D.J. Shockley, quarterback, and Jamie Winborn, linebacker, were two of the 13 players that were released on Saturday by the Atlanta Falcons to get to their 53 man maximum roster.

It was thought that Winborn, the journeyman who had played previously with the 49ers (2001-05), Jaguars (2005), Buccaneers (2006), and Broncos (2007-08), would compete for a starting position after he was acquired during the off season as a free agent. However, during the preseason the former standout from Vanderbilt wasn’t able to distinguish himself and so was released.

Shockley, who is a former University of Georgia star, was trying to make it as the team’s third string quarterback behind Chris Redman and Matt Ryan. However Shockley, who last season was the team’s inactive third quarterback, lost his bid to John Parker Wilson, the undrafted rookie, who during the preseason was more consistent.

Other players that were released on Saturday included Troy Bergeron wide receiver, Thomas Brown running back, Michael Butterworth offensive lineman, Robert Ferguson wide receiver, Robert James linebacker, Aaron Kelly wide receiver, Maurice Lucas defensive end, William Middleton cornerback, Jason Rader tight end, Jose Valdez guard and Vance Walker defensive tackle.

Among the notables in the group are Ferguson, who during his play with Green Bay (2001-06) and Minnesota (2007-08) had 151 NFL catches; Rader, who played in six games for the Falcons last year, and 2009 draft picks Middleton out of Furman (5th round) and Walker out of Georgia Tech (7th round).

On Friday, Atlanta released Eric Brock, safety, Glenn Sharpe, cornerback, Adam Speer, offensive tackle, Ryan Stanchek, offensive guard, Tony Tiller, cornerback, Ben Wilkerson, center, Chandler Williams, wide receiver.

Atlanta will open their 2009 regular season against the Miami Dolphins at home on September 13.

As we get ready to wrap up the first official week of training camp, one man is still noticeably absent — Roddy White. White is in the last year of his contract and is set to make a paltry $2.28 million. Evidently, ol Roddy is barely scrapping by and is vying to lock in something in the neighborhood of Larry Fitzgerald’s $10 million a year contract. Fitzgerald is currently drawing the highest average salary among wide receivers in the league. 2009 is Roddy White?s last year under his current contract.

Falcon’s GM Thomas Dimitroff commented about the situation saying, “I’m a little bit disappointed with the direction that the negotiations are going at this point. It’s one of those situations where both parties are digging in and feel strongly about their case.”

Talks seem to have broken down sometime on Tuesday. Prior to Dimitroff said both sides were making progress and thought Roddy would be in camp shortly. The Falcons are mulling pulling their offer off the table and letting White play out the 09 season under his current contract. There doesn’t seem to be much urgency on the Falcon?s part since White won’t be hitting the open market until 2011. By opting out of the collective bargaining agreement, 2010 could become an uncapped year and Roddy would be a restricted free agent.

The Falcons have made progress on their expiring contracts this offseason, locking in both Jonathan Babineaux and Michael Jenkins.

We are mere weeks away from the start of preseason so you know what that means — Falcons training camp is opening. Beginning August 1, Falcons’ training camp kicks off in Flowery Branch with select practices being open to the public. Admission is free. Training camp will last for three weeks and is sponsored by Russell Athletic. An autograph session will follow each practice featuring select members from the offensive and defensive squads on alternate days.

The Falcons preseason opener is at Detroit on August 15 followed by a road matchup with St Louis on August 21. The Falcons will host the Chargers at the Georgia Dome on August 29 and Baltimore on September 3.

The team will also participate in the Allstate All-Access weekend. On August 7, the team will scrimmage at Brookwood High School followed by another contest at the Georgia Dome on August 8. The All-State Weekend and training camp are the perfect opportunity for Falcons’ fans to get up-close-and personal to see Atlanta?s latest acquisition TE Tony Gonzalez who looks to further supercharge the Falcons’ offense. Also on display will be 2009 draft standouts like Peria Jerry and William Moore.

For more information regarding the training camp schedule, call the Training Camp Hotline at (770) 965-2752. View the complete Training Camp Schedule below.

Date – # of practices – Practice Times – Open to the Public
Aug. 1 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – Both
Aug. 2 – 2 – 9:35 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – Both
Aug. 3 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – First Practice
Aug. 4 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – First Practice
Aug. 5 – 1 – 1:30 p.m. – Open
Aug. 6 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – First Practice
Falcons Allstate All-Access Weekend
Aug. 7 – 1 – 10:15 a.m. – Open – Scrimmage at Brookwood High School – 7 p.m. – Open
Aug. 8 – Mock Game at the Georgia Dome – 11 a.m. – Open
Aug. 9 – No Practice
Aug. 10 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – First Practice
Aug. 11 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:20 p.m. – First Practice
Aug. 12 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – First Practice
Aug. 13 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m – First Practice
Aug. 14 – 1 – 10:25 a.m. – Open
Aug. 15 – Falcons at Detroit – 4 p.m.
Aug. 16 – No Practice
Aug. 17 – 2 – 9:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – Both Closed
Aug. 18 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – Both Closed
Aug. 19 – 2 – 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. – Both Closed
Aug. 20 – 1 – 10:25 a.m. – Closed
Aug. 21 – Falcons at St. Louis – 8 p.m.
Aug. 29 – Falcons vs. San Diego – 8 p.m.
Sept. 3 – Falcons vs. Baltimore – 7:30 p.m.

