Falcons Football Fly 

Q & A with Falcons quarterback D.J. Shockley

Entering last April's NFL Draft, former Georgia standout quarterback D.J. Shockley was expecting to be selected somewhere in the middle rounds. However, surprisingly, Shockley fell all the way to pick No. 223, which was in the seventh and final round.

The Atlanta Falcons selected the 23-year-old, who was stellar in his senior season with the Georgia Bulldogs. He threw 24 touchdowns en route to third place in the Associated Press's Player of the Year voting. Being picked so late may have been a blessing in disguise for Shockley, as he now receives the opportunity to stay home in his native Georgia.

Just days prior to the draft, Shockley was kind enough to share his thoughts with me on entering the NFL. Once again, D.J. was nice enough to give me his thoughts, but this time, they come post-draft.

Byrne: What was your reaction on April 30 when your hometown Falcons drafted you in the seventh round?

Shockley: My initial reaction when I got drafted by the Falcons was one of relief, because I had been sitting and waiting for my name to be called all day, and it finally happened.

Byrne: Other than the Falcons, did any teams express interest on the Sunday of the draft, when you were sort of sitting in limbo waiting to be selected?

Shockley: There were a lot of teams calling that day, but I guess it was to see if any other teams were looking at me hard because during that time, it's kind of a cat and mouse game with each other.

Byrne: Do you feel a sense of anger toward the other 31 teams for passing on you? Frankly, I was taken aback that you fell so far, since you clearly demonstrated great talent in college.

Shockley: No. There is no anger towards any of the other 31 teams. Obviously, I wasn't what they wanted, so I can't be mad. I have to just take the opportunity I have and go with it.

Byrne: What are your first impressions of Michael Vick and his abilities?

Shockley: Mike is a great quarterback and player for this team; his abilities are next to none. I am excited to be on this team simply to learn from him.

Byrne: How impressed are you with the Falcons' offensive coordinator, Greg Knapp, as well as your QB coach, Bill Musgrave?

Shockley: Coach Knapp is a great coach as is Coach Musgrave. They both are very intelligent and know the game of football. I am delighted to have them teaching me because they have a lot of experience between the two of them.

Byrne: Have you enjoyed the minicamps and other team activities the Falcons have had thus far?

Shockley: I have truly enjoyed everything I have done so far. It's a dream come true to be involved with the NFL and with the Atlanta Falcons .

Byrne: Do you see any similarities between the offense you ran at Georgia and the one the Falcons utilize?

Shockley: The offense we ran at Georgia is similar to that of the Falcons. It's just the terminology is completely different, but the offense is similar as far as concepts and routes. They just call it differently.

Byrne: Where do you think you'll end up on the Falcons' QB depth chart for next season? Obviously, Vick and Matt Schaub seem to have the first two spots on lockdown, but how about the third-string job?

Shockley: I don't know where I will end up on the depth chart, but I'm just working hard to make the team and hopefully become that third QB for them. You always want to be the guy in the No. 1 position, but until then, I have to continue to work hard everyday.

Byrne: Thanks again, D.J. Good luck this season.

Shockley: It was my pleasure and thank you for having an interest in me. God bless

Falcons: A better balancing act?

Offensively, the team was run-first again in '05, boasting the league's No. 1 rushing attack at an impressive 4.8 yards per attempt. Defensively, however, it was "run-last", tied with St. Louis in allowing 4.7 yards per attempt.

For the Falcons to return to the playoffs, they'll need a more dynamic passing game and a much-improved run defense. With their personnel and schemes, both tasks will be challenges.

When talking Atlanta football, you need to start with Michael Vick. He was more of a pocket passer in '05, with 305 rushing yards fewer than he had in '04 in as many starts, 15. But the results were mixed. While his passer rating went up in certain games, it didn't help produce more wins.

Really, there's nothing wrong with the run-first approach, because it helps keep a defense that's predicated on speed and aggressiveness better rested. Vick, Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett are all capable of producing consistently prolific combined efforts.

The key is getting a semblance of a threat downfield to keep opponents from ganging up. Tight end Alge Crumpler has done that a bit with the mismatches he creates, but he doesn't pose a vertical threat.

That's why there's much riding on young wide receivers Michael Jenkins and Roddy White. Both are big targets with good hands -- they just need to reach their potential. If Jenkins blossoms into a deep option and White can work the possession game, the offense would be completely different. There's also valuable veteran Brian Finneran as the No. 3.

