Falcons Sign Vet Wide Receiver, Safety

by Dave Choate on Apr 30, 2008 2:32 AM EDT

It's not easy being Nick Turnbull. Sometimes you can work your butt off in the NFL and never make it past special teams duty, and that's where the former and now current Falcon will likely find himself again this season.

The safety has now had three stints with the Falcons. He's certainly a valuable enough special teamer, but I have to wonder what keeps him coming back. Maybe Arthur Blank wears a cowboy hat and wearily says "I wish I could quit you" every time the team re-signs Turnbull. I don't know. I'm not a doctor.

At any rate, he's likely to only see the field on special teams. If he's playing at all, even in dime situations, it's likely that the rest of our safeties are trapped in some underground cavern. For what he brings to the table, he's a fine signing. I just don't understand why we keep letting him go if we're just going to bring him back to shore up special teams year after year.

Also in this story, the Falcons signed former Miami Dolphins WR Chandler Williams. What makes this intriguing is that he apparently has "kick returner" printed on his business card. All of us who lived--if it can be called living--through Adam Jennings and his adventures in the return game would probably be glad to see a change of pace there. If Williams makes the team as a kick returner and Jennings and Finneran is cut, the team would be left with him, Roddy, L-Rob, Dig Doug, Jenkins and possibly Horn. If Williams proves he can be an asset for the Falcons in the return game, that's a change I would embrace.

Thoughts?

Tweet Comment 2 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Your optimism about Chandler Williams is misplaced

I think it would be a mistake for your franchise to cut Adam Jennings. Yes he had a rough year returning kicks last year, but Williams is completely unproven. I he was better than Jennings why would he spent so much time off an active roster. With Jennings you have a proven commodity. He is an incredibly hard worker, fierce competitor and intellegent professional. He is bound to improve and provides other values on special teams. Given your franchises’ recent issues with players in legal trouble, you cannot afford to lose a guy like Adam Jennings in the locker room.

by Green12_85 on May 27, 2008 7:30 PM EDT reply actions

Fair enough

Everybody has bad seasons from time to time, but Jennings will be faced with a lot of competition if he wants to make the roster. I don’t doubt his desire to win and professionalism, but as you said, he was pretty gruesome in the return game last year.

If he does well leading up to the season, I have no problem keeping him as a fourth or fifth receiver handling kicks. He’ll just have to prove last year was a fluke, is all.

Football is not a contact sport. It's a collision sport. Dancing is a good example of a contact sport. ~Duffy Daugherty

by Dave Choate on May 31, 2008 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions