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The Atlanta Falcons didn’t make the kind of big splash at the start of free agency that many of their fans wanted.

But, little by little, they’ve made moves that should help make their roster stronger. They traded for cornerback Asante Samuel just before the draft and it’s pretty obvious the Falcons are counting on second-round pick Peter Konz to have an immediate impact on their offensive line. But this offseason might be far from over for the Falcons, who were strapped by the salary cap early in free agency.

That’s not really the case these days. Atlanta got a boost when it got a $3 million cap credit as fallout from the Michael Vick situation and some of that helped make room for Samuel. The Falcons cut veteran fullback Ovie Mughelli last week and they’re on the hook for a $733,335 cap hit for that. But the move cleared up $3 million in cap space.

That gives the Falcons some money to work with and you could see another move or two before training camp starts. Although the Falcons say they’re comfortable with Sam Baker at left tackle, I’m not sure that’s a great idea. At very least, they should bring in someone to compete with Baker. Veteran Marcus McNeill is still hanging out there in free agency. McNeill had an injury last season that may require more time to heal. If it does, I could see the Falcons bringing in McNeill. If not, the Falcons have enough room to look at some other alternatives.

Did the Falcons do enough to get tough enough up front?

The Falcons went hard after offensive linemen in the draft. They took Wisconsin guard/center Peter Konz in the second round and Southern Mississippi tackle Lamar Holmes in the third. They also added guard Vince Manuwai in free agency.

The plan seems to be to throw Konz and Manuwai out there with guard Justin Blalock, center Todd McClure, guard Garrett Reynolds and guard/center Joe Hawley. The Falcons will let them all compete in training camp and and then decide which combination gives them the best interior. Konz probably will emerge as a starter, and either he or Hawley could replace McClure, who is aging fast. That should improve the interior of the offensive line, but what about the outside? Left tackle Sam Baker struggled last season, and the fact that Holmes was sitting there in the third round is a pretty good indicator that he’s not ready to step in and be a stud left tackle.

If the Falcons really are serious about throwing downfield more, they have to give quarterback Matt Ryan more time. The Falcons still may have to add a left tackle (Marcus McNeill) to compete with Baker if they really want to solidify their offensive line.

Speaking of solidifying lines, the Falcons haven’t done much on the defensive side, and that also was a problem area last year. They brought back veteran defensive end John Abraham, but they don’t have any other especially strong pass-rushers. I wouldn’t count on an immediate impact from fifth-round pick Jonathan Massaquoi. Guys like Ray Edwards, Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury have to step up, or the Falcons have to go try to find a pass-rusher in what remains of free agency.

The Atlanta Falcons have had the quietest offseason of any NFC South team. But that doesn't mean they won't have some changes in their starting lineup.

Now that the NFL draft is over, let's take a look at my best guess at what Atlanta's starting lineup will look like in September.

OFFENSE

• QB Matt Ryan

• RB Michael Turner

• FB Ovie Mughelli

• WR Roddy White

• WR Julio Jones

• TE Tony Gonzalez

• LT Sam Baker (or someone not yet on the roster)

• LG Justin Blalock

• C Joe Hawley (I’m guessing he starts ahead of Todd McClure)

• RG Peter Konz (unless he ends up playing center)

• RT Tyson Clabo

DEFENSE

• DE John Abraham

• DT Corey Peters

• DT Jonathan Babineaux

• DE Ray Edwards

• OLB Sean Weatherspoon

• MLB Akeem Dent (Falcons would like him to beat out veteran Lofa Tatupu)

• OLB Stephen Nicholas

• CB Brent Grimes

• CB Dunta Robinson (Asante Samuel will play as much as Grimes and Robinson)

• SS William Moore

• FS Thomas DeCoud

SPECIALISTS

• K Matt Bryant

• P Matt Bosher

• PR Dominique Franks

• KR Jacquizz Rodgers

The Atlanta Falcons just drafted an offensive tackle, but I don’t think you can go ahead and pencil in Lamar Holmes as an instant replacement for Sam Baker at left tackle.

The Falcons took Holmes out of Southern Mississippi with a third-round pick (No. 91 overall) -- and that’s not where you find rookie left tackles who can make an immediate impact. The scouting reports on Holmes suggest he’s a project. He’s a big guy, a former basketball player with some athletic ability. But scouts say Holmes has decent run-blocking ability right now, but is very raw as a pass blocker.

I don’t think that sounds like the scouting report of a guy you want protecting Matt Ryan’s blind side right off the bat. Maybe Holmes develops into something down the road.

But, for now, it looks like the Falcons are preparing to go to training camp and let Baker compete with Will Svitek. But don’t be surprised if the Falcons bring in someone with experience (Marcus McNeill?) sometime after the draft.

As it turns out, the Atlanta Falcons aren’t planning to jump over that playoff hurdle that’s been talked so much about.

They simply plan to plow right through it. The latest evidence came Friday night when the Falcons used their second-round draft pick (No. 55 overall) on Wisconsin center (more on that in a moment) Peter Konz.

It would have been very easy for the Falcons to overreact and do something crazy after an embarrassing January playoff loss to the New York Giants. Yeah, they could have made a leap in free agency for defensive end Mario Williams, which seemed to be the preferred rout by 99 of every 100 Falcons fans.

But the fact is, if the Falcons had landed Williams back in March, they wouldn’t be as good a team as they are today. Seriously.

Yeah, I know it sounds a little ridiculous to say the Falcons are better off without a guy who could have brought them double-digit sacks. But it’s the truth. Had the Falcons signed Williams, they would have had to gut their existing roster.

The salary-cap space Williams would have taken up would have prevented the Falcons from keeping guys like receiver Harry Douglas, safety Thomas DeCoud, defensive end John Abraham, center Todd McClure and running back Jason Snelling. They might not have been able to fit cornerback Brent Grimes under the salary cap with the franchise tag. Even if they did, they would have had to have made some dramatic moves -- like releasing receiver Roddy White, running back Michael Turner or fullback Ovie Mughelli.

Any or all of those moves seemed possible in the immediate aftermath of the loss in New York. But owner Arthur Blank, who earlier in his tenure may have been prone to overreacting, sat down with coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coolly came up with a plan on how the Falcons can take the next step.

Smith and Dimitroff have had four straight winning seasons, but have yet to win a playoff game. When you’ve had four straight winning seasons, you don’t blow a team up. You keep it together and fix the things that are wrong.

Without flash, that’s precisely what the Falcons have done and Friday night was just another step.

“We were really honed in on the offensive line as you can imagine,’’ Dimitroff said, moments after selecting Konz. “We need to get more stout on this offensive line.’’

There’s no doubt about that. Let’s consider this item from ESPN Stats & Information: The Falcons were one of 10 teams to average less than 4.0 yards per rush between the tackles last season. That came despite the fact they have a bruising runner in Turner.

The Falcons also didn’t do a great job of protecting quarterback Matt Ryan. That failure was the major reason why all the downfield passing we heard about after the Falcons traded up to draft Julio Jones didn’t fully materialize last year. The Falcons were soft up front and it cost offensive line coach Paul Boudreau his job.

Other than left tackle Sam Baker, a first-round pick in 2008, the Falcons really haven’t made huge investments in their offensive line. The arrival of Konz changes that.

Although he played center at Wisconsin, Dimitroff said “we’re listing him as a guard/center right now’’.

It’s no big secret McClure is at the end of his career. He’s 35 and it shows. The Falcons brought him back as insurance, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be their starting center on opening day. Guard Joe Hawley also can play center. Hawley also could factor into the situation at guard, where he played last season along with Justin Blalock and Garrett Reynolds. Add Konz to that mix and it’s pretty clear the Falcons are going to throw all their guards and centers onto the field in training camp and the preseason and see which of the three emerge as the best trio.

“Let’s come in here and have some great competition and see who can protect Matt Ryan the best,’’ Dimitroff said. “We want production and we want guys who can finish. In Peter, we have a guy who can do both of those.’’

Look, I’m not saying a guard/center from Wisconsin is going to come in the second round and push right through that hurdle all by himself. Konz is just a part of the puzzle and maybe fans can finally see that picture coming together now.

There’s a reason why Atlanta didn’t have a first-round pick this year. Jones was the first-round pick for last year and this year and he’s better than any receiver in this year’s draft. There was a reason why the Falcons didn’t make to splurge in free agency. They didn’t have the salary-cap room to do it without ripping a good team apart.

Little by little, they’ve made moves that have them gaining speed as they head for that hurdle. Just this week, they traded a late-round draft pick for four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel and quickly signed him to a cap-friendly deal.

In theory, Samuel should team with Grimes and Dunta Robinson to give the Falcons one of the league’s best cornerback tandems. In theory, Konz should team with all those other offensive linemen to make the Falcons tougher up front.

