The Atlanta Falcons have several questions in the secondary that need to be answered in training camp. The cornerback and safety positions have some battles preparing to take place that could see familiar faces getting released sooner rather than later. With William Moore returning from injury and Jalen Collins looking for a starting job after being drafted, who is being put on notice in training camp?
The cornerback position is crowded for Atlanta. Desmond Trufant is clearly the No.1 guy at the spot while Collins along with Robert Alford, Dezmen Southward and Ricardo Allen battle for the remaining top spots. Not to mention the Falcons also digned Phillip Adams and drafted Akeem King. The biggest question mark could be around Southward and Alford in training camp. According to the Falcohlic, Southward converted from safety to corner, but that does not guarantee his future any more than before. In the short-term he is not likely to be a starter while he fights for a long-term future. Alford is entering a make-or-break season with Atlanta and he knows it.
"Something I've always gone off of is, I used to watch [Darrelle] Revis, and Revis is not 6 foot and he's not 6-3," Alford said, via ESPN.com. "He's 5-10, just like I am. It's not how tall you are. It's not how long you are. It's not how fast you are. It's whoever has the right fundamentals and whoever has that heart deep inside and wants to go out there and grind and compete. As far as grinding and competing, I feel like that's me. I just have to go out there and show the coaches that I deserve to be out there."
The return of Moore puts things into question at the safety spot. Moore will return as the top safety for the team while Kemal Ishmael and the newly singed Charles Godfrey compete for space on the field. The Falcoholic makes the case that Moore is actually fighting for his future more than Godfrey or Ishmael. The veteran safety has a contract that is a $3.3 million hit in 2016, but falls to just $1.65 million in 2017. That money is steep enough that the Falcons could consider moving on from the safety following the year if players like Ishmael show improvement. Moore is a top playmaker for Atlanta, but injuries have not been kind to the veteran and his contract does not help the debate.