Atlanta Falcons injury report: Corey Peters, Dezmen Southward listed as probable

The injury report for the Atlanta Falcons was surprisingly clear in advance of Sunday’s week one match-up against the New Orleans Saints, but on Friday, Mike Smith and company painted an even rosier picture for the availability of the full roster. Both defensive tackle Corey Peters and rookie safety Dezmen Southward were listed as probable for the game, indicating a high likelihood that both will be available for deployment.

The 26-year-old Peters had the best year of his career in 2013 before tearing his Achilles late in the year, and his presence is certainly welcomed along the defensive line. It would be aggressive to suggest that he would be more than simply a rotational body in his return, but Peters flashed some dynamic abilities last season, and if he is nearing 100%, the defensive line takes a small bump in the right direction.

On the back end, the rookie Southward is currently listed as the backup to Dwight Lowery at the free safety spot, but he has been in the league’s concussion protocol dating back to the middle of the preseason. Again, he won’t necessarily be on the field a great deal in his first NFL game, but the former Wisconsin Badger could see some time, especially given the New Orleans offense and its propensity to use multiple wide-outs in virtually every situation.

This might be the only during the 2014 season where the Atlanta Falcons have a clean injury report, so let’s enjoy this one.