Yeah, there still are a few needs -- the pass rush, depth at tight end and maybe some more help on the outside of the offensive line. The Falcons are well aware of all that. They’ll address those needs in the rest of the draft and after it when the time and the price are right. But, now, you can see their offseason plan taking shape.

If the Falcons had gone out and paid a fortune for Williams, they wouldn’t be making solid, safe picks like Konz because they’d be desperately trying to repair all the other damage they did to their team.

The second round of the draft is shaping up to be a very quiet one for the NFC South.

At the moment, the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are the only two teams with picks in the round. The Panthers have No. 40 overall, and the Falcons have No. 55.

But that’s only at the moment. As we saw in Thursday night’s wild first round, trades can shake things up in a hurry. The Buccaneers and Saints could find ways to trade into the second round, and there are no guarantees the Panthers and Falcons stay where they are.

If they do, Carolina has some decent options at No. 40.

Let’s take a look at the Insider list of Mel Kiper Jr.’s 10 best-available players. North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins might be the most exciting name on there, and the Panthers could use some depth at cornerback. But this will only happen if the Panthers are comfortable with what they’ve seen from their homework on the issues Jenkins has off the field. There’s a perception the Panthers suddenly stopped caring about off-field matters in last year’s draft. That’s not the case at all. They were willing to draft Brandon Hogan in the fourth round, but that only happened after they did extensive homework and decided his off-field problems didn’t bring a big risk.

A lot of people thought the Panthers would go with a defensive tackle in the first round. They instead chose Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. But I think there’s a chance the Panthers take another big body up front to allow Kuechly and the other linebackers to run free, and help cut down on the rash of linebacker injuries the Panthers have had recently. Michigan State’s Jerel Worthy and Cincinnati’s Derek Wolfe are on Kiper’s list. So is Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still, who many saw as a potential first-round pick.

I’m also looking at Kiper’s list and wondering if a couple of guys could still be around for Atlanta’s pick. Mississippi Bobby Massie and Stanford’s Jonathan Martin didn’t go in the first round. That means they’re not blue-chip prospects at left tackle. But they’re only a notch below that, and the Falcons need to get a left tackle to at least compete with Sam Baker in the short term, and possibly to replace him in the long term. Defensive line also seems to be a possibility for the Falcons.

The NFC South is a little short on third-round picks right now. The Bucs have the fifth pick in the third round. The Falcons have the 21^st pick in the round, and the Saints finally join the draft with the 26^th pick.

The NFL draft is two days way. In Atlanta, that means people are talking about last year’s draft.

That’s mostly because the Falcons are without a first-round pick after using it as part of a package to move up 21 spots to get receiver Julio Jones in last year’s draft. Atlanta doesn’t pick until the second round (No. 55 overall).

Lots of folks are moaning about the Jones trade now and talking about how it left the Falcons without a chance to get a player who can make an instant impact at left tackle or defensive end. I get those points.

I’d like to see the Falcons upgrade on Sam Baker at left tackle and I’d like to see them get a pass-rusher to go with John Abraham in this draft. None of that’s going to come in the first round and, even if the Falcons get a left tackle and a defensive end later in the draft, they won’t make an instant impact. But I’m not looking back regretfully at last year’s trade to get Jones.

If the Falcons hadn’t made the trade, they’d be picking No. 22 in this year’s draft.

Take a look at this mock draft done by the ESPN.com Blog Network on Monday and see if there is anybody who really excites you available at No. 22. I just did and I’m not seeing much. Georgia tackle Cordy Glenn went at No. 21 and some are projecting him as a guard. I’m a strong believer that you don’t take a guard in the first round and I’m not seeing any tackle I’d take in this scenario. I’d stick with Baker and add a guy who might be able to compete with him later in the draft or in free agency.

It’s kind of the same story at defensive end. Chandler Jones and Courtney Upshaw were taken after No. 22 and neither of those are guys who likely will make a huge instant impact. You can find a defensive end with as much potential in the second round.

The Falcons already got their impact player in this draft. It was Jones. Yeah, his rookie numbers weren’t off the charts, but they were very solid. Jones came up just a bit short of 1,000 receiving yards even though he missed three games with injuries. There were moments last season when Jones looked spectacular at a position where many rookies take several years to make a true impact.

I think Jones will only get better this year and new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter’s scheme will find more ways to get him the ball. Jones and Roddy White are close to being on even ground right now. As White ages, it’s only a matter of time before Jones becomes the true No. 1 receiver.

The Falcons got their impact player from this draft in last year’s draft. I gladly will take Jones over anything they could get at No. 22 in this year’s draft.

Time for a look at the top headlines around the division.

• Chris Mortenson reports that the NFL Players Association had knowledge of the tapes of former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ now-infamous speech to his players the night prior to a playoff game with San Francisco before the recordings became public April 4. Filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, who released the tapes to the media, reportedly has been contacted multiple times by NFL security about providing the league with copies of the tapes. Gee, just a thought here, but shouldn’t Pamphilon have given tapes to the league before -- or at least at the same time -- they were given to the media?
• Some draft gurus are saying South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore has emerged as a likely top-10 draft pick and that he’s the second-best cornerback in the draft. LSU’s Morris Claiborne likely will be the top cornerback in the draft and he could go at No. 5 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But it wouldn’t be that surprising if Gilmore goes No. 9 to the Carolina Panthers. They need depth at cornerback and Gilmore is from Rock Hill, S.C., which is located just over the border from Charlotte. Carolina owner Jerry Richardson traditionally has shown eagerness to bring in players from the Carolinas.
• The Falcons have talked in a lot of general terms about what new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter will bring to the offense. They’re not about to lay out specifics. But here’s some speculation that Atlanta could use the empty backfield more often, and it makes sense for a team that wants to have more of a downfield passing game.
• D. Orlando Ledbetter has the Falcons taking California offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz in his mock draft. Makes sense. The Falcons at least want someone to compete with Sam Baker for the starting job at left tackle. But I think a defensive end also is a possibility for the Falcons, who don't pick until the second round (No. 55 overall).
• Carolina quarterback Cam Newton saw a statue of himself unveiled at Auburn University recently. Newton attended the ceremony and read a poem that he said he wrote for the occasion.
• The Saints don’t have a pick in this year’s draft until the third round. General manager Mickey Loomis said there is virtually no chance the team will try to trade up to get a pick in the first two rounds.
• Here’s an in-depth look, complete with legal analysis, at the bankruptcy filing by former Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

In this recent column, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank talked quite a bit about the importance of continuity.

He cited it as a reason why the Falcons didn’t make a big splash in free agency. That pretty much backs up the philosophy that’s been recited by the Falcons since the arrival of general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith in 2008 -- draft well, keep your core players for the long term, and supplement them with free agents when necessary.

You’ve got to give the Falcons credit for practicing what they preach. This offseason marked the first time that a big portion of a Dimitroff/Smith draft class became eligible for free agency, and the Falcons did a good job of keeping the players they wanted. They re-signed receiver Harry Douglas, safety Thomas DeCoud, and defensive end Kroy Biermann. Quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive tackle Sam Baker, the top two Atlanta picks from 2008, remain under contract. The Falcons did lose middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, a player they had interest in keeping.

The Falcons gave Lofton an offer before free agency, but he had a different figure in mind. Lofton ended up signing with New Orleans for a lot less than his original asking price, and the Falcons are prepared to move on with either veteran Lofa Tatupu or second-year pro Akeem Dent in his place. Ryan is likely to get a contract extension at some point, and the Falcons might use the final year of Baker’s contract to make a decision on if he’s a long-term answer.

I just got some numbers that back up what the Falcons have been saying. When it comes to retaining drafted players, the Falcons are among the league leaders in the Smith/Dimitroff era.

Of the 32 players drafted by the Falcons since 2008, 26 are on the roster. That’s 81.3 percent, which puts the Falcons second only to the Minnesota Vikings, who have an 82.1 percent retention rate in that same time frame (the percentages were current as of early Tuesday afternoon). For the sake of comparison, Denver ranks last in the league by retaining only 48.6 percent of the players drafted since 2008. For more context, Tennessee (77.8 percent) and Houston (75 percent) are the only other teams with a retention rate of 75 percent or better.

Most of the rest of the NFC South also has fared well in retaining draft picks since 2008. Tampa Bay, which has been preaching a philosophy similar to Atlanta’s, ranks No. 7 in the NFL at 70 percent. Of the 31 players the Buccaneers have drafted since 2008, 21 remain on the team.

Although the Saints have had the second-fewest number of picks since 2008, their retention percentage is fairly high at 68.2 percent. Of the 22 players New Orleans has picked, 15 remain on the roster.

Carolina is the only NFC South team in the bottom half of the league in retention. The Panthers are No. 21 at 61.8 percent. They’ve had 34 picks, and 21 remain on the roster.

