2008 Atlanta Falcons NFC South Preview

The 2008 edition of the Atlanta Falcons should be an exciting thing to watch. In the middle of what is an obvious rebuilding phase, the Falcons will go through a learning period in 2008. Matt Ryan is expected to start week 1, and be rest assured he will incur some problems along the way as he tries to adjust to the speed of the NFL. The Falcons took the first step in their rebuilding process this offseason by getting rid of a couple problem child characters in Deangelo Hall and Jimmy Williams. They also are trying to get younger, dumping guys who have reached their prime in Warrick Dunn and Alge Crumpler.

KEY ADDITIONS:

1) Michael Turner - While Turner has never had to carry the load of an NFL team, he has had 4 years of learning from Ladanian Tomlinson. Over his 4 year career, he has only carried the ball 228 times, so his legs are fresh. During this 4 year span he also has a career average of 5.5 yards per carry and also has 6 career touchdowns despite giving carries away to Tomlinson inside the red zone. Look for Turner to have a successful career in Atlanta. The Falcons thought so highly of him that they passed up the opportunity to draft Darren McFadden to take Tomlinson's backup.

2) Matt Ryan - The rookie will be thrown into the fire and will be under pressure to succeed right out of the gates. Most rookie quarterbacks take a year or two worth of pain and suffering before they are able to come into their own. A rookie quarterback on a young inexperience team equals a long year for the first year quarterback.

3) Jason Elam - One of the most successful kickers of all time makes his way from the very kicker friendly Mile High to another kicker friendly dome. Elam is a very accurate kicker, whose leg is not what it used to be. He can still kick with consistency however, and Atlanta will benefit from his leadership experience.

KEY LOSSES: