It is that time of the year again. Families gather, football die-hards get pumped, and even the average fan gets a little excited as the 2012 training camps have kicked off. Many people gather at training camps around the country to try to get a glimpse of what to expect of their teams for the upcoming season. I was one of those crazy fans who endured the blistering sun to watch my Atlanta Falcons prepare for the season.

Before I get into what I saw at Camp, I would like to say if you have a chance to go to Flowery Branch-Go. It is a great time. The food is cheap and very delicious, the experience is one you will never forget, and the rush you get when watching football up close anywhere is special.

Now it is time to go back to the good stuff. I noticed a few things while watching. The first thing that stuck out was Jacquizz Rodgers. Jacquizz is a small fellow, standing at only 5′ 6″, but it was obvious the RB had gained a considerable amount of muscle. Rodgers looked as strong as anyone in the backfield out there. His hands also seemed as good as usual. He looks so natural when he catches the ball.

The next thing I saw was Julio Jones. When looking for Julio, I couldn’t find him at first because I was looking for the trademark dreadlocks, but they weren’t there. Julio cut the dreads! But the more important matter is that he looked a lot more comfortable than last season. Last year, his body language spelled out rookie. This year he looked like he was apart of the family. Another thing I noticed is he ran routes very nicely. Not much more to explain on that front. His chemistry with Matt Ryan is also a standout. It improved a lot since last season it seems.

Something important to note that I saw was Roddy was still Matt Ryan’s go to guy. Scrimmaging, Roddy caught 4 passes, Julio caught 2. This is something to remember going into the season.

One of the biggest story lines in the offseason was Matt Ryan had been putting on muscle to improve his throwing arm. I am here to tell you, that rumor is true. Ryan threw with accuracy down the field when he threw deep. He also looked bigger, and much more accurate. I didn’t get a great glimpse of many throws down the field, which brings me to my next topic.

Although the Falcon’s hired a new offensive coordinator, the Falcons still threw a lot of underneath passes. This may mean nothing, but it is something to mention.

It is still early on in the process, and much will change before the start of the season, so the bad news could mean nothing. I didn’t get a great look at the defense, but for what I saw they looked good. They got great pressure on Ryan, and the corners looked good on the WRs.

Don’t forget to follow bloggingdirty on twitter and like us on facebook! Until next time folks, Cam is signing off!

Nov 27, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) celebrates during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Vikings 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Breakout linebacker Sean Weatherspoon came into his own last year as the Falcons starting outside linebacker. He made a big splash on the scene, mainly through his spoon serving gobbling session he’d have after every big play; an act that has long been his trademark, even since his Missouri days. This season, ‘Spoon’ will be asked to provide more of a leadership role both on and off the field. With the loss of Curtis  Lofton to the rival Saints (don’t get me started), and the unfortunate injury and cutting of former pro-bowler Lofa Tatupu, Weatherspoon will have to be at the top of his game to help 2nd year middle linebacker and probable starter Akeem Dent.

With this being ‘Spoon’s’ third NFL season, he will be expected to play all over the place in new Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan’s defense. “I’m just trying to be better than I was last year and help this team” said Weatherspoon in an interview for Falcons TV on AtlantaFalcons.com. When asked if his role has changed at all in this new defense, he responded with a bright smile. “I feel like we will be blitzing a little bit more than we have in the past…”

As a fan, I look forward to watching the evolution of this defense, and seeing how they use the different assets this team has acquired in the off season. With three solid corner-backs now on paper, it seems to fit the menu to blitz more often in order to put pressure on the quarterback to cause turnovers. Specifically, I look forward to watching the variations of Weatherspoon’s defensive alignment. “I’m moving around a lot more,” ‘Spoon’ said in the same interview. “I’m playing in the middle, I’m playing on the outside, doing a lot more things off the edge as well so it is definitely a difference.” As a fan that is exciting to hear…especially watching the defense give up first down after first down the past couple years.

There is no doubt ’Spoon’ will be asked to step into that leadership role and provide the excitement needed defensively in this league. You can tell in training camp he is hungry, and hopefully, come the season, his big appetite remains hearty.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank would like to see the Falcons in the playoffs on a regular basis. (source: YardBarker)

With the Atlanta Falcons 2010 Training Camp underway the NFL season has (unofficially) begun. We all know the Falcons finally broke the curse of the back-to-back winning seasons by reaching the nine-win plateau last year. With that monkey off their back, they can now focus on making the playoffs for the second time in three seasons – a feat they’ve accomplished three previous times.

How have the Falcons done in reaching the playoffs as a franchise? How do they compare to the other NFL teams? In a desperate attempt to get linked in Jason Kirk’s Saturday Six-Pack presented by The Falcoholic, I fire up the spreadsheet machine and fill it with Falcons data. Hit the jump to enjoy the final analysis.

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