan in 2009. PUSHING FORWARD … “It was important that I took some time to The organization’s dedication to put Ryan and the Falcons in a posi- get mentally and physically refreshed this off- tion to win couldn’t have been more obvious with the acquisition of Tony season,” said Ryan. “Last year was an 18-month Gonzalez, arguably the best tight end to ever play in the whirlwind from the start of my senior season at NFL. The 10-time Pro Bowler leads the league in many Boston College. It felt like my life was on fast for- significant categories among tight ends, including ward for those 18 months.” 2008 SEASON STATISTICS PASSING RUSHING G GS CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD INT RATE ATT YDS AVG TD 16 16 265 434 61.1 3,440 7.9 16 11 87.7 55 104 1.9 1

THE 2009 ATLANTA FALCONS TRAINING CAMP GUIDE ATLANTA FALCONS 2009 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE Compiled by Alex Ewalt SUN. 9/13 vs. MIAMI Falcons head coach Mike Smith edged Dolphins coach Tony Sparano in Coach of the Year voting, as both teams made the play- 1 P.M. offs with 11-5 records. This matchup between the two second- 92.9 DAVE-FM Atlanta, GA year head coaches will pit two of the league’s up-and-coming - CBS-TV teams against each other. SUN. 9/20 Atlanta put the pedal to the metal offensively the last time vs. CAROLINA Carolina visited. A 45-28 win still seems fresh, as does the 1 P.M. Georgia Dome Falcons’ near miss on a 2008 division crown thanks to the 92.9 DAVE-FM Panthers. and Carolina will try to get a leg up - FOX-TV Atlanta, GA on the Birds in the teams’ divisional openers. SUN. 9/27 at NEW ENGLAND Thomas Dimitroff travels with the team he helped build to the site of a majority of his scouting education. The Falcons have 1 P.M. played the Patriots, who celebrate 50 years as a franchise this 92.9 DAVE-FM Foxborough, MA season, just 11 times since 1966. Tom Brady should be back - FOX-TV and healthy to lead the Pats. SUN. 10/11 at SAN FRANCISCO Atlanta was 2-0 in California last season, but the 49ers present 4:05 P.M. a different set of challenges. A new head coach and a hunger to win the NFC West could play a role when these two teams 92.9 DAVE-FM San Francisco, CA meet. As of now, however, the Niners have some unresolved - FOX-TV issues at positions like quarterback. Who can forget the last time these teams met at the Georgia SUN. 10/18 vs. CHICAGO 8:20 P.M. Dome? Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins with seconds to play, Georgia Dome game-winning field goal by Jason Elam. Will history repeat 92.9 DAVE-FM itself with another great game? The Falcons get home-field - NBC-TV Atlanta, GA advantage again this year. SUN. 10/25 Dallas opens a new stadium in 2009 but that's not the only rea- at DALLAS son for excitement, as these NFC foes meet for the first time 4:15 P.M. Cowboys Stadium since 2006. Former Falcons linebacker is now a 92.9 DAVE-FM Dallas, TX Cowboy, and he’ll have to stop the running of Michael Turner - FOX-TV and Jerious Norwood. MON. 11/2 Quarterback Matt Ryan showed some moxie and rushed for his at NEW ORLEANS first professional touchdown in a loss at New Orleans last season. 8:30 P.M. Superdome This time the Birds look to get over the hump in the Louisiana 92.9 DAVE-FM New Orleans, LA Superdome, where they suffered a 29-25 loss in ‘08. Can Ryan - ESPN-TV build upon his 315-yard performance last year? SUN. 11/8 Former Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall returns to Atlanta vs. WASHINGTON with Albert Haynesworth and the Redskins. Washington is 14-5 1 P.M. Georgia Dome all-time against the Birds but lost the last meeting between the 92.9 DAVE teams. ‘Skins head coach Jim Zorn is thinking playoffs in his -FM - FOX-TV Atlanta, GA second year at the helm. SUN. 11/15 The Battle of I-85 enters its 15th year, as these rivals square off at CAROLINA in Charlotte, N.C. The Falcons have played well on the road at 1 P.M. Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium, but lost their appearance there in 92.9 DAVE-FM Charlotte, NC 2008. This midseason matchup could have big implications in - FOX-TV the NFC South standings. SUN. 11/22 The Falcons get to see former linebacker as they at NY GIANTS look to make a statement against the XLII champi- 1 P.M. Giants Stadium ons and one of the more solid teams in the NFC. Giants QB Eli 92.9 DAVE-FM East Rutherford, NJ Manning won’t have to throw to anymore, but - FOX-TV New York is still dangerous. SUN. 11/29 The Falcons beat Tampa Bay 13-10 in overtime the last time vs. TAMPA BAY the Bucs visited the Dome. This time, the Birds must deal with 1 P.M. Georgia Dome 92.9 DAVE-FM some new faces, including head coach Raheem Morris. Famed Atlanta, GA defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, a mainstay in Tampa, has - FOX-TV departed, however. The Eagles and Falcons meet for the fourth time in the last five SUN. 12/6 vs. PHILADELPHIA 1 P.M. years. It's the first trip to Atlanta for Philadelphia since the 2005 Georgia Dome season — a 14-10 season-opening win for the Falcons. The 92.9 DAVE-FM Birds