Jan 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tamba Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Preston Parker (87) gets tackled by Atlanta Falcons defensive back Chris Owens (21) and cornerback Dominique Franks (24) during the second quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Something that the really good NFL teams rely on is depth at all spots on their roster. Obviously a team plays their best players at every position, and offensive linemen, quarterbacks, and some linebackers rarely come off the field. But it is important to have depth to keep the players fresh, and most importantly if a player goes down with an injury.

The Falcons have a very good first team of starters, which is going to be enough to accumulate a good amount of wins. Most of the scoring and good defense will be played with the first team players. Of that I feel fairly comfortable and confident after the good performance by the first teamers against the Baltimore Ravens last week.

The problem lies with the rest of the roster, who was outscored 31-3, including 24 unanswered points. That doesn’t bode well.

Look at the linebacker depth. The Falcons signed Mike Peterson when Lofa Tatupu went down with an injury, but he was signed to provide depth. Now that Akeem Dent has suffered a head injury, Peterson will play a good amount this preseason, and may end up starting in the regular season if Dent gets injured again. That would prevent him from being able to provide depth at other linebacker spots. And you never know how long the 36 year old Peterson will hold up, knock on wood.

Defensive tackle is another spot. Peria Jerry looked very good in the first preseason game, and that gave me some breathing room, but we all know not to count on him when the chips are down. Corey Peters is missing time with a foot injury. I don’t know when he will be back, but the Falcons need him to start at DT and allow Jerry to work in a rotation with Peters and Babineaux. I’m not sure how much production Vance Walker and Travian Robinson can bring. Then again, I could be wrong.

Secondary? We have three corners with great history, but if one of them is completely winded or is injured, who is going to fill in? Chris Owens and Dominique Franks haven’t been excellent in coverage in their careers, and the guys behind them aren’t much better.

Now for the big two. Quarterback. I don’t expect to have someone outstanding behind Matt Ryan on the depth chart, but nobody who played the Ravens looked good at all.

And finally offensive line. They had a good showing against the Ravens, but we don’t know how long that great protection is going to last. We also don’t know how productive the second team players would be if they were pressed into service. I know what Will Svitek can do, but beyond that there really isn’t anyone with a good track record. It is cause for concern.

Fatigue and injuries are something that are innate in the NFL. The best NFL teams don’t just win in spite of the non-starters on the depth chart: they win because of the solid depth on the team. I’m not a head coach, nor a GM of an NFL club, but I don’t think what the depth has shown will be enough to help the Falcons in 2012. Hopefully they won’t be a problem throughout the season.

DEC 6, 2009; Jacksonvile, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars guard Vince Manuwai (67) reacts between plays during the game against the Houston Texans at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Fernando Medina-US PRESSWIRE

The Atlanta Falcons haven’t been afraid to cut players they signed this offseason, as they cut Lofa Tatupu before the weekend started, and then cut Vince Manuwai on Saturday.

This has got to be good news for Falcons fans. It means that the Falcons front office feel good enough about the young guys they have on the roster competing for the right guard spot to cut Manuwai. I’ll be honest, we never really wanted Vince to start during the regular season. He was brought in to be a veteran presence to push the young guys in competition. Maybe they would be able to learn something from him too. Obviously they can’t learn from him anymore.

So who is competing for the guard spot opposite Justin Blalock? We can narrow it down to Garrett Reynolds, Peter Konz, Mike Johnson, and Joe Hawley. Reynolds was the starter initially in 2011, but he was miserable. Maybe he has improved over last season. I sure hope so, but we don’t put all of our hopes on him. Rookie Peter Konz is still in his first few days of training camp, but there is still time for him to potentially rise up the depth charts. He could also have potential at center. Mike Johnson has been injured the last couple seasons, but was great at Alabama, and could contend for the guard spot. I think a healthy Johnson could be a good option, or a solid backup, and he is also cross-training at the tackle position. Finally we have Joe Hawley, who will compete at guard, but if Todd McClure proves that age has finally caught up with him, he would move to center and probably be out of the running for the guard job. I love McClure more than most fans, but I would personally rather see a younger player with higher upside (Hawley) playing the center position.

Obviously we have a multitude of viable options in contention for the open guard position. However, I really hope that the person who starts the season at right guard doesn’t get it by default; they need to win it and look tremendous while doing so. It will be interesting to see who gets the job out of camp.

Dec 27, 2010; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Mike Peterson (53) in action against the New Orleans Saints in the third quarter at the Georgia Dome. The Saints defeated the Falcons 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

I let all of you know the other day that Falcons MLB Lofa Tatupu had suffered a pectoral injury that would keep him out for at least the beginning of training camp. I mentioned that the situation basically forced the Falcons hand with allowing Akeem Dent to take all of the first team snaps which given him a much better chance of starting the season at MLB. But also important with the injury to Tatupu is that it definitely hurt the Falcons depth at linebacker. That forced the Falcons hands into signing Mike Peterson this afternoon.

Peterson has played Outside linebacker the past couple seasons for the Falcons. He was never a tremendous playmaker, but he came up with his fair share of plays, and most importantly provided a veteran presence in the linebacking corps. He knows how to play the LB position extremely well, so whatever he has lost in youthful athleticism and agility, he can make up for with football intelligence.

The question then becomes, what is the Falcons backup situation if Akeem Dent doesn’t work out, or suffers an injury and needs a replacement? I think it means that the Falcons could use OLBs Stephen Nicholas or Sean Weatherspoon (preferably Nicholas) in the MLB position if Dent is injured or isn’t performing. That being said, if Tatupu’s injury is long term, the Falcons would be well served to sign an additional LB who can specifically play the inside position. Tatupu may end up getting the boot or hitting IR to make room for the potential free-agent.