Time for a quick run through the Easter headlines from around the NFC South.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defensive tackle Amobi Okoye agreed to a one-year deal late Saturday night. Okoye, a first-round pick by the Texans in 2007, spent last season with the Bears. He provides some insurance at a position where the Bucs need that. They’re high on the potential of Gerald McCoy and Brian Price and also like Roy Miller as a rotation player. But Price and McCoy have had injury problems in their first two seasons.

Speaking of the Bucs and defensive tackles, former Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp reportedly has filed for bankruptcy. Documents filed by Sapp show he owes $6.7 million.

A third bidder has surfaced in the quest to buy the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets back from the league. John DeShazier speculates that it could be Saints’ owner Tom Benson and says he’d be a perfect fit for the Hornets. Despite recent issues with the bounty program, Benson and the Saints have been very successful in New Orleans since 2006 and that’s great. But Benson had a long track record before that where he wasn’t viewed as the world’s greatest owner. I’m not so sure the fit is perfect. Besides, I'm not sure Benson needs to be taking on a new franchise at the same time the Saints are dealing with a major crisis.

In this Insider post , Mel Kiper has the Atlanta Falcons taking Illinois offensive tackle Jeff Allen with their first draft pick (No. 55 overall) this year. Makes some sense because left tackle Sam Baker hasn’t established himself as a real force yet. But you don’t find instant stars at left tackle in the second round of the draft. Kiper says Allen could start off on the right side and eventually move to the left side. The only problem with that is Kiper would be starting off as a backup on the right side, where the Falcons already have Tyson Clabo. I’m not so sure the Falcons are looking for a backup with their first draft pick. Yes, they need options at left tackle, but they can find that elsewhere and I can see them going with a different position with their first pick.

The New Orleans Saints and the fallout from their bounty program continue to dominate the talk in the NFC South. We dealt quite a bit with that in Friday’s NFC South chat.

But we also covered a lot of other ground across the entire division. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights:

Matt (Unknown): Do yo have any updates on the Drew Brees contract situation?

Pat Yasinskas: Seems to be quiet. Obviously, Saints have been a little busy with other matters. But they need to get the Brees situation settled quickly.

Steve (Rural Hall, NC): Pat, At this point do you think (1) Gregg Williams SHOULD receive a live time ban, and (2) do you think he WILL be banned for life?

Pat Yasinskas: Yes on both.

Mort (Rural Hall, NC): Last year the Panthers took a chance on Cam because they needed a impact QB with a high ceiling. Do you think they take a chance on Poe for a similar reason?

Pat Yasinskas: Not necessarily. They took Cam because they realized it's a QB-driven league. I don't think it's a DT-driven league.

Steve (Atlanta, GA): Do you foresee the game officials being particularly watchful of the Saints defense this year? That has to be a concern of Spagnuolo.

Pat Yasinskas: I think officials will be particularly watchful of all defenses going forward.

Jon (Rainy SoFlo): I find it laughable that Blount will be upset if the Bucs take Trent with their first pick...Now I want the Bucs to take Richardson and trade Blount...You think we could get a second round pick for blount? He is entering his prime and has physical skills that can't be coached.

Pat Yasinskas: If they got a second-round pick for Blount, Mark Dominik instantly wins Executive of the Year.

Loren (Atlanta): Pat, do you feel with full OTA's and a rookie season under his belt that Julio Jones will continue to challenge Roddy White for the #1 reciever position?

Pat Yasinskas: I think Julio will continue to emerge. But I don't know that they expect him or Roddy to be a true No. 1. I think they'd like them to share that role.

Jason (Wichita): With the looming player suspensions for the Saints and coaching staff already "out of the mix" for the 2012 season. What odds do you give them to repeat as division champs?

Pat Yasinskas: I'm not an odds-maker. They certainly have taken some hits and probably will take more. But, as long as they have Brees, anything is possible.

Tym (Denver, CO): How sold are we on Zuttah at Center? And is Trueblood still considered a decent RT? I hopped off Jeremy's bandwagon a few years ago.

Pat Yasinskas: By "we" I'll assume you mean the Bucs coaching staff and front office. I'd say pretty sold on Zuttah. They gave him a nice contract and released Faine, so he's clearly their guy. Trueblood? I think he's a question mark. But, so far, it looks like Bucs are planning to stick with him.

Jaryd (Ashland, Va): I think it is absurd all the people clamoring for Trent Richardson to be a Buccaneer when there are more pressing needs in the Secondary and with the Linebackers...You will be able to find a very good complement for Blount in a later round. None of the best teams in the league are powered by a dominate running back but a running back by committee approach.

Pat Yasinskas: No argument here. I say take Claiborne at No. 5. You can always get a running back a little later.

