ATL Daily Notebook 8/2: Trufant & Alford In CB Battle, Justin Upton Brings Back The Power, Danny Ferry’s Statement On Mike Muscala
Jul 28, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Robert Alford (23) warms up on the field during training camp at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Braves
The Atlanta Braves upped their winning streak to seven games now, and increase their lead over the Nationals to 11.5 games which is just ridiculous.
Two really good things to see from last night’s game were Julio Teheran’s strikeout numbers (11, to tie a career high) in just five innings as well as a two-homer game from Justin Upton. The Upton power surge was the best thing to happen in my opinion because it’s been a while since we’ve seen him leave the yard. Chris Johnson shouldn’t be forgotten either as he had his seventh multi-hit game in a row. It’s time for people to take this guy seriously, he’s been getting the job done the entire season.
Today the Braves start a 15 game stretch against NL East opposition (six against Philly, six against Washington, three against Miami, and three against New York) and if they continue playing like they have against St. Louis and Colorado they could all but lock up the pennant.
Look for our series preview later today.
Falcons
The latest news from Jay Adams is that the position battle between Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford is heating up. According to Jay, Alford has had his name mentioned a bit more often lately. Apparently Trufant went back to the University of Washington to finish his degree while Alford was with the Falcons through OTA’s and minicamp. Although it’s neck and neck at this point it seems that Alford does have a slight edge. Per Jay:
"Alford, however, has seemed to have his name mentioned a bit more lately. It could be that Alford had the luxury of being with the Falcons throughout OTAs and minicamp while Trufant had to return to the University of Washington to finish his degree, meaning Alford might be a bit ahead of the first-rounder in the early stages of camp."
If you want some detailed notes of Falcons camp then you should also check out Jeanna Thomas’s post on The Falcoholic:
"Steven Jackson has such good hands. He’s very reliable in receiving drills. He has great burst out of the backfield, too. He has good instincts and works hard on every rep, which is great to see. He appears to be a “lead by example” kind of guy–he certainly seems like a prototypical Falcon in the Dimitroff era. In red zone drills, Jackson literally went right over the pile to push the ball over the plain just like it was a game situation. I cannot over-emphasize how reliable his hands are as a receiver.Jacquizz Rodgers also looks solid. Quizz has looked good catching and running the ball, and he’s still very quick and evasive. The versatility of Jackson and Rodgers will make them huge assets in this high-powered offense this season."
Hawks
There wasn’t any more news about Lucas Nogueira playing overseas or in Atlanta but Danny Ferry did issue a statement about Mike Muscala’s signing with Obradoiro:
"This is a great opportunity for Mike to play for a quality program in a strong league,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations/GM Danny Ferry. “We are excited to closely monitor his growth as he further prepares himself for the NBA game."
However on Peach Tree Hoops, the writers broke down how the Hawks are able to keep the rights to Muscala and they also broke down how a hypothetical Lucas Nogueira buyout would work. It’s all much too confusing for me but if you’re really interested in the details and the contracts, be sure to check them out.
College
The college front was a bit slow yesterday with not much to hear from UGA or GT camps. There is a new feature story up on linebackers coach P.J Volker of GSU on their athletics website and also a transcript of Mark Richt’s preseason press conference on Dawn of the Dawg.