Checking in on an injury-riddled running back duel, plus four more Falcons roster battles

You want roster battles? We got plenty of them left only a few weeks from the start of the regular season.

1) Running back

This one's still not settled! I know you're surprised. Shockingly, undrafted free agent Terron Ward has not run away with the starting spot yet.

Having Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman both out with hamstring injuries for the first two weeks of the preseason has slowed down perhaps the most interesting roster battle on the team. As mentioned Sunday, they are both expected to return very soon.

Both players will get their share of snaps, but with a dominant performance during the next preseason game could get one to earn the start. While starters rarely play in the fourth preseason game, the Falcons may give both some snaps to make up for lost time.

We should get a much better idea this weekend.

2) Center

While Joe Hawley has been expected to be the starting center for the Falcons, he has not looked impressive.

At first, Quinn made it sound like Hawley was locked in at C, but at the end he said Stone, Person, Hawley still competing so idk.

— Jeanna (@jeannathomas) August 23, 2015

It is unclear if Hawley is struggling to play in the new blocking scheme or if he is still not completely healthy. Mike Person has been surprisingly effective when he can snap the football, and James Stone has flashed some upside. Hawley is still likely the favorite, but similar to Jon Asamoah, could find himself dropped down the depth chart.

3) Cornerback

The cornerback spot is pretty interesting. Quinn seems to have taken the kitchen sink approach at corner depth, tossing Phillip Adams, Michael Lee, Dezmen Southward, Akeem King, Travis Howard, Jalen Collins, and Kevin White into the competition.

Early impressions? The staff seems to like Kevin White's upside, and he is getting plenty of playing time. Do not be surprised if he earns a roster spot. Dezmen Southward is not transitioning to corner very well. He has maintained consistency, looking as lost as he did in his rookie year. He probably needs a little bit of luck to hang on the active roster. Akeem King is not playing much, and his best bet may be the practice squad. Jalen Collins looks to be every single bit of the project he was expected to be, and may not see very much playing time this year.

4) Free safety

As is standard in the offseason, when I make a prediction about a player, I will be quickly proven wrong. This year we have Ricardo Allen, an undersized corner cut last season that was moved to free safety. And he looks really good. I am unsure if we can even call this a battle. Is Matt Ryan in a battle with T.J. Yates? I guess he could be, but it is not very close. Who is Allen having to "fend off?" Scrubby, invisible Charles Godfrey and undrafted free agent Jonathon Mincy. The Falcons may keep all three, but look for them to make a move for a veteran after cut downs to give the team some depth.

5) Left Guard

This battle looks a lot like the battle for center: it includes Stone and Person, and Jon Asamoah is basically out of the conversation. As mentioned about, both have shown to be competent but incomplete players. Many have wondered how the team would fill Justin Blalock's old spot, and the team is still undecided. Eric Lefeld got about 12 snaps at the position, Person got the most snaps, but Stone got the start.

The guard/center battle is still pretty cloudy, and we could see plenty of movement in the next few weeks.

Any other roster battles that merit discussion?