The Atlanta Falcons opened training camp on Friday, and so far all is well. Reports are almost unanimous in praising the defense's performance, specifically the pass coverage of cornerbacks Dunta Robinson, Brent Grimes, Christopher Owens, and rookie Dominique Franks. Linebacker Curtis Lofton has mentioned the D having a chip on its shoulder after being called the team's Achilles heel all offseason, and wide receiver Roddy White appreciates the intensified competition.
Wide receiver Kerry Meier and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon have been the other rookies to earn widespread kudos, though Spoon continues to inspire loud cusses by loud cuss defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder, who loudly cusses because he cares.
Despite triple-digit heat and Georgia humidity, the team has so far suffered only a handful of minor injuries -- Robinson tweaked a hamstring, one-time Yellow Jacket tight end Colin Peek aggravated his knee, and beloved elder wide receiver Brian Finneran has Old Man Back.
The Falcoholic has been maintaining daily open threads, with commenters present at the Branch offering live reports (and absent Birds fans submitting questions). Catch up on days one, two, and three.
Another great resource has been the the Twitter hashtag #aftc2010, populated by tweets of on-site Falcons personnel like Daniel Cox, Jay Adams, and Nikki Noto. The team has invested impressively in social media, and having several layers of coverage for fans who can't attend (not to mention letting fans attend in the first place) is something to admire. The new atlantafalcons.com is being constantly updated as well.
Mike Smith promises this week will be the hardest of the year, as it's time to put on the pads and start popping.
The Falcoholic, SB Nation Atlanta, AJC beat man D. Orlando Ledbetter, and the team's official fleet of digital ambassadors will continue to provide excellent coverage.