The Falcons drafted Chris Houston because of his measureables and the Falcons needed a corner.  They must have not put much stock in how Houston plays the game.  He’s soft against the run and misses a lot of tackles.  He also has problems with fast receivers that get behind him in coverage a lot for big plays.  Houston played in 29 games (23 starts) for Arkansas and he only made 65 tackles, broke up 15 passes and forced a fumble.  If the Falcons are banking on Houston starting at corner they are in big, big trouble.  It’s dangerous to draft players that stand out at the Combine but have not had much success acutally playing football.  The Falcons reached in picking Houston this high as he will likely wind up being a nickel back and special teams player.

Brian Finneran tore his ACL again in a recent Falcons’ mini-camp.  Finneran’s career could be coming to a close and that’s a shame as he was one of Michael Vick’s favorite favorite receivers.  Finneran has played in 87 games (35 starts) in his NFL career and he’s caught 187 passes for 2,647 yards (14.2 avg) with 15 TD catches.  He will miss the 2007 season.

Justin Blalock is a big man (6′3″, 320 pounds) and he’s the type of power blocker that Coach Bobby Petrino wants to build his offensive line around.  Blalock will probably step right in and start at left guard for the Falcons from Day #1.  He’s a mauler in the running game and he’s got good enough feet to slide in the passing game.  Blalock is also very dependable as he broke the Texas Longhorns’ all-time record for consecutive starts with 51.  Blalock was an excellent pick that many had projected to go late in the 1st round.

The Falcons have decided to let Jason Webster go after an injury filled 2006 season.  Webster played in 8 games last season for the Falcons and he made 49 tackles, had 2 interceptions, defensed 3 passes and forced a fumble.  He should have no problem getting a new job in the league if he can prove that he’s healthy.

The Falcons had a big need at defensive end after losing Patrick Kerney in free agency and they were thrilled when Jamaal Anderson fell into their lap at #8.  Anderson has good size (6′5″, 275) and speed (4.75 40) as he was recruited as a wide receiver at Arkansas.  While at Arkansas, Anderson bulked up almost 70 pounds and he turned into a dominant defensive end for the Razorbacks as he led the SEC last season with 13.5 sacks!  He also made an outstanding 19.5 tackles for a loss because of his outstanding first step quickness.  In 36 games at Arkansas, Anderson played in 36 games (19 starts) and he made 130 tackles, 32 tackles for a loss, had 17.5 sacks, batted down 8 passes, forced 2 fumbles and recovered a fumble.  This was outstanding first pick in the Bobby Petrino era in Atlanta.