The Atlanta Falcons warpped up minicamp on Thursday, the competition on the defensive line is expected to be intense according to head coach Mike Smith, especially at the defensive tackle position.
Smith told the team website that OTA's and minicamp were more for evaluation and he expects things to be even more competitve once practice in full pads begins:
"I think at the defensive tackle there is going to be competition," Smith said. "Again, when you start talking about the defensive line, you're not talking about the four starters, you're talking about the seven starters. That's more of the competition. I think it's pretty evident who the starters are going to be. I think it's going to be more for the guys that are going to be in the rotation and not necessarily taking as many snaps as the guys that start the game, but they will take significant snaps in the ball game."
For more on the 2012 Atlanta Falcons' minicamp and offseason, check out SB Nation's NFL page and The Falcoholic.