With those kind of pass-catchers, the offense is in better shape for showing better balance. The changes made on defense don't inspire the same confidence.

Former Jets end John Abraham and rookie cornerback Jimmy Williams bolster the pass rush and secondary coverage, respectively. Lawyer Milloy provides a physical body at strong safety, and the healthy return of Edgerton Hartwell will give the Falcons solid range at middle linebacker.

This unit is perfectly built to make its living on big plays -- sacks and takeaways. The defenders swarm to the ball all over the field -- especially on the fast track of the Georgia Dome -- and force offenses into mistakes. But against those offenses that remain methodical at pounding the ball on the ground, the Falcons can get overworked.

While playing with a lead is key to keeping a defense aggressive, the Falcons don't get those big pass plays on offense early to get those leads. That allows teams to use Atlanta's own power rushing attack against it.

Unfortunately, the Falcons' two toughest foes in the NFC South are built that way. The Buccaneers and Panthers both have defenses constructed to contain Vick, and both plan to run the ball often with young Williamses -- Carnell and DeAngelo. The Saints, with Reggie Bush flanking Deuce McAllister, also have good rushing potential.

Though there should be some marked improvement on both weaknesses, it's unlikely the offense-defense cycle will click enough for the Falcons to push them above .500 in such a difficult division

Falcons' White thinking deep thoughts

On the first day of the Atlanta Falcons ' recent mini-camp at their Flowery Branch training facility, Roddy White officially welcomed Jimmy Williams to the NFL.

In the initial one-on-one confrontation of Williams' NFL career, he ran step for step with White down the right hash mark. Suddenly, like a sports car changing lanes on an Atlanta freeway, White broke off the pattern and veered to the center of the field. Williams recovered quickly, but there was just enough separation for White to beat the former Virginia Tech All-American to the football.

A few minutes later, White ran a fade down the left sideline. As the Falcons' official Website reported: "(Michael) Vick put a perfect ball up and White eyed the pass before Williams realized its arrival, then leaped and put his arms over the head of the rookie, landing on his back with a 40-plus-yard reception."

So Jimmy Williams, although impressive early, still has some learning to do. To the Falcon coaches, however, those two plays showed more about Roddy White than about their prize rookie cornerback.

For years, the Falcons have been looking for a deep threat to complement Vick's bazooka of an arm. The middle-of-the-field patterns have been handled quite nicely by TE Algae Crumpler and possession receiver Brian Finneran, but Atlanta has spent the last few seasons looking for a field-stretcher. Peerless Price, Tim Dwight, Terence Mathis, Tony Martin and Shawn Jefferson all had their moments, but a key element of the attack remained missing.

White wants to change that. Despite what is expected to be spirited competition from fellow starter Michael Jenkins, White told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week: "I feel that's my spot as the No. 1 receiver. That's what I want. That's what I'm after."

Last season, like all the other pretenders to that title in recent years, the UAB product was promising but inconsistent. He made some tough plays, he botched some easy ones. He dozed off in team meetings. And in the end, Jenkins caught more passes (36 to 29) for more yards (508-446). Both scored three touchdowns, and Vick continued to throw mostly to Crumpler and Finneran.

A solidly built 6-0, 208-pounder, White (full name Sharod) was a two-time state wrestling champion at James Island High School in Charleston, SC -- the better to fend off hand-checking DB's at the line of scrimmage. And as for being a deep threat, he was the deepest on the draft board in 2005, leading the nation with 1,452 receiving yards for the UAB Blazers and averaging 20.5 yards a catch.

It's a rare skill that goes beyond eye-popping speed and soft hands. Like a Gold Glove outfielder, the deep threat must be able to sense the location of the ball while simultaneously battling a determined defender. Like an accomplished basketball rebounder, he has to know precisely when to jump.

With the Falcons, things are complicated a bit by the velocity of Vick's passes, even far downfield. And often, when the Falcon QB is throwing on the run, receivers have to adjust their patterns in mid-flight to catch up to an overthrown or under-thrown ball.

White made it a point during mini-camp to establish good chemistry with not only Vick, but backup quarterback Matt Schaub and rookie D.J. Shockley.

"I've been telling them -- you throw me the ball, and I'll make some plays," White said, adding of his sometimes lackadaisical performance in 2005, "My train of thought has changed."

Now, it looks like an express train.


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