I talked with Jason Kirk of SB Nation Atlanta to get the lowdown on the Atlanta Falcons for the 2010 season. We've already heard from Dave Choate of The Falcoholic on some of the highs and lows of the Falcons heading into 2010.
Here's what SB Nation Atlanta had to say about the biggest strength and the biggest weakness of the Falcons.
***
Biggest strength
Our biggest strength is likely to be our interior defense.
Penetrating defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux is quite possibly the best player on our team, or at least the most underrated -- he led all NFL tackles in sacks last year and is a rock against the run.
We have a nice crop of young guys competing for snaps alongside him, including "redshirt freshman" first-rounder Peria Jerry. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton has promised more big plays after narrowly missing the Pro Bowl last year, and head coach Mike Smith named free safety Thomas DeCoud the team's 2009 defensive MVP.
Biggest weakness
The biggest uncertainty is -- and I'm not trying to be cute here -- our exterior defense.
Does John Abraham still have a double-sack season in him, and can Kroy Biermann pick up the slack if not? Can we squeeze two starting linebacker spots out of over-the-hill Mike Peterson, mediocre Stephen Nicholas, and inexperienced Sean Weatherspoon? Will we get 2004 Dunta Robinson or 2008 Dunta Robinson -- and can anybody take ownership of the other starting corner position?
As long as the offensive line stays healthy (KNOCK ON WOOD), we'll be able to put up points on anybody, but it'll take a complete, sideline-to-sideline defense to have a successful season.