Will Svitek is out for the year with what coaches are calling an upper-arm injury. Svitek was No. 2 on the depth chart at left tackle entering this season and his injury now leaves the Falcons asking questions.
Starting left tackle Sam Baker is set as the starter for the Falcons. But if something happens to him, his two backups are rookie Lamar Holmes and second-year lineman Michael Johnson, who is transitioning to play tackle.
Dave Choate of The Falcoholic has described Svitek's injury as a 'nightmare scenario' and wonders what the Falcons can do in this situation.
Svitek being out for the year is a nightmare scenario for multiple reasons. With his ability in pass protection, Svitek was the logical choice to take over at left tackle should anything happen to Sam Baker. He wasn't any great shakes in the run game, but the Falcons are transitioning toward a more pass-friendly offense anyways.
With Svitek down, the Falcons are left with some fairly unappetizing backup options. There's either Lamar Holmes, who might be a terrific tackle someday but is a fairly raw rookie right now, or Michael Johnson as he trains for tackle. They could also dive into the free agent market, which has Marcus McNeill and a few tackles you might find down at your local grocery store bagging vegetables. Even with his injury history, McNeill might be the best option out there...or he would've been, had he not retired. My bad, everyone.
The Falcons next preseason game is against the Miami Dolphins on Friday night with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
For more on the Falcons, please be sure to check out our blog The Falcoholic and SB Nation Atlanta for all the latest news and updates.