Pro Notebook: 8/13

Jul 28, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) watches practice on the field during training camp at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

As Carlos referenced in his college notebook on Tuesday morning, we’re splitting up and giving you a “daily” look at what’s happening with each of the local squads. Let’s get it going with the debut of the professional version:

Falcons

Sean Weatherspoon, the team’s defensive leader and only potential impact player at the linebacker position, returned to practice on Monday. This is fantastic news for the defense, as he had missed the better part of a week with a finger ailment, and there were concerns that the injury could linger a bit. There weren’t any sound bytes from Weatherspoon himself, but ESPN gave us this quote from Mike Smith:

"“We didn’t want him to have any contact quite yet, but we wanted to get him back out and let him work through drills,” Smith said Monday night. “He will progress each day a little bit more.”"

Fortunately, the Falcons don’t need him to be 100% right until we get closer to the season, and with the positive track record of Weatherspoon, I don’t think he needs to be pushed. If the Falcons are going to make any kind of “leap” defensively, he will be in the middle of that ascension, and it’s a big year for the linebacker.

Hawks

The news broke on Monday afternoon that Lucas Nogueira was going to be playing in Spain for the 2013-2014 season, and that is the biggest “buzz” item in Hawks territory. While I broke it down a bit in the breaking news story, the impact could be very interesting for the Hawks. Our friends over at Peachtree Hoops (more specifically, Kris Willis) had this to say regarding the move in their breakdown:

"Nogueira performed well at the Vegas Summer League for Atlanta but it was clear that he still needed to add strength and to further refine his play. Nogueira had expressed a desire to play for the Hawks next year but Atlanta’s crowded frontcourt might not provide a consistent opportunity for playing time."

This pretty much echoes my sentiments regarding Nogueira, and frankly, I don’t think the decision to leave him in Europe affects this year’s on-court product much, if at all.

Braves

It’s been a big week in Braves country, and as you may have noticed, the team is dominating the news cycle in Atlanta these days. We’ve generated series recaps and previews, game recaps, and even features on both Jason Heyward and Justin Upton in recent days. However, there was a not-so-small news item that flew under the radar on Sunday.

Gerald Laird was activated from the 15-day DL before Sunday’s game, and outfielder Todd Cunningham was returned to the minors to make room for Laird. Laird’s return means a bit less playing time for Evan Gattis (who already wasn’t getting a ton of time), but it is also important to note that Cunningham did a very nice job in his short stint.

Much of the Braves fan base had been discussing Cunningham for a couple of years, and he showed up nicely. He’ll certainly be a consideration for a roster spot in September (after roster expansion), and with his switch-hitting ways, there is always value.

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Stay tuned for big things to come in this space!