Oct 14, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) motions to fans after the game at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Raiders 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

According to the Atlanta Falcons official site, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has been ruled out for the matchup with the Cowboys on Sunday with his ankle sprain.

This isn’t particularly good news for the Falcons, as Weatherspoon has long been the best linebacker on this Atlanta defense. He’s active in the passing game. He’s active playing the run. He gets after the quarterback. He excels at tackling in space. To say that the lack of Weatherspoon in the lineup would not be felt would be an outright lie.

Sure, it’s not good news. The only silver lining is that Dallas, the Falcons opponent on Sunday, doesn’t run the ball very much. They aren’t a really good between the tackles running team. To even the playing field for Dallas, their best runner, DeMarco Murray, is already being doubted for a return against the Falcons. It’ll be interesting to see if Murray returns. If he doesn’t the lack of Weatherspoon won’t be felt so much.

I would expect the Falcons to slide Stephen Nicholas to weakside linebacker, and use veteran Mike Peterson at strongside linebacker, the position Nicholas would be vacating to replace Weatherspoon. Peterson is solid, but he certainly doesn’t bring everything athletically that ‘Spoon brings to the table.

June 6, 2012; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Akeem Dent (52) during organized team activities at the Falcons training facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE

Some good news on the injury front: Falcons middle linebacker Akeem Dent is finally cleared to return to non-contact drills.

I wouldn’t read to much into the fact that he is cleared for ‘non-contact’ drills. The Falcons will break training camp today, so there isn’t a great deal of training camp work that Dent will be missing. During the post-camp, pre-season practices that teams go through, there aren’t a whole lot of contact practices allowed. We have the new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement to thank for the small number of contact practices.

It is good Dent is back. Mike Peterson did a very good job filling in for Dent in the preseason game against the Bengals, but he isn’t a guy that will be playing for years, and there isn’t much depth behind him. Dent is also more athletic and a harder hitter. If he can continue learning to play the MLB position and remain healthy, this is a good sign for the Falcons. Every defense needs to be strong up the middle, and the Falcons are no different.

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.