Ryan, Turner and Baker give the Falcons hope

Clifton Brown

Matt Ryan drops back to throw his first pass at Falcons minicamp. He knows all eyes are on him. He squeezes the ball tightly, firmer than normal. Nerves get the best of Ryan. The ball flutters like a balloon losing air. "It came out wobbly, sideways and late," says wide receiver Brian Finneran, who hauled in the pass. For a split second, Finneran is worried. How could the Falcons use the No. 3 pick in the draft on a quarterback who throws like this?

A couple of minutes later, though, Finneran feels much better. A perfect spiral from Ryan hits him between the numbers on a seam route. "Prettiest ball you've ever seen in your life," Finneran says.

Welcome to the new-look Falcons. At times, they will look bad. At times, they will look promising.

For certain, they will look different. No team in the NFC cleaned house like the Falcons -- a new general manager, a new coaching staff and a revamped roster with the majority of starting spots up for grabs. After the Michael Vick fiasco, Bobby Petrino's resignation and a 4-12 season, the Falcons didn't just turn the page. They burned the book.

Minicamp in Flowery Branch, a 40-mile drive from the Georgia Dome, was the Falcons' first chance to show off their shiny new offensive trio -- free-agent running back Michael Turner and first-round picks Ryan and left tackle Sam Baker. The Falcons envision this threesome as the long-term cornerstone of their offense.

Right now, that's a long way from reality. Nobody has given the Turner, Ryan and Baker group a nickname yet. They haven't earned it. They barely worked together during minicamp, spending most of their time on different parts of the field. Turner looked terrific, but Ryan and Baker have a long journey ahead. The minicamp skinny on three players hoping to fuel the rebirth of the Falcons:

Matt Ryan: The big splash

Ryan started and finished minicamp at No. 3 on the depth chart behind Chris Redmond and Joey Harrington. But coach Mike Smith has made it clear that the job is wide-open. Ryan could be the Week 1 starter. Or he could rarely get on the field.

It all depends on how quickly Ryan progresses. Some early signs are good. Ryan has what Smith calls "F.B.I.'' -- football intelligence. Many rookie quarterbacks have difficulty deciphering well-disguised NFL defenses. But judging from his quick responses during video study, the Falcons expect Ryan to read defenses well.

It took Ryan just two weeks after the draft to get a comfortable grasp of the playbook, and Smith likes the way Ryan commands the huddle. Before several snaps, he moved receivers who had lined up in the wrong formation into the right spots.

Most of Ryan's minicamp throws were accurate. But he was not consistent, especially throwing deep balls and sideline patterns to his left.

"He missed more passes than we'd expect today in seven-on-seven," quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said after the second day of practice. "But he came back later in practice and was more precise."

Musgrave is focusing on Ryan's footwork. When the rookie sets up properly, the rest of his delivery falls into place.

Ryan seems comfortable under the microscope so far. At a practice session open to the public, some fans showed up in No. 2 Falcons jerseys.

"It's pretty cool to see people wearing your jersey -- I'm not going to lie to you," says Ryan.

But Ryan was not drafted to be No. 2. His job between now and September is to become No. 1. Ryan will have a difficult time becoming the starter this season if he is not signed by the start of training camp in late July.

"That's going to be the key variable," Musgrave says.

Michael Turner: The not so newbie

This former Charger is the new Falcon primed to have the biggest immediate impact. Remember, this was just minicamp, with players wearing shorts and no shoulder pads. But Turner darted through creases, and when he reached the secondary, he picked up speed like a racecar kicking into its highest gear. "I really love to see this young man run," says Smith. "And when you go to tackle him, it's all elbows and knees.''

The Falcons envision using Turner and Jerious Norwood as a 1-2 running punch similar to how the Jaguars use Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Turner loves being out of LaDainian Tomlinson's shadow, with a chance to prove he can flourish as a No. 1 back.

"That's what I've always wanted, but I just happened to be drafted by a team that already had that kind of guy," says Turner, entering his fifth season. "But it gave me a chance to watch how L.T. handled everything -- interviews, defenses gunning to stop him, the wear and tear. I've seen it. I'm ready."

But the fate of the Falcons' running game depends largely on the unproven line's ability to open running lanes. The Falcons were 26th in the NFL in rushing last season, averaging just 95.0 yards per game. Turner spent part of his time at minicamp getting to know his new linemen. "I'm going to take them out to dinner at training camp," Turner says. "That's how you bond with linemen."

Sam Baker: The future anchor

After the Falcons drafted Ryan, general manager Thomas Dimitroff felt he had to get a player who could protect his new quarterback, so he traded up to get Baker at No. 21. Even if Ryan does not start right away, the team hopes Baker will. The Falcons started four different players at left tackle in 2007, and they'd love Baker to anchor the position for the next decade. But if Baker starts before he is ready, defensive ends will step over him on their way to the quarterback.

Right now, Baker is not ready.

"His head's spinning," says Falcons offensive line coach Paul Boudreau. "I think it's been an eye-opener for him. I talked to him. He's got to be in better shape. You're not ready to play a football game right now. I think he knows that. He's a smart enough kid to know. I told him there's three speeds -- preseason speed, regular-season speed and playoff speed. You've just touched on it right now. It's going to get faster."

Baker knows he has work to do, and that's about all he's focused on since arriving in Atlanta. "All I've seen is Flowery Branch," he says.

One of Baker's mentors is Jackie Slater, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman and family friend who has worked with Baker on technique. Slater believes Baker will develop into a Pro Bowl player.

"We talk about his technique all the time, and he knows more about how to play offensive line than a lot of guys coming into the league," says Slater. "The Falcons will be glad they got him."

Boudreau looks forward to training camp and the chance to get Baker in pads. "Everybody looks pretty good running around here in shorts," says Boudreau. "I think Sam will accept the challenge. He's been in two national championship games, played at the highest level, started for three years.

"He's going to have a bull's-eye on his back because he's a left tackle and a rookie. But you have to put those pads on and bang for two-a-days this summer. Then we'll see what he's made of."

Good article. I'm optimistic.

I couldn't think of a better mentor to Baker than Jackie Slater. That guy played in the league for a very long time.

Who is this Finerman they speak of?