suffered a tough, last-second loss to Donovan McNabb - FOX-TV Atlanta, GA and the Eagles last season. SUN. 12/13 The Saints spent the offseason working on the defense, but it vs. NEW ORLEANS was the offense that made mistakes the last time these teams 1 P.M. Georgia Dome met at the Georgia Dome, as picked off Drew 92.9 DAVE-FM Atlanta, GA Brees’s first pass. Brees and Co. will go for a big divisional win - FOX-TV in this week’s contest. SUN. 12/20 Three times in 2009 the Falcons play a team with a rookie head at NY JETS coach, including the Jets' Rex Ryan. A revamped, Baltimore- 1 P.M. The Meadowlands style defense awaits the Falcons in the Big Apple, where the 92.9 DAVE-FM East Rutherford, NJ Jets will have their third quarterback in three years after Brett - FOX-TV Favre’s retirement. SUN. 12/27 The last regular-season game between these teams was in 2005 vs. BUFFALO in Buffalo. The Bills will bring a handful of new players, including 1 P.M. Georgia Dome , on this rare visit to Atlanta. Buffalo 92.9 DAVE-FM and head coach Dick Jauron are hoping those investments bring - CBS-TV Atlanta, GA a playoff berth in ’09. SUN. 1/3 An early and other mistakes rattled the Falcons at TAMPA BAY the last time out in Tampa. But, a near comeback in the sec- 1 P.M. Raymond James Stadium ond half showed the team had some fight in 2008. Each team 92.9 DAVE-FM Tampa, FL will very likely be jockeying for playoff position in this impor- - FOX-TV tant game to close the season. THE 2009 ATLANTA FALCONS TRAINING CAMP GUIDE NEWNEW BIRDS BIRDS ON ON THE THE BLOCK BLOCK n April 23, the Atlanta Falcons acquired The University of California grad- for first among tight ends in the league and the opportunity to play for a contender and O10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of uate has compiled four 1,000- was second in the NFL among all in a familiar scheme was a no-brainer. Famer TE Tony Gonzalez in a trade with the yard receiving campaigns, 26 receivers with 29 third-down catches. “I think coming back and being able . In exchange, the 100-yard receiving contests and to work with Coach Smith, he’s a guy that’s Falcons gave the Chiefs its second-round is just the fifth player and the REUNITED … It’s a new team and a new city for free familiar with me and I’m familiar with selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. first tight end in NFL history to him,” Peterson said. “I know the defensive Gonzalez, 6-5, 251 pounds, has estab- produce 11 consecutive seasons agent signee Mike Peterson, but sev- lished himself as one of the premier tight eral of the faces are very familiar. scheme. I know how he runs practice and with 50 or more receptions. The former All-Pro line- how he wants to run practice. For me, it ends in NFL history over 12 seasons, all Gonzalez’s career numbers with Kansas City. A native of Torrance, backer out of the was a win-win situation.” Cal., Gonzalez holds league records for the lead all Kansas City Coming over from Jacksonville, most receptions (916), receiving yards receivers in franchise his- played under defensive where he is the franchise’s second all-time tory, and his 916 career (10,940) and touchdown catches (76) by a coordinator Mike Smith leading tackler and was the captain on one tight end. His 10 selections are catches are the ninth- and coach most in NFL history Brian VanGorder in of the top defenses in the league, Peterson more than any other tight end in the game; is ready to assume a leadership role on the he has also earned eight first- or second- and fourth-highest Jacksonville, where he team Associated Press All-Pro selections, among active players. spent the last six years field and in the locker room. his latest coming last season. Last season, of his career after “Talking with Coach Smith before I Gonzalez caught a breaking into the league signed, [leadership] was one of the big “Tony brings a new dynamic to the with Indianapolis. Now, Falcons offense, and we are very pleased that team-high 96 passes things he wanted me to bring in, one of the for 1,058 yards (11.0 avg.) and 10 of course, Smith is the things he stressed,” he said. “Being that guy, we were able to make the trade with Kansas Falcons’ second-year head touchdowns (second in the the older guy on the team, is nothing outside City,” said Falcons General Manager AFC). His reception total led coach and VanGorder is the Thomas Dimitroff. “His career numbers and all NFL tight ends and was tied second-year defensive coor- my character. I’ve been doing that my whole records are top notch and he will no doubt be for fourth among all receivers, dinator after handling line- career, they’re not asking me to do anything an integral part of our offense.” while his yardage total ranked backers in 2007. that I’m not used to doing. I’m accepting the Gonzalez has competed in 190 career sixth overall in the AFC. To Peterson, who is enter- role. I’m looking forward to winning a lot of games with 174 starts in a Chiefs uniform. Gonzalez also ranked tied ing his 11th year in the league, football games here in Atlanta.”