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Michael Vick Tom Pidgeon/Getty Projected starting lineup Offense No. Player Pos. 81 Peerless Price FL 83 Alge Crumpler TE 76 Kevin Shaffer LT 79 Eric Beverly LG 62 Todd McClure C 65 Kynan Forney RG 74 Todd Weiner RT 12 Michael Jenkins SE 7 Michael Vick QB 28 Warrick Dunn RB 33 Justin Griffith FB 4 Jay Feely K Defense No. Player Pos. 97 Patrick Kerney LDE 75 Rod Coleman DT 95 Ed Jasper NT 91 Brady Smith RDE 56 Keith Brooking WLB 53 Jamie Duncan MLB 52 Matt Stewart SLB 21 DeAngelo Hall LCB 24 Bryan Scott SS 27 Cory Hall FS 36 Jason Webster RCB 13 Chris Mohr P 2004 Draft Rd. Player Pos. School 1 DeAngelo Hall CB Virginia Tech 1 Michael Jenkins WR Ohio State 3 Matt Schaub QB Virginia 4 Demorrio Williams OLB Nebraska 5 Chad Lavalais DT LSU 6 Etric Pruitt S Southern Miss 7 Quincy Wilson RB West Virginia Outside the Huddle Can't miss New assistant head coach/offensive line coach Alex Gibbs is doing more than working with the offensive linemen. The longtime college and NFL assistant "has a unique approach to coaching, and he's not afraid to impose it upon people," says head coach Jim Mora Jr. Nose to the grindstone Quarterback Michael Vick caught flak last season for missing the first three weeks of the offseason program. This winter, he showed up three weeks early. "This is the most important thing, trying to show my commitment more than I did last year," says Vick. "I'm going into my fourth season, and last year didn't go as well as I wanted it to. I want to make the 2004 season my best yet." Tickled to move Nobody is more pleased than defensive ends Patrick Kerney and Brady Smith about the switch back to a 4-3 from the 3-4. At about 275 pounds each, they frequently got stuck inside, in heavy traffic, the past two seasons. "We're able to run," says Kerney. "We'll still see some double teams from tight ends, but not as much." Two is better than one Mora, like his predecessor, is vowing to get running backs T.J. Duckett and Warrick Dunn in the backfield at the same time. "That's something you should expect to see," says Mora. "Sometimes Warrick will be displaced, sometimes T.J. will be displaced. There's a lot of things we can do, and we're willing to do them." 2003 Revisited The Prophecy: "After all, the franchise [Michael Vick] is the franchise." The Lie: "[QB coach Mike] Johnson also will counsel Vick to be at least a little more cautious." --Athlon Sports Pro Football 2003

There was no mistaking the Falcons' plan of attack in the offseason. New president/GM Rich McKay, new head coach Jim Mora and the Atlanta staff sought to add speed on defense, size and depth at wide receiver and attitude all around.

They're not the first NFL team, however, to chase these things. As usual, whether or not it works will have as much to do with chemistry -- and the health of quarterback Michael Vick -- as any personnel additions.

Trying to blame former head coach Dan Reeves for his team's defeatist attitude last season would be a stretch, although a lack of player leadership could be traced in part to the benchings of offensive captain Warrick Dunn and defensive captain Keion Carpenter (and, of course, to Vick's broken leg).

While every team is optimistic this time of year, there's been some extra adrenaline around the Falcons' headquarters. Mora's minicamp practices have run at an ultra-fast tempo, and McKay seemed to make the right moves in the offseason.

"It's such a tremendous difference in the pace of the way we practiced last year," says three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Brooking. "When you look at the game tempo, it's very similar. We're getting after it. There's so much juice."

Team officials hope attitude carries the Falcons a long way.

In games Vick didn't start last season, the Falcons were 2–10. Clearly, his health is critical. The quality of backups behind him may be just as important. The goal when Atlanta signed 12-year veteran Ty Detmer was two-fold. He was to be the team's No. 3 quarterback but also serve as a mentor/teacher to Vick. Detmer is familiar with new coordinator Greg Knapp's offense from their days together in San Francisco.

Then, team officials wanted to add a veteran No. 2. But they couldn't lure unrestricted free agent Billy Volek away from Tennessee, and a draft-day trade for San Diego's Drew Brees fell apart. Enter Virginia rookie Matt Schaub. Conventional wisdom says Detmer will begin the season as the backup.

Hopefully, it won't matter. Mora, Knapp and Co. believe Vick will fit this variation of the West Coast offense like a glove -- and stay in it all season.

"The thing that Mike will learn, and get better at, is making decisions with the ball on the move, regarding decisions as a passer and a runner," says Mora. "One of the great things about [former 49ers QBs] Steve [Young] and Joe [Montana] was once they got out on the perimeter with the ball, they'd either do things to draw the defense in and then dump it over them, or keep them back and run."

