FentayeJones Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Here are three storylines to watch during the three days of minicamp:Business as usual for Julio Jones: Although Jones has not yet been rewarded with a long-term contract extension, the two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver with one year left on his contract hasn't staged any type of public protest. And unlike Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys, Jones seems highly unlikely to take such defiant measures heading into mandatory minicamp. The Falcons should reward their best player by making him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league, if not the highest. (Detroit's Calvin Johnson currently tops all receivers at $16.2 million per year.) General manager Thomas Dimitroff told an audience of season-ticket holders and Jones himself that a lucrative deal is around the block. Well, no point in giving Jones the run-around. Owner Arthur Blank, head coach Dan Quinn and Dimitroff all have expressed a desire to keep Jones in the fold for the long haul. Plus Dimitroff said he has no lingering concerns about the foot fracture Jones suffered two seasons ago. Jones publicly vowed to improve on last year's franchise-record performance, and that should give the Falcons even more incentive to get the deal done soon.Free safety battle heating up: Quinn threw some folks for a loop recently when he declared how impressive second-year player Ricardo Allen has been at free safety. Allen, a converted cornerback, wasn't a player expected to contribute much after getting released following training camp, then spending most of last season on the practice squad. Allen diligently worked on improving his technique daily after practice, so his desire was more than evident. The 5-foot-9, 196-pound Allen isn't the most intimidating figure on the back end, but if he can make up for it with speed, athleticism and intelligent play, he'll have a legitimate shot. Veteran Charles Godfrey, has the most experience but has not generated much buzz this offseason. And although Kemal Ishmael led the Falcons with four interceptions last season, he is better suited as a hard-hitting, in-the-box safety than a guy roaming the back with range. No matter what happens at free safety, the Falcons need strong safety William Moore to be a stabilizing force once he fully recovers from major shoulder surgery.Offensive line still a work in progress: The likely starting offensive line for Week 1 has yet to work together as a complete unit this offseason. It was a positive sign to see players such as left tackle Jake Matthews (Lisfranc) and center Joe Hawley (ACL/MCL) back on the field for organized team activities, but neither player participated in full-team drills. They will follow the same protocol during mandatory minicamp, meaning guys such as Lamar Holmes and James Stone will remain with the first-team offense. It's not the ideal scenario for a unit getting used to a new outside-zone block scheme implemented by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Health is the No. 1 factor to watch, with starting right guard Jon Asamaoh (ankle) recently added to the list of walking wounded. The Falcons brought in some veteran bodies for competition, but they are highly unlikely to invest in a high-dollar player such as recently released All-Pro guard Evan Mathis. How much success will the Falcons have with newcomer Chris Chester, who played in Shanahan's scheme previously and is capable of playing both guard spots or center? Does former starting left tackle Sam Baker, coming off major knee surgery, even have a place on the team with a cap value of $7.3 million this season? Lots of questions. Let's see if minicamp provides any more answers.http://espn.go.com/blog/atlanta-falcons/post/_/id/13879/julio-jones-likely-to-keep-same-business-approach-for-minicamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atljbo Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 yup .. Ricardo Allen is nearly 200lbs now... I read that he gained weight but i didnt know how much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 If Evan Mathis were a CB, TD would have signed him by now. There is no excuse for us not to try, we desperately need better interior linemen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazoo Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 yup .. Ricardo Allen is nearly 200lbs now... I read that he gained weight but i didnt know how muchHe'll need it at FS. He will invariably be confronted with 240lbs running backs coming at him down the alley at full speed from time to time and over the course of a season this can wear a smaller guy down. We want our guys ready to play at peak level in playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atljbo Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 If Evan Mathis were a CB, TD would have signed him by now. There is no excuse for us not to try, we desperately need better interior linemen.Im for the Mathis signing but ill say this.... The Eagles wanted to sign Chester when they knew they are releasing Mathis... Mathis is better then Chester ... No dount but if Chester can be the solid RG we need (and we've already signed him) ... I understand if they feel like we are good at that position ...Again if we didnt sign Chester and both are out there i would be all in on us focusing on Mathis .... But we did sign ChesterIt also depends on what Mathis want ,,,, Similar to Abe..... You may be able to still produce at that age but teams are not paying older guys that type of money.It sound want top 5 guard money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis York Morgan Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Hope we cut Baker and front load the heck out of Julio's contract. Good for both parties involved.Minus Baker, but who gives a crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheldon Cooper Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I like the idea of a bulked up Allen starting at FS over Godfrey. Nice to see Quinn make use of an otherwise squandered draft pick.RCB-Alford, Collins, SouthwardFS-Allen, TherezieSS-Moore, IshmaelLCB-Trufant, Mincy or Lee or White Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlfanstckndenver Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Im for the Mathis signing but ill say this.... The Eagles wanted to sign Chester when they knew they are releasing Mathis... Mathis is better then Chester ... No dount but if Chester can be the solid RG we need (and we've already signed him) ... I understand if they feel like we are good at that position ...Again if we didnt sign Chester and both are out there i would be all in on us focusing on Mathis .... But we did sign ChesterIt also depends on what Mathis want ,,,, Similar to Abe..... You may be able to still produce at that age but teams are not paying older guys that type of money.It sound want top 5 guard money Hive sop dap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FentayeJones Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 yup .. Ricardo Allen is nearly 200lbs now... I read that he gained weight but i didnt know how muchGlad to see that Ricardo has added some pounds. With the added weight he is not that much smaller that E Thomas, D Whitner, J Byrd and he is bigger than T Mathieu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth B Told (TRU) Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Glad to see that Ricardo has added some pounds. With the added weight he is not that much smaller that E Thomas, D Whitner, J Byrd and he is bigger than T Mathieu.Yep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beef Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I like the idea of a bulked up Allen starting at FS over Godfrey. Nice to see Quinn make use of an otherwise squandered draft pick.RCB-Alford, Collins, SouthwardFS-Allen, TherezieSS-Moore, IshmaelLCB-Trufant, Mincy or Lee or WhiteHuh?You don't even list Godfrey at FS and you left out Adams, who Quinn has already pointed out as doing very well in OTA's.It's much more like:RCB - Alford, AdamsNCB - Collins, AdamsLCB - Trufant, SouthwardFS - Godfrey, Allen, IshmaelSS - Moore, Ishmael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GATXBOI Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I like the idea of a bulked up Allen starting at FS over Godfrey. Nice to see Quinn make use of an otherwise squandered draft pick.RCB-Alford, Collins, SouthwardFS-Allen, TherezieSS-Moore, IshmaelLCB-Trufant, Mincy or Lee or WhiteHow could you forget about Godfrey at free safety him and Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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