Falcons players are enjoying some well-deserved time off from practices this week before returning for the start of organized team activities next week.
While last week's mini camp answered plenty of questions about the team's rookies and where they may fit on the roster, there are plenty more thoughts left to be addressed.
I normally do this during the regular season, but thought I'd open up for a little Q&A post mini camp.
Thanks everyone for submitting questions.
I've answered several below and tried to address similar queries that didn't make the cut. And, while I'm thinking about it, a shout out to Vicious for starting this "look-a-like" thread. I'll take it as a compliment (or a sign that the offseason has officially gotten boring).
Sorry if I wasn't able to get to your question.
With (Von) Hutchins and the newly-drafted (Chevis) Jackson having a good mini camp, where does that leave (David) Irons? I know we were apparently high on him, but does that mean he's left to nickel back and special teams' roles? If that's the case, what happens with (Brent) Grimes, (Jimmy) Williams, etc.? - David Ethan
It's too early to read too much into any position on the team, including those where the Falcons spent high Draft picks. Hutchins is a veteran that can play just about any position in the secondary while Jackson is a perfect fit for the scheme the Falcons hope to install. Irons and Grimes have made their share of great plays early on in the offseason and will get a chance to compete for a starting role opposite Chris Houston. It's all about competition, which guarantees that the best player will earn the job and play on Sundays. Williams is still working out at free safety. Another note: The secondary is one of those places where you can never have enough depth.
What do you make of Jimmy Williams? Do the coaches have any inclination to try him at corner? Is he a threat to be cut? - Art Vandalay
Williams was not at the facility for two days of the team's last voluntary mini camp but was on the field for the team's mandatory workout last weekend. There is no evidence to suggest that he'll move to cornerback (the position he played as a rookie), particularly since he's bulked up to play at safety. He studied hard last season to learn the position under defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and he -- like the rest of the team -- is learning a new defensive system. It's premature to consider any player for release as the first mandatory roster cut down isn't until August.
I am wandering what is up with Jimmy Williams. Is he going to play or what? I was also wandering how Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood are looking? - Matt
Matt, you'll notice I talked a bit about Jimmy Williams above. As for Michael Turner, I've never seen a player who "looks" more like a running back. I've heard plenty of people comment on his lack of height, but "The Burner" is built to run low to the ground and take on tacklers. Of course, with a nickname like "The Burner," he's also got some wheels. He's looked fantastic in his limited work and, as Coach Smith said, appears to be the "as advertised." Expect more of the same speed and quickness from Jerious, who appears to be the perfect player to compliment Turner's style.
The Falcons' brain trust thought enough of the importance of the running game to sign the most sought-after free agent, Michael Turner. On the other hand, Harry Douglas probably wasn't drafted primarily for his blocking skills. We've heard a lot of talk lately from football pundits that the current rules of the game favor a pass-oriented offense. How does Coach Mularkey view these so-called trends in the game? - falcoatlantae
That's a great question for Coach Mularkey that I'll remember to ask next time I catch up with him to talk about the offense. In my conversations with him, he's steered away from anything suggesting the team will always run the football and stick with the run no matter what. Just look at the teams he coached in Pittsburgh and Buffalo to see that very solid -- sometimes prolific -- passing games can be set up by running the football (the Steelers also finished in the top-five in the league in total offense during his first two seasons). Make no mistake about it, the Falcons will look to the ground game early and often. Harry Douglas fits into this very well because of his speed and ability to work the middle of the field. It's not hard to imagine him running in space off a good play-action fake.
Do you see the offensive and defensive lines being stronger this season, or is one (or perhaps both) still a question mark? Also, will Matt Ryan sit back and learn most/all of the season, or will he be thrown into the line of fire early to get some playing time? And lastly, what position do you think will be the most improved this season? - Nick Hartm
Thanks for all three of the questions. I'll address them in order. The offensive and defensive lines are still positions with questions for two reasons: injuries and scheme. Coach Smith wants the team to be strong on both lines, meaning the team could be tinkering for a while just to find that perfect combination (not a bad thing, just a sign of adapting). Injuries to players like Todd Weiner, Trey Lewis and Renardo Foster have made it hard to really figure out who could be the best players along the lines. The team does feel good about the players. That comes from the free agent signing of Kindal Moorehead and Rashad Moore on defense and not taking a chance on any of the unproven defensive tackles in the Draft.
Ryan has the tools to play in the NFL. No question. The thing that impresses me most is his ability to find the open receiver under pressure and keep his eyes focused down field. He'll play when he's ready, which will be determined on how quick he adapts to the school work portion of the NFL.
I think the running back position is the most improved simply by the addition of Michael Turner. He's a young, play-making runner that can do everything asked of an NFL running back. Throw in Jerious Norwood and you've got one of the best one-two punches in football.
What is the schedule for the upcoming OTAs and are they open to the public? - Jim
The NFL allows for a small amount of organized team activities (OTAs) outside of scheduled mini camps. The schedule is subject to change and varies weekly. Practices are not open to the public, but open to the media. So, look for coverage on AF.com as its available.
I've heard rumblings of the Falcons mixing in some 3-4 fronts this season. Is there any truth to that? Also, what kind of blocking scheme do you think the coaches will ultimately choose for the O-Line, or are they going to do some zone and man? - The Cush
I didn't see anything to suggest such a defensive move during mini camp, but don't be surprised if the team does include some 3-4 "looks" as many teams in the league employee through the season. The trick on this is finding the right line combination as it takes different tackles and ends to run a 3-4 well.
