Cue up the AJC:

Coach Mike Smith said Hutchins would be placed on injured reserve after the prognosis for his return was deemed to be four to six months.

At some point during the season, you're likely to see Mike Smith fall to his knees like the star of a war movie and sob "They're just kids, man. They're just kids!"

Now that Von is gone, the Falcons are going to war with easily the most inexperienced cornerbacking corps in the league. This could turn out to be a blessing if all involved learn quickly and play solid out there on Sundays, and they certainly don't have to look over their shoulders anymore.

My greatest fear is that the Falcons will overreact to this and make a desperation trade for a corner. With the team clearly rebuilding and a mostly strong front seven, the team is going to have to and should trot out the young guys. Yeah, I'm nervous as hell that Brent Grimes, Chris Houston and Chevis Jackson will screw up their chances. You're kinda crazy if you're not.

But this is the hand we've been dealt. Even if we should lose Trey Lewis, Todd McClure and Hutchins, this team will still show up and do the best they can. Given the shambles this team was in at the end of last season, we ought to be thankful for that much.