Falcons open camp with low expectations, open positions

By GEORGE HENRY
AP Sports Writer

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Coach Arthur Smith wants to see improvement from last year’s 7-10 record even though conventional wisdom says the Atlanta Falcons will backslide in 2022. The Falcons