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Can Falcons Newcomer Crack the Starting 11 on Defense?

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Can Falcons Newcomer Crack the Starting 11 on Defense?


The Atlanta Falcons are almost midway through training camp. While there are plenty of stories on the offensive side of the football, some defenders deserve to be talked about as well. 

All-Pro caliber safety Jessie Bates III is genuinely motivated to take the Falcons defense to another level. He told reporters at training camp that it’s the unit’s goal to be top 5 in every category.

But he cannot do this alone. It will take some other players reaching their potential in new defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake’s defense to make that possible. One of those possible players is a newcomer to the team’s defense – James Smith-Williams.

Like Bates last season, Smith-Williams is in his first training camp with the Falcons after signing as a free agent.

Through the first four days of camp, Smith-Williams has received a ‘good’ number of reps at the outside backer position. The question for some is, can the fifth-year player earn a starting bid on defense this season?

After four seasons with the Washington Commanders, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound linebacker has played 1,412 defensive snaps since being drafted in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of NC State. As a player who has put up 47 quarterback pressures in the past two seasons, he has proven he can get after the quarterback and be a solid run defender.

What separates Smith-Williams from other players is his above-average competitive toughness. He is always seen making the extra effort to make a football play, as seen above. For Atlanta, this could propel him into one of the starting outside linebacker spots opposite Lorenzo Carter. 

Since his college days, Smith-Williams has always been a high-energy, good football I.Q., and hard-nosed football player.

“Obviously, I’m a very intelligent player. Play recognition and play diagnosis are a big part of my game. But also, I’m a guy who plays very violently. I have great hand strength and strike. That’s kind of what I enjoy most about the game: the physical part. Going pad to pad with another human being is very fun. I’m tremendously athletic and a high-energy guy,” Smith-Williams said during his draft process in 2020.

As someone who sat behind two-time Miami Dolphins Pro Bowler Bradley Chubb as a member of the Wolfpack in college, he knows a thing or two about stepping up when his number is called. For Atlanta fans, it is worth eyeing his activity in training camp not just now but presumably when the pads go on this week.

That’s when his push to be a starter this fall really begins.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta weather: Foggy Monday morning, warming trend ahead

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Atlanta weather: Foggy Monday morning, warming trend ahead


Winter’s roller-coaster temperatures are climbing back up the hill this week, with another drop expected next week.

Patchy fog could affect the start of the workweek across parts of north and central Georgia, followed by a rapid warmup that may push temperatures close to record levels before a sharp cooldown by the weekend, according to the FOX 5 Storm Team. 

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How warm will it get this week?

By the numbers:

Monday is expected to look similar to Sunday, with filtered sunshine and mild temperatures. “Tomorrow looks very similar to today’s, mostly sunny, a bit mild,” FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Greg Majewski said, with highs generally in the low to mid-60s.

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The warming trend strengthens as the week continues. Overnight lows will rise into the 40s and near 50, followed by daytime highs climbing into the upper 60s and low 70s by midweek. “The trend is going to be going upward here for the week,” Majewski said.

Several days in the 70s are possible, bringing temperatures close to record territory. “We’re hitting the 70s here three days in a row,” he said. “This is going to get awfully close to the record high.”

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Rain chances remain limited early in the week, though Majewski said a weak boundary could bring “a couple of isolated showers” late Tuesday. More meaningful rain is expected later in the week as a stronger system approaches.

By Friday night into Saturday, showers and thunderstorms could move through the area, followed by a dramatic cooldown. “Here comes the rain coming in on Friday, kind of late,” Majewski said, adding that colder air will move in behind the system.

How cold will it get this weekend?

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What’s next:

Temperatures are expected to fall sharply by Sunday. “Boom. 51, 37,” Majewski said. “Much colder Sunday.”

That cold snap could bring another return to winterlike mornings early next week. “That means that Monday morning we’ll probably see the twenties back in here yet again,” he said. “So the roller-coaster ride of our winter continues here across Georgia.”

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The Source: This article contains an original forecast by the FOX 5 Storm Team. The National Weather Service contributed to this report.

WeatherNewsGeorgia



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Atlanta, GA

Braves News: NBP pieces falling into place, slow market, more

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Braves News: NBP pieces falling into place, slow market, more


Well the NBP posted players all seem to be settled now, with Imai and Okamoto having signed with an MLB club and Takahashi returning to the NBP. Those players do not seem to have sparked movement in the overall market, either in free agency or in trades, at least so far, as this offseason continues to be glacial. Hopefully things pick up a bit as we get more separation from the holidays. The Braves still seem to be motivated to make a big addition, but this front office has shown that the right deal has to be there for them to pull the trigger.



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Police investigating stabbing on Moreland Avenue in SE Atlanta

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Police investigating stabbing on Moreland Avenue in SE Atlanta


A man was stabbed Saturday in southeast Atlanta, according to police.

What we know:

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According to Atlanta police, officers responded to the 400 block of Moreland Avenue SE to reports of a male who had been stabbed. Investigators believe a female and male were involved in a dispute that resulted in the stabbing.

What we don’t know:

Police did not identify the male or female.

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No word yet on charges.

The Source: Information provided by the Atlanta Police Department.

SE AtlantaCrime and Public Safety
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