Sep 23, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Jerricho Cotchery (89) tries to break free from the grasp of Oakland Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour (92) in the first quarter at the O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

I hope everyone is having a great and happy memorial day remembering our troops who fought and died for our freedom.  My grandpa was one of the men who fought in World War II and he has always had a huge impact on me.  One thing that he loved and lived for was football.  He was a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan and my mother was a die-hard Vikings fan after they moved to Minnesota.  As I was born in Georgia, my mom passed the love of football down to me as I became a die-hard Falcons fan.  Oddly enough, my dad was never into football that much.  It was always me and my mom screaming at the TV while my dad took that time to cut the grass or fix the air-conditioner.  He’s started to come around more recently, but he hates close games and doesn’t like high-pressure situations.  That didn’t bode well in a Falcons household.

My point being, football is a family thing and I hope everyone has spent a good day with their family.  If you read my blogs, you know I like to talk about what could happen.  Let’s look at Richard Seymour.

You’ve heard the recent news that the Falcons were in “serious” talks with Seymour.  You probably heard the most recent news that they weren’t really that serious with those talks.  It is all a big mystery.  We don’t know if he wants too much money, if the Falcons are no longer interested, if they are waiting for June 1^st before signing, or some other unforeseen event.

That won’t stop me from trying to find out what would happen if he did sign the dotted line and put on the red and black.  The falcons lost Vance Walker, a promising young tackle to the Raiders over free agency.  Jonathan Babineaux is probably the most underrated tackle in the league.  Corey Peters isn’t really anything special; he gets the job done but he isn’t really elite.  Peria Jerry is just a dream that he’ll eventually come into his expectations, but he is prime for the ‘bust’ tag.  If Atlanta could get some pressure and run help up the middle, things could be significantly different.  It’s not necessarily an immediate need, but could definitely be helped.  If Richard Seymour did sign, what kind of impact would he have?

That would depend on how healthy he is.  His career is spotty with injuries, but I don’t think that would be too big of a worry.  Mike Smith has his old guy club that doesn’t have to practice as often.  Also, the Defensive tackles work in a rotation that would keep him fresh.  But I do believe this guy can play.  He’s old, but last year he had 3 sacks while only playing in half the amount of games.  That would have been a 6-sack season and that’s damn good for a 4-3 DT at his age.  If he was in Atlanta, he would probably be kept healthier, but wouldn’t see quite as much play time.  That’s another reason why Atlanta wouldn’t want to pay too much for the guy, but he could have a decent year or two before his retirement.

If he were to sign with the Falcons I would expect to see 3-4 sacks, but a lot more productions with the rotation than last season.  There would be constant pressure up the middle.  With Osi on the outside, and if Goodman turns out to be a hit (see what I did there) the defensive line could become a strength.

Seymour could be real beneficial for the right price.  But overpay for him, and I’ll be writing reasons he isn’t a fit.  We can only hope for the best.

Jan 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is sacked by Atlanta Falcons defensive end Vance Walker (99) during the third quarter of the NFC divisional playoff game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Raiders announced on their official Twitter account that they signed former Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Vance Walker.

Tweeting from @twitter HQ: The Raiders have signed free agent DT Vance Walker. #freeagency

— OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) March 18, 2013

Walker was drafted in the seventh round by the Falcons in the 2009 draft. He recorded 79 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles in his four years with the team.

Walker became a very solid rotational player in his four years with the Falcons. One of the more fond memories that will always be remembered of Walker will be his stellar play in the 2013 NFC divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. Not only did he record four tackles and a sack in that game, but he was also a huge contributor in only allowing Marshawn Lynch to run for 2.9 yards per carry as well.

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.