The NFL Network has evidently been poking the bear with a stick again. Rich Rosa, John Abraham’s agent, says the star defensive end isn’t sour on his contract and isn’t planning on staging a holdout as previously reported by the network. He said that when Falcons training camp opens in Flowery Branch on August 1, his client will be busy roughing the passer.

The Falcons for their part say they have not be approached by Abraham?s agent about any contract demands. Currently, Abraham has a six-year, $45 contract which stands to pay him $5 million for the 2009 season. In comparison with defensive linemen around the league, Abraham’s compensation package is starting to look shrimpy with Jared Allen’s six-year deal with Minnesota for $73 million not to mention the eye-popping sum Albert Haynesworth scored with Washington this offseason (seven-years, $100 million). Its enough to make you think Dan Snyder has more money than sense.

Since joining the team in 2005, Abraham has become one of the most accomplished leaders on the Falcons’ defense, racking up a franchise record 16.5 sacks and being named second-team All-Pro last season. John Abraham’s absence from OTAs may have fueled some of these holdout rumors, but skipping these non-mandatory workouts has become commonplace among veterans who prefer to work at their own pace.

The Falcons have been active in contract extensions with Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White after the gaudy numbers he put up during the 08 season. Rosa says he’d definitely be listening should the Falcons come to him about enhancing Abraham’s contract, but it isn’t something that they are actively pursuing on their part

After the meteoric rise of rookie quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco last year, it?s fair to wonder if the two will be afflicted by the dreaded sophomore slump. According to Ryan’s teammates and coaches, nothing could be further from the truth. Fullback Ovie Mughelli said, “it’s scary how much he’s improved, and it’s only his second year. People thought he couldn’t get much better than last year.”

Matt Ryan has said he’s come into this season focused on improving his game on third downs and in the red zone. He’s also said he’s focusing on closing out games and those critical decisions that are made in the final two minutes. Like the great quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, Matt Ryan has had a busy offseason pouring over tape and hitting the weight room to increase his arm strength. He’s doing all the little things that may not be a lot of fun, but will help his team succeed when they hit the field.

Expectations are high for this Falcons club that went 11-5 last season and made the playoffs after a disastrous 2007 campaign. The players have had a year to digest the playbook and learn Smith’s new system. “The thing you see out there across the board is confidence, starting with Matt at quarterback, all the way down,” said center Todd McClure.

Ryan closed out the 2008 season with a passer completion percentage of 61.1%, connecting for 16 touchdowns on 3440 yard and 11 interceptions. If what Mughelli said is true, it’s going to be a tough year for the NFC South, and Atlanta may just have themselves the next Manning in training.

The Atlanta Falcons bought some insurance and a healthy dose of experience on Monday with the acquisition of 12-year veteran center Jeremy Newberry. The 6-5, 315 pound Newberry has competed in 120 games over the breadth of his career, starting 107 of them.

He was initially selected in the second round of the 1998 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Beyond going to two Pro Bowls in 2001-02, Newberry started every game he suited up for over eight seasons. Twice Newberry was awarded the Bobb McKittrick award by the 49ers for the team?s offensive linemen showing the greatest form of dedication, excellence and commitment. He also received the Ed Block Courage Award twice.

California has served as home for his entire 12 season career in the NFL. The first nine were spent in San Francisco, followed by a season in Oakland and finally a two-year stretch in San Diego.

The signing does raise a handful of question marks since the Falcons seemed set at center with Todd McClure and new editions Brett Romberg and Alex Stepanovich on the roster. Also Newberry’s mobility has been an issue in recent seasons due to knee injuries. More than likely he will serve as a safety net behind Todd McClure should anything happen mid-season.

Well it is official. The nightmare that was the Michael Vick saga is finally over for the Atlanta Falcons when they released him from the roaster on Friday. The Falcons had been trying to peddle the ex-franchise quarterback for as little as a late round draft pick, but they never found anyone willing to step up and take a chance on Mike. Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said in a statement, “In the very end, we came to a conclusion that it was time. It was best for both of us and Michael Vick to move on, to turn the chapter.”

Vick’s release comes as no surprise. Team owner Arthur Blank has made it known on numerous occasions that Vick’s time as with the Falcons was finished, and the proverbial nail was slammed into the coffin last season when the team handed over the keys to the franchise to golden-armed quarterback Matt Ryan out of Boston College.

Vick currently remains suspended from the NFL while he serves out the remainder of his prison term under house arrest in Hampton, Virginia. Vick will have to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell before he can be considered for reinstatement. Even though he is on the outside of the NFL looking in, he is able to begin negotiations with a new team while he is suspended. He is also free to pursue other options outside of the NFL such as the Canadian Football League and the fresh upstart UFL debuting in the fall. Goodell has said he would meet with Vick once he has satisfied his 23-month sentence on July 20.

When asked what criteria would be used to determine Vick’s reinstatement, Goodell has said, “Michael’s going to have to demonstrate to myself and the general public and to a lot of people, did he learn anything from this experience? Does he regret what happened? Does he feel that he can be a positive influence going forward? Those are questions that I would like to see when I sit with him.”

Michael Vick was once the highest paid player in the NFL, banking on a $130 million contract. Now he’s working construction for $10 an hour.

The Falcons have a salary cap hit coming in the form of a $7.11 million charge for the current season yet it has already been factored into management?s plans. The team currently sits $20 million under the $128 million salary cap limit.