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HOT TOPIC
Warrick Dunn doesn't face the retirement question as frequently as Brett Favre, but he often wonders why so many people want to know how much longer he will play.
The 10th-year running back usually offers the following response:
"If I'm healthy and productive, the chances are good I'll want to keep playing," Dunn says. "Why not?"
Indeed, no offensive player gives Atlanta opponents more consistent problems than Dunn, who followed his career year of 2004 with an even better season in '05.
Though he turns 32 in January, Dunn can't envision a point at which he would prefer working as a backup, not this year or next year.
"Anybody who's been a starter for most of his career would say the same thing," Dunn said. "Not only do I believe I can do the job, but I'll go out and prove it. That's what this league is all about. Once you quit doing the job, it doesn't take them very long to replace you."
The Falcons have benefited enormously from the friendly competition waged each year between Dunn and T.J. Duckett. Both players want to start. Both players support the coaches' final decision.
Since Jim Mora was hired as head coach and Greg Knapp as offensive coordinator, the Falcons have gone strictly with Dunn as the starter and Duckett as the backup, but Atlanta used a third-round draft pick two months ago on Mississippi State's Jerious Norwood, a running back with abundant speed.
Norwood faces an uphill battle to beat out Duckett for the No. 2 job.
"We're preparing as if T.J. will be here all season and that Jerious will learn from both of us," Dunn said. "As far as I'm concerned, let's see how 2006 goes, and I'm sure I'll reach a decision when the time comes."
Dunn, who will earn $2.7 million in 2006, is under contract through 2008. Duckett's deal expires after this season.
PLAYER NOTES
-- Rookie cornerback Jimmy Williams, the 37th overall draft choice, is anxious for the start of training camp next month. Though he's studied lots of film, asked a ton of questions and watched how veterans defend certain routes, Williams believes he still has grasped probably less than 1 percent of what he needs to know.
"Trying to figure out what it is that they truly want me to do, as far as technique, and how I go about guarding receivers," Williams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I have to get my hands on them at the line, run with them and figure out whether I need to be on the outside or inside shoulder. Finishing out the play all the way through was different. Coaches watch from the start of the play to the end of the play. Trying to finish the whole play instead of looking away when it doesn't look like the quarterback is throwing your way is something I had to get used to."
-- Now that Williams, strong safety Lawyer Milloy and free safety Chris Crocker are in the secondary, president-general manager Rich McKay believes the run defense, which faltered last year, will hold up.
Of course, adding John Abraham as a replacement for Brady Smith at right end, was the most important step of all. Abraham will force opponents to decide whether they will double-team him, left end Patrick Kerney or "under" tackle Rod Coleman.
"No. 1, we had our pass rush slow down," McKay said of last year's struggles. "No. 2, it affected our secondary because of that. So, I think we feel good about it. Hopefully in combination, we've tried to help the secondary and we've tried to help the defensive line."
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
--S Keion Carpenter (not tendered June 1).
--QB Ty Detmer (not tendered June 1).
--S Antuan Edwards (not tendered June 1).
--DE Erik Flowers (not tendered June 1).
--S Ronnie Heard (not tendered June 1).
--PK Todd Peterson (not tendered June 1).
--DE Constantin Ritzmann (not tendered as ERFA).
--LB Artie Ulmer (not tendered June 1).
--WR Dez White (not tendered June 1).
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS
--G/C Ben Claxton.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
--TE Dwayne Blakley: ERFA; $425,000/1 yr.
--WR Brian Finneran: UFA; $8M/4 yrs, $3M SB.
--C Austin King: ERFA; $500,000/1 yr.
--DT Antwan Lake: RFA; terms unknown, had been tendered at $721,600.
--DB Omare Lowe: Not tendered as RFA; terms unknown.
--FB Fred McCrary: Potential UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.
--WR Jerome Pathon: UFA; terms unknown.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
--DE John Abraham: Franchise FA Jets/trade; $45M/6 yrs, $18M guaranteed.
--S Chris Crocker: Trade Browns.
--OT Wayne Gandy: Trade Saints.
--S Lawyer Milloy: FA Bills; $6.01M/3 yrs, $2.5M SB; 2006 cap: $1.643M.
PLAYERS LOST
--S Kevin McCadam: UFA Panthers; terms unknown.
--S Bryan Scott: Traded Falcons.
--OT Kevin Shaffer: UFA Browns; 6 yrs, terms unknown.
--DE Brady Smith (released; failed physical/toe).
--OT Barry Stokes: UFA Lions; 3 yrs, terms unknown.
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