When Dunn returned from his benching last season, he went on a mini-tear before tearing a mini-ligament in his left foot Nov. 23 against Tennessee. That ended his season.

He's expected to be ready for training camp, but there are no guarantees. T.J. Duckett looked good in the spring, but he's looked good before without living up to his perceived potential -- although he really hasn't had sufficient opportunities.

Coaches love the way fullback Justin Griffith can do so many things. He's not your typical lead blocker, but this offense really doesn't call for that very often.

One year after acquiring Peerless Price in a trade with Buffalo, the Falcons added former Bears wideout Dez White in free agency and traded up to draft former Ohio State star Michael Jenkins in the first round.

There's more talent now, and in Jenkins (6-foot-4, 218 pounds) and Brian Finneran (6-5, 210), Knapp has the big targets he covets at split end for Vick. Price will move from split end to flanker, where he'll be put in motion and work over the middle more.

Don't forget tight end Alge Crumpler, who's coming off his first Pro Bowl season. He'll be asked to block less, and catch more, as coaches move him out into space.

"The plays have a lot more variations," says Crumpler, who caught a career-high 44 passes last season. "It makes my job a lot easier because I understand defenses in the league as far as where the holes are. I think the more options I have, the better my chances are to make plays."

There's nobody on this unit to rave about, unless you're new offensive line coach Alex Gibbs (formerly of Denver), who of course loves no-names. Center Todd McClure is the brains of the unit, and tackles Kevin Shaffer and Todd Weiner are fairly athletic, which fits what Gibbs wants to do.

Right guard Kynan Forney may be, according to coaches, on the cusp of greatness. Left guard is up in the air between newcomer Eric Beverly, Roberto Garza and Martin Bibla.

"It was important to [Gibbs] that we get Todd McClure re-signed," says Mora. "The whole organization feels, and Alex really feels, that [Forney] can be a really special player. He thinks Kevin Shaffer can be a really good player."

The offseason signing of former Raider Rod Coleman gives Atlanta a very solid rotation at tackle, particularly if Ellis Johnson shows up. He said during the spring that he's not showing up until he gets more money -- he's due a $1.5 million salary this season, but may have blanched upon seeing Coleman get a $6 million signing bonus with a $3.75 million option bonus next year.

Defensive ends Patrick Kerney and Brady Smith figure to be more comfortable in the 4-3 than they were in the 3-4.

Former outside linebacker Will Overstreet is trying to play defensive end. He'd be a bonus of sorts, as his first two seasons ended with left shoulder injuries.

After failing in free agency to land former Broncos speedster Ian Gold to man the critical weak-side spot in new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell's 4-3, the Falcons opted to move Brooking from the middle to the outside. He's never been much of a pass rusher (6 1/2 sacks in six seasons), but Donatell and the Atlanta staff believe they can help Brooking improve at that. "That's a position where you want big-time speed, and Keith's got that," says Mora.

The mid-spring acquisition of former Tampa Bay and St. Louis linebacker Jamie Duncan, who was a bust the last two seasons with the Rams, creates competition with former weak-sider Chris Draft in the middle.

Matt Stewart is very steady, if rarely spectacular, on the strong side.

This position received a lot of attention in the offseason, particularly with the addition of former 49ers cornerback Jason Webster, who'll start on the right side. Then, with the No. 8 pick of the draft, Atlanta selected Virginia Tech cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who stands a good chance of starting right away on the left side.

Hall has legitimate world-class speed, and (like Webster) brings more of the nasty attitude that coaches believe this team needs.

Atlanta appears to have more depth than a year ago, with newcomer Aaron Beasley joining Tod McBride, Derek Ross and Kevin Mathis in the cornerback mix. Some consider strong safety Bryan Scott to be an emerging star.

Jay Feely is capable of being one of the best field goal kickers in the NFL; he is better than average on kickoffs, and, as a bonus, he may be more willing than any kicker in the NFL to make a tackle. Punter Chris Mohr doesn't blow anyone away with statistics (other than fair catches forced), but he's effective in subtle ways.

The return game may be wide open now with the addition of Hall and possibly even Jenkins to press Allen Rossum.

Despite their terrible record last season, the Falcons had enough pieces to be a better team. Beyond Vick's injury, which had more serious and complex ramifications than anybody predicted, the team's attitude was terrible, and Atlanta was victimized by putting the defensive front seven in a scheme that just didn't fit.

With upgrades to the secondary, a change in the system up front, and a couple impact players on each side of the ball, the Falcons looked primed for big improvement.

But they don't want to find out if they succeeded in improving at backup quarterback. They'd rather see No. 7 play all 16 games.

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