Atlanta Falcons: Five players to watch for at training camp

3) Ricardo Allen, FS

Aug 28, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Mike Brown (12) catches a pass as Atlanta Falcons cornerback Ricardo Allen (37) defends in the fourth quarter of their game at EverBank Field. The Atlanta Falcons won 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Ricardo Allen? Who? If you are not familiar with who Allen is, well you need to be. Allen was apart of Mike Smith’s last draft class as the head coach of the Falcons in 2014 as a fifth round pick. Allen was brought in as a cornerback and didn’t even make the 53-man roster as a rookie. Instead, Allen spent the year as a member of the Falcons’ practice squad.

Flash forward to 2015, and with a new coach brings a new role for the 23-year-old. Quinn has voiced that Allen will get a fair shot at the vacant free safety position and has a good shot at winning the job. It’s safe to say that Allen won’t be the next Earl Thomas, but if Allen can be half as good as Thomas is, then he will win the job.

This is one of the top position battles to look for at this years training camp. Allen will compete with veteran Charles Godfrey as well as Kemal Ishmael who is really a strong safety. As of right now, Allen is the odds on favorite to win the job, but he will have to prove himself over the course of the next month and a half