When it comes to blocking scheme, look for Coach Paul Boudreau and the offense to use a combination of styles to find the right attack. Just about every team in the league employees some amount of zone blocking. Some teams just use it more than others (Denver, Houston, previously Atlanta). So, any NFL lineman has to be good enough to do both.
How are last year's injured offensive line prospects coming along? Is (Renardo) Foster close to being able to practice? Is (Doug) Datish back at full speed, or is he having to pace himself like (D.J.) Shockley and (Brian) Finneran? How's (Terrance) Pennington? - Torgo
The offensive linemen you mention are at various stages of recovery. Datish is back and worked at the last two mini camps at center. Foster and Pennington are still out as they recover from their ailments. We're probably looking at training camp before they can get back on the field and work full-time.
My favorite pick of this years draft was Curtis Lofton. How did he look out there at (middle) linebacker? I know the LBs are going to cross-train but do you think the starting linebackers will look like this? Will, Keith Brooking. Mike, Curtis Lofton. Sam, Michael Boley. - MidWest Falcon
The entire AF.com staff got excited when the team selected Lofton. We don't pick favorites, but we all have "our guys" heading into the draft. Just so happens we all liked Lofton. He looked solid at middle linebacker during mini camp. You didn't hear coaches screaming his name too much, which is a good sign. I think the team would be pleased with your predicted lineup if that's the way things shook out. Lofton still has a lot of learning to do and Brooking has shown he can play in the middle. As the new scheme comes on-line, we could see a Lofton, Boley, Brooking combo. Early on, however, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Brooking at a spot to make the most impact (that would middle linebacker).
How do you think (Chris) Redman is gonna work out this year if he plays?
Fans saw at the end of last season what a steady force Chris Redman could be at quarterback. He takes advantage of every opportunity and isn't going to waste a second of his time as he brings his career back from the depths of insurance sales. There's a hunger in Redman that only appears after being out of the game for three seasons. Fans need not worry when Redman is in the lineup. Obviously, Matt Ryan will be called upon sooner or later in his career, but Chris won a game (Seattle), nearly led the team to a win (St. Louis) and forced a thrilling overtime (Arizona) during five games (four starts) last season.
Who is the most likely candidate to win the kick return/punt return duties this year? - ashley76
General Manager Thomas Dimitroff has talked about rookie Thomas Brown's ability on kickoff returns, but the team didn't work that part of the game during mini camp. It's a wide-open competition with Jerious Norwood, Adam Jennings and Brent Grimes seeing some light work as returners last weekend.
Any updates on (Brian Finneran) and his chances of making the squad? - Millennium Falcon
Simply put, Finneran is back from back-to-back knee injuries and working during practice. Determining chances to make the squad is really tough this time of year because 11-on-11 drills are few and far between. I can say Finn is all smiles and enjoying every moment he has on the field. His real test (and pressure on his knee) will come during Training Camp.
How excited are you about Harry Douglas as far as his hands and route running ability? What do you expect "Matty-Ice's" contract will look like? - theyhateme
I talked about Douglas earlier in this piece and got a chance to interview him at the end of this last mini camp. He's an explosive player that is quick off the line and quick after the catch. He looks like the type of player that can run a short pattern, make a catch, spin out of a tackle and run 70 yards for a touchdown.
As for Ryan, we don't cover contract negotiations on AtlantaFalcons.com, but a good starting point in researching quarterback contracts is to look at similar deals from the past couple of years.
JM, Before you joined the Falcons, you were a member of the Bronco's organization. How does the Falcons organization differ from Denver? What is the differences in philosophy, approach, team/fan access, and general culture? - rev hal
Great question Rev and one that I get often. On the surface, NFL teams are pretty much the same. There's the same amount of revenue sharing and the same jobs have to get done in every city. I will say what stands out about Atlanta compared to Denver is the size of the team (very large when you consider the Georgia Force and help from Arthur Blank's charitable efforts) and interaction between departments. The Broncos organization is split between a training facility and offices at INVESCO Field, so you don't get to see some of your co-workers that often. Fan access is almost exactly the same as is the general "football" culture. After that, the only real difference comes with the size of the market. While Denver is a large city with multiple sports teams, nothing competes with the Broncos for attention. Most of that comes with two Super Bowl wins and a rich tradition. All that said, I'm thrilled to be in Atlanta and am honored to work for Mr. Blank. It's all new in Flowery Branch and great things are yet to come.
Ric Roc
Brian VanGorder is the new defensive coordinator this year, making the transition from linebackers coach last year... Can you enlighten us on what we can expect scheme-wise from the defense? Will we see more attacking, rush the passer with four down-linemen, or could we expect to be more of blitzing team with our athletic linebackers or perhaps more zone or Cover-2 with the addition of Chevis Jackson?
Another good question to wrap things up. The simple answer would be to post some game film of Mike Smith's time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The real answer is a little more complicated. One thing that sticks out to me about this entire coaching staff is that no talent will be placed out of position. If the team finds Michael Boley does his best work around the line of scrimmage rushing the passer, look for Boley to do more of that this season. If the front four can get pressure on the quarterback, a Cover-2 shell is likely in order (it's a great defense when the quarterback doesn't have a lot of time and I think that is the ultimate goal). The team has made moves to run multiple defensive combinations, though, and could change it up week to week. What we can say at this point is that the style will be straight-ahead, pressuring the football and forcing opponents into bad decisions. You'd love to get that with D-linemen alone, but it can be just as effective with some linebacker blitzes. Linebacker Keith Brooking also said the system is simpler and easier to understand, making players on the field easily react to the situation and not spend too much time debating styles and coverages.
BLOGGER'S NOTE: As I watch trees rock furiously in the wind out my office window, a gentle reminder: Complete mini camp coverage can be found on 
