Atlanta Falcons 2013 Season Preview: Linebackers

Jan 20, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) and middle linebacker Akeem Dent (52) react after San Francisco 49ers kicker David Akers (not pictured) misses a 38-yard field goal against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter of the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Greetings! As the 2013 NFL season approaches, it is time to take a deeper look at what to expect from the Atlanta Falcons. In the second of a nine-part preview, we’re examining the semi-controversial group of linebackers. Let’s get to it.

Starters

The crew from 2012 is back in the saddle, and with that, there aren’t a whole lot of surprises in this linebacking corps.

Sean Weatherspoon is far and away the best player in this position group, and frankly, he’s the leader of the entire 2013 defense. In 2012, Weatherspoon missed 3 games due to injury, but he still managed to generate 95 tackles (down from 115 in 2011) which was good for 2nd on the team and 1st in tackles per game. He is an explosive player when closing on the ball with big-time speed from the linebacker spot, and at 6-foot-2, 244 pounds, he’s a monster. In addition, he almost never comes off of the field for Atlanta because of his versatility, and he’s a vital part of everything that Mike Nolan does. If there is a knock on him, it’s probably his durability, but if the Falcons can get 16 games from ‘Spoon, they’ll be in great shape on the weakside.

In the middle, the Falcons are turning to former UGA product Akeem Dent. Dent appeared in all 16 games but he is basically a two-down player due to his ineffective skills in coverage. However, he is a strong tackler with good size (about 240 pounds) and he’s just fine against the run. I would fall short of calling Dent a “strength” for the unit, but he won’t kill the Falcons when he’s on the field as long as he’s utilized properly.

Finally, Atlanta will trot out Stephen Nicholas as a starter for yet another season, and it was Nicholas (not Weatherspoon) that led the team in tackles last season. It was a career-best season for the former South Florida product in 2012, as he produced 97 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 interception while appearing in all 16 games. There had been some weak buzz in camp that Nicholas was losing stature in the starting lineup, but I can’t fathom that any of the backup players currently on the roster could challenge him. Nicholas was banged up a bit earlier in the week (and he’ll miss the 3rd preseason game), but he is expected to be ready for the opener and he’ll be in the lineup when that day arrives.

Rotation Players/Backups

The “primary” backup at the linebacker spot is probably Robert James. James played all 16 games last year after spot duty in the previous 3 seasons, and he certainly earned a roster spot in limited time. He’s undersized at 5-foot-11 but James can tackle, and he’ll be a valuable special teams piece even if it strikes fear in every Falcons fan to see him on the field in primary packages.

Elsewhere, there is a battle for the final roster spot or two. Brian Banks is the big story in camp for Atlanta this year, but we really have no idea how effective he can be at this level, and at the moment, the story (while great) is much bigger than the reliability of Banks as an NFL commodity. Pat Schiller and Nick Clancy are also around, and each could make special teams pushes in an attempt to make the roster.

—–

In the preamble, I referenced this position group as controversial, but it is moreso an issue of just how good/bad the starting trio is. Weatherspoon is a no-doubt impact player on the defense, but Nicholas is more of a plug-and-play guy than anything, and Dent isn’t a world-beater either. I would rank the linebackers behind the secondary in any positional “power rankings”, and it’s a unit that won’t inspire any parades down Peachtree Street.

Stay tuned for part 3, when we take on the defensive line.