Ty (Nashville): PAT!!!!!With the number of FA LB's the saints have picked up in the past few weeks, who do you see as their week 1 starters excluding the possibility of an off season surprise in performance and the fact that Vilma will likely be cut/suspended.

Pat Yasinskas: Too early to tell. There could be other LBs suspended as well. Only one I can say for sure will be in opening-day lineup is Lofton. The other guys will all be competing for jobs.

JB (Far From Falconland): Are the Falcons serious when they say they'll stand behind Sam Baker, or is that just coach-speak until they lock down a replacement?

Pat Yasinskas: I suspect he'll at least have some competition in training camp. But I think it's possible he could end up being the opening-day starter.

Here’s the complete transcript of Friday’s NFC South chat.

We’ve been talking a lot about the Buccaneers and Panthers and what they may do in the draft and that’s mainly because they’re the only two NFC South teams with a first-round pick.

The Saints don’t pick until the third round, but now that we’re into April, it’s a good time to start talking about the Falcons and what they might do in the second round (at No. 55 overall).

A lot of people are talking about Atlanta getting a left tackle. But you don’t usually find future All-Pro tackles deep in the second round. The Falcons could take a tackle somewhere in this draft, but coach Mike Smith recently made it sound like the team will give Sam Baker one more chance.

When asked about tackles that might be available in the second round, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay ticked off a group (Florida State’s Zebrie Sanders, Cal’s Mitchell Schwartz and Mississippi’s Bobby Massie) that he referred to as "third-tier offensive tackles."

“Bobby Massie would probably be the best available and maybe best case scenario coming out of Mississippi,’’ McShay said in a recent conference call with the national media. “I don't know that he's going to fall all the way there, but if he does it's a possibility. Zebrie Sanders from Florida State, there is a good chance he'll be there. He kind of fits what they want to do. He fits that Florida State zone-blocking scheme, and I think he has the athleticism to play left tackle, but I'm not necessarily convinced of it. It's always hard to plug your left tackle, and it's not going to be easy to do.’’

I’m not sure it makes sense for the Falcons to take a “third-tier offensive tackle’’ with their first draft pick. They were reluctant to play interior linemen Joe Hawley and Mike Johnson right away when they drafted them in the middle rounds in 2010. I don’t see them being more willing to play a rookie right away at left tackle.

McShay brought up another interesting scenario for the Falcons with their second-round pick and this guy should be familiar to Atlanta fans. McShay mentioned Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin as a possibility and he did it enthusiastically.

“He's just so fast,’’ McShay. “Everything he does is fast. I think his instincts need to improve. I know his instincts need to improve. He's late diagnosing some throws. When they put him in the zone, he can get lost a little bit, and that's not really his strength. But he's such a good athlete. He can absolutely fly. His vertical leap is just insane. He's just so physically gifted. You see the suddenness, the explosiveness. To me, maybe he's just a nickel corner, but maybe you get production out of him on the offensive side if you're creative enough. You definitely get production out of him and potentially some big plays in the return game.’’

Hmm, I have a tough time seeing Smith, who usually is viewed as a conservative type, letting someone play offense and defense. But, then again, maybe owner Arthur Blank can get in Smith’s ear about that possibility. Blank has developed a pretty strong relationship with Deion Sanders, who once played a little offense in addition to cornerback. Sanders also was a top-notch return man.

That’s a skill that could make Boykin particularly attractive to the Falcons. They recently let return man Eric Weems leave via free agency.

They were first-round picks and that alone created enormous expectations for Atlanta offensive tackle Sam Baker and defensive tackle Peria Jerry.

Baker was taken in 2008, the same year the Falcons drafted quarterback Matt Ryan. The theory was, the Falcons would have their franchise quarterback and the protector of their franchise quarterback for the next decade or so. Jerry was taken in 2009 and was expected to be a dominant run stopper as well as provide a little interior pass rush. On paper, both picks looked like smart moves at the time.

In cold, hard reality, Baker and Jerry never have lived up to the expectations of Atlanta fans. They haven’t even come close. Baker was viewed as serviceable at first, but he’s regressed in the eyes of fans. And their perception was pretty close to reality last season, when journeyman Will Svitek ended up starting ahead of him. Jerry’s career simply was cursed almost right from the start. In the second game of his rookie season, Jerry tore up his knee. The Falcons and Jerry have never officially described the injury, but let’s just say Jerry tore just about everything in his knee. He barely has been a factor since.

That’s why there was speculation Baker and Jerry would be cut this offseason. But, guess what? That’s not happening. Our first clue came when free agency started. If the Falcons were going to pull the plug on Baker and Jerry, it would have happened before free agency started in March because that would have given the Falcons some much-needed cap room.

But, now, we’ve got even more concrete proof. I sat down with Atlanta coach Mike Smith during the NFL owners meeting earlier this week. I asked him specifically about the futures of Baker and Jerry.

In each case, Smith, as straight-forward a coach as I’ve ever dealt with, said the Falcons remain “committed’’ to Jerry and Baker.

Let’s start with Baker. This one might be painful to fans, but it’s a little easier to see what Smith is saying. The reality is, you just don’t find a franchise left tackle in the draft when you’re not picking until the second round. There wasn’t anything close to a franchise left tackle in free agency. In that situation, sometimes it’s best to stick with what you’ve got instead of reaching. Apparently, that’s what the Falcons are planning to do.

“We are very committed to Sam Baker,’’ Smith said. “I think Sam has a long future with us.’’

Smith is the kind of coach that likes to say most positions are open to competition in training camp. I think that’s true at left tackle, where Baker will have to compete with Svitek and anyone else the Falcons might bring in between now and then. But I also got the impression the Falcons are hoping Baker steps up and claims the job. I’m not saying Baker will ever be a Pro Bowler, but I think this guy has been banged up a lot more than people realize. I get the impression the Falcons think Baker can be adequate or slightly better than that, if he’s healthy.

“I think that Sam has shown a lot of resiliency,’’ Smith said. “Sam really has worked through a lot of injuries throughout his career. He’s played through a lot of things. Sam, in my mind, was playing very well through the first five or six games last season until he was injured and had to have the procedure done on his back, which put him out for a very significant amount of time.’’

Jerry’s a bit of a different story. I think the Falcons pretty much have accepted the fact, he never will be a superstar. But Smith made it sound like there still is a spot on the roster for Jerry as a role player.

“We’ve committed to Peria Jerry and Peria ended up playing about 30 percent of the snaps (last season),’’ Smith said. “He was a rotational player. He had some production, but it wasn’t consistent production throughout the year.’’

I reminded Smith how he said he thought Jerry would bounce back and have a big impact last season because he was further out from the knee surgery. That obviously didn’t happen and I asked Smith if Jerry’s knee still was holding him back last season.

“I can’t say that it is an issue,’’ Smith said. “It was a significant injury. I don’t know that Peria was the same guy he was before the injury. You see his ability to get up the field at times and we still feel he can be a very productive player for us.’’

I wouldn’t look for Jerry to suddenly jump into the starting lineup. Corey Peters has developed into a very solid defensive tackle. The other starter is Jonathan Babineaux. Although he’s coming off a sub-par season, it wasn’t all that long ago that Babineaux was the best defensive tackle in the NFC South. I’d look for Jerry to continue to rotate in behind those two guys. If he can be a little more consistent and productive than he was last season, I think the Falcons will be content with Jerry as their third defensive tackle.

“We need to be more consistent,’’ Smith said. “Not only Peria, but across the board on the defensive line.’’

Just like they’ve dominated the news all week, the New Orleans Saints (and their punishment for running a bounty program) were the main focus of Friday’s NFC South chat.

But that wasn’t all we talked about. We touched quite a bit on free-agent linebacker Curtis Lofton, the future of left tackle Sam Baker in Atlanta, the upcoming draft, Carolina’s backfield and a bunch of other topics.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights:

Richard (Ann Arbor, MI): The Saints have prematurely been written off as a total non-entity for the coming season. This is still a team that will challenge for the NFL's #1 offense again, and will be playing with the biggest shoulder chips that anyone has ever had.

Pat Yasinskas: I agree with you somewhat. I don't think you can write off any team that has Brees. But I want to see what happens with player suspensions before drawing any conclusion about how they'll be impacted on the field. Also, their cap situation is not good and they still need to make some moves to get guys to fit Spags' style of defense.

Joel (NC): From everything I've read, the Saints signing Gregg Williams was the epitome of "signing a deal with the devil." In some ways, it's hard to say it wasn't worth it for New Orleans with them winning a Superbowl, but those types of deals always come with a hidden price tag.

Pat Yasinskas: I think you summed up the Williams hiring pretty accurately. They did get their Super Bowl. Is it tainted? Maybe in some ways and in some eyes. But, in the Super Bowl itself, I can't recall any plays that looked like they were part of a bounty program.

Patrick (The Great State of Mecklenburg): With all the signings the Saints have had recently how could they give Brees the $18 million they initially offered before the season or even an amount that would match what Peyton just signed for?

Pat Yasinskas: Right now, they couldn't do the deal without it putting them over the cap. When they do it, they'll have to release players. Several candidates I can think of. Start with Vilma and Will Herring and there are other possibilities. Also might have to restructure some contracts.

Kent (Melbourne): Pat- Even with Barber resigning and the Talib situation still to come, should Bucs go after Claibourne if still there at the 5th pick?

Pat Yasinskas: Yeah, think it's entirely possible. You need three starting CBs these days because it's such a passing league. Plus, you can't look at just one year. You have to look ahead and realize that Barber's going to retire at some point and Talib is heading into final year of his contract. So it doesn't hurt to plan ahead.

Adam (Raleigh NC): Does the signing of Tolbert give the Panthers the best backfield in the NFL? I can't think of a more talented offense. Stay healthy on defense and I think you have an argument that they take the division.

Pat Yasinskas: I think you could make that argument that it's the best backfield in the NFL. But am not completely convinced that Williams and Stewart will both be there when season starts. Still think one of them could be traded.

Brock (Aspen, CO): Was there any truth to the rumor that the Falcons were working on restructuring/extending Matt Ryan's contract?

Pat Yasinskas: Have not heard that, but it wouldn't surprise me. It would make sense to lock him up and also would create some cap room to allow them to make some moves.

panther fan (charlotte, nc): Pat, when is the Carolina Chargers signing going to stop?

Pat Yasinskas: Hey, that's not unusual. Coaches often bring in players they know from their past. It's usually a good thing.

Sharell (Raleigh, NC): Yasinskas, why is Sam Baker still on our roster?

Pat Yasinskas: I wish I could answer that one for you, my friend! I'm as perplexed as you are on that. I'll ask Smith and Dimitroff next week.

Kyle (South Carolina): I realize Nolan said Lofton is only a 2-down linebacker but how do you just let the leader of your young defense leave and think an injury prone linebacker can do the job? I know we have Dent but he is not proven.

Pat Yasinskas: Like I said, Lofton might not be out the door just yet.

Here’s the complete transcript of Friday’s NFC South chat.

For several months now, I’ve been hearing from a lot of Atlanta Falcons fans that think the team should go hard after New Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks in free agency.

My standard thinking on that was that I was against the move. Nicks is the best guard in the league and he’s going to cost big money. No doubt the Falcons could use some improved play at guard, but my thinking was conventional. As a general rule, you don’t pay guards huge money. But you do pay big money to left tackles and the Saints have a much bigger need there.

Sam Baker, a 2008 first-round draft pick, hasn’t really worked out. He lost his starting job last season and could be released. I still think the Saints need to do something pretty major at left tackle.

But my thinking on Nicks now has changed. I now say the Falcons should go all out in an attempt to sign Nicks. He’d upgrade the interior of their line and his presence alone probably would make whoever ends up at left tackle a little better.

But that’s not the main reason I think the Falcons should go after Nicks. I think they should do it because they might be able to deliver a knockout punch to their division rivals. With the franchise tag being used on quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints have almost no salary-cap room left. They reportedly have re-worked the contract of defensive end Will Smith. They could re-work the deal of linebacker Jonathan Vilma or they could release him and some other guys could be on their way out the door for cap reasons.

Quite simply, the Saints probably don’t have the cap room to sign Nicks. The same goes for receiver Marques Colston, cornerback Tracy Porter and receiver Robert Meachem as well as some other former role players.

As I wrote last week, this salary-cap situation could end up gutting the Saints as we know them. As long as they have Brees, they’ll remain competitive and they may even remain the class of the NFC South. But the Saints are a team that’s vulnerable right now (and we don’t even know what penalties might come from their “bounty program," but those penalties are likely to be severe).

In a lot of ways, the Saints are sort of on the ropes right now. The Falcons don’t like the Saints and the feeling is mutual. Since the arrival of coach Mike Smith in 2008, Atlanta often has had to play second fiddle to the Saints in the NFC South.

The Saints have won the division two of the past three years and they won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2009 season. The Falcons have been competitive with them, but you’d have to say the Saints have had the upper-hand in the division for most of recent history.

But all that’s going on with the Saints could leave them stumbling a bit. The Falcons are sitting pretty. They’ve got decent cap space and a good team that could be ready to take the next step.

Going out and getting Nicks would only help the Falcons as a team. But, maybe more importantly than strengthening themselves, the Falcons could weaken the Saints.