FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Falcons - This Year We Promise Our Coach Won't Quit

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterbacks: If he develops as expected, and if he doesn't have a hidden dog-fighting hobby, the Falcons have their franchise quarterback for the next decade at least. Matt Ryan will be the team's starting quarterback by the start of 2009 for sure. The question is whether he'll be stepping in to replace Chris Redman early this season. Considering how bad Atlanta will be, the likelihood is he'll be under center by Week Eight, when the Falcons come off their bye. Heat Index: 4

Running Backs: If there is one position on the Falcons' roster where they compare favorably to the rest of the league, it may be running back. Jerious Norwood has been one of the most productive backup running backs in the league over the past two seasons (202 carries, 1,246 yards with a 6.2 yard per carry average), and was expected to step into the starting role whenever Warrick Dunn aged out of the position. Dunn finally left town to head back to Tampa Bay, but Norwood will still be the backup, as the Falcons signed LaDainian Tomlinson's understudy, Michael Turner, to a big-money deal. Turner's resume is very similar to Norwood's--he's been a productive backup for three seasons (228 carries, 1,257 yards with a 5.5 YPC average) who is looking to step into a larger role. The two should complement each other pretty well, as Turner is a bigger, one-cut home run hitter with good speed, while Norwood is a shiftier, smaller back with blazing speed. Together, they could be an outstanding combo if they didn't have to run behind such a brutal offensive line. Heat Index: 7Recievers: I think everyone can agree that it's best just to forget the 2007 Falcons' season ever happened, but there was one bright spot. Roddy White emerged as the No. 1 receiver the team had been lacking since Terance Mathis got old. White (83 catches, 1,202 yards) will be Redman or Ryan's top target, but the team still lacks a solid No. 2 to pair with him. Speedy second-year pro Laurent Robinson will likely get the starting nod after a strong rookie season, while disappointing former first-round pick Michael Jenkins will get one last chance to prove he's not a bust. Despite catching 53 balls last year, Jenkins did not have a catch of 30 yards or more. By the time the season rolls around, unhappy overpaid vet Joe Horn will likely be traded or (more likely) cut with rookie Harry Douglas taking his place. The tight ends on the roster (Ben Hartsock and Martez Milner) won't come close to replacing Alge Crumpler's receiving production. They'll mainly be asked to block. Heat Index: 4

Offensive Line: There may be a reason to keep Matt Ryan on the sideline for a while--just about anyone could get killed lining up behind the Falcons' front five. The Falcons used a rotating lineup of street free agents at left tackle once Wayne Gandy went down with a knee injury last year. To fix that, the team drafted Sam Baker late in the first round. Baker will likely start from day one, but considering he was considered a second-round talent until a run on tackles moved him up to the first round, he might be over his head at times as a rookie. Last year's second-rounder Justin Blalock, a starter at guard, needs to prove his rookie struggles are behind him. Injuries ravaged the rest of the line last year, and there's still not much depth if someone goes down. Heat Index: 3

Defensive Line: Theoretically, the Falcons should have a pretty good defensive line. The problem is that the parts haven't added up to much yet. Defensive end John Abraham is a talented pass rusher, while 2007 first-round pick Jamaal Anderson needs to prove he's more than an extremely overpaid run stuffer--he didn't record a sack despite starting every game at defensive end last year. Grady Jackson, a 400-pound bowl of jello, is a force as a run stuffer inside, but he quickly wears down, and there's no one to legitimately fill in for him, as Atlanta's other top defensive tackles, Jonathan Babineaux and Montavious Stanley are both undersized. Heat Index: 4

Linebackers: If the defense is going to have a strength, here it is. Keith Brooking is moving back outside as he heads into the final years of his career. That's a good thing, as Brooking and Michael Boley should be a quality pair of outside linebackers. Second-round pick Curtis Lofton is expected to win the middle linebacker job. He may be a little raw, but he has the athleticism to give the Falcons an impressive group of LBs. Heat Index: 6

Secondary: This could get ugly. DeAngelo Hall, the team's one star in the secondary, was dealt away in the offseason. With him gone, the team will rely on Chris Houston. Von Hutchins was supposed to help by giving the cornerbacks a veteran mentor, but he's out for the season with a foot injury. With him gone, Chevis Jackson, another rookie, will be thrown into the fire quickly. He has some talent, but the reality is that the Falcons young corners are likely to be burnt repeatedly this year. The situation at safety is a little better, as Erik Coleman should be a decent free agent addition, while Lawyer Milloy keeps forgetting that 34-year-old safeties should be sitting at home telling stories about what it was like to play in the NFL. Instead, Milloy is still the leader of the secondary, but at some point, age is going to catch up to him. Heat Index: 4

Special Teams: By signing Jason Elam, the Falcons will likely get through the 2008 season without signing Morten Anderson. Just to be sure, the team likely keeps Anderson encased in glass somewhere around the team's Flowery Branch training complex, but Elam, an Atlanta native, should allow the Falcons to avoid turning to the 47-year-old for the first time in three years. Michael Koenen will probably be a better punter now that he can completely avoid place kicking, and he already was pretty good. Heat Index: 6

Coaching: Well, at least the Falcons know that their new coach will not bolt to take a college coaching job in the middle of the season. Mike Smith, a defensive coordinator at Jacksonville before coming to Atlanta, is a somewhat unproven commodity--some of his former Jaguars players say Jack Del Rio was the true brains behind the defense. But he does bring reliability and enthusiasm, two things that were sorely lacking last year. Heat Index: 3

Intangibles: It's hard to think how anything more could have gone wrong last year for Atlanta. Understandably, the team is starting over this year, with a new GM, coach and quarterback. This year's club will likely make people forget about 2007, but it won't be able to make anyone forget when Michael Vick was still a young QB and the Falcons seemed like a team on the way up. From rock bottom, there's a long way left to get to respectability. Atlanta will be very bad this year, but if the offensive line can improve, they should steal three or four wins. Heat Index: 3

Total Heat Index: 44.

The Falcons started over by cutting and trading away many of the veterans who were part of last year's debacle. That should pay off eventually, but it won't make much of a difference in wins and losses in 2008. Falcons fans can already start focusing on 2009 and 2010, when maybe all these recent draft picks will start to pay off.