Dan Pompei

We should not expect the 2008 Falcons to be contenders. We should expect the 2008 Falcons to be completely unrecognizable.

Gone are all of the most familiar faces with whom this franchise has been associated with—DeAngelo Hall, Warrick Dunn, Alge Crumpler, Rod Coleman, Demorrio Williams, Jimmy Williams and Wayne Gandy—gone, gone, gone. And of course Bobby Petrino and Michael Vick already were gone.

New coach Mike Smith and new general manager Thomas Dimitroff are building the new Falcons. This is a younger version, and a team that is expected to grow into a winner over time.

Team owner Arthur Blank chose Dimitroff and Smith as his leaders in an attempt to reestablish trust, both with the community and in the locker room. The Falcons have been through a lot over the last couple of years.

Dimitroff, the former Patriots college scouting director, and Smith, the former Jaguars defensive coordinator, did a lot of heavy lifting in the offseason. But they have much more work to do before the Falcons start to resemble the teams Dimitroff and Smith came from.

The Falcons will be counting on a lot of young players taking on larger roles or becoming more productive. Among them are wide receivers Roddy White and Laurent Robinson, tailback Michael Turner, defensive end Jamaal Anderson and cornerback Chris Houston.

They also will be counting on rookies to contribute immediately, if not start. Among them are quarterback Matt Ryan, left tackle Sam Baker, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton and cornerback Chevis Jackson.

With so much youth figuring so prominently in the Falcons' plans, we can expect a lot of learning on the job.

Be patient, Falcons fans.

Hot seat
The Falcons gave up 47 sacks last season, and they'll have to protect the quarterback much better this season if Ryan ever is going to see the field. So the heat definitely is on the madeover offensive line.

The key to the line is Baker, a player the Falcons traded up to acquire in the first round. If he can handle the left tackle spot, the other offensive linemen may play better than they did a year ago. The coaching of new line mentor Paul Boudreau should be a plus.

Overheard at camp
The Falcons have to decide when the best time for Ryan to play is. It almost certainly is not at the start of the season. That's why Chris Redman is here.

But at some point this season, the Falcons would like to get Ryan on the field. One of Ryan's selling points was that he was supposed to be pretty NFL ready. His leadership and intangibles are excellent. Once he is comfortable with the speed of the game and his assignments, the Falcons will need to work him in.

The onus will be on offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey to make the offense player-friendly enough for Ryan to feel comfortable.

Comings and goings
Much is expected from Turner, who averaged 5.5 yards per carry in San Diego as LaDanian Tomlinson's backup. The yards won't come as easily for Turner without Tomlinson, Phillip Rivers and the Chargers offensive line. But there is no question Turner will make a difference in the Falcons offense.

Among the other newcomers who are expected to make impacts are kicker Jason Elam, safety Erik Coleman and tight end Ben Hartsock.

Predictions
This is a season in which the Falcons should be allowed to lay a foundation. Expecting them to erect a skyscraper too would be asking too much.

It's going to take time for the Falcons to get to where they want to be. Smith, Mularkey and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder need to establish their systems and find out who fits and who doesn't.

It won't necessarily be a train wreck of a season if the Falcons lose 10 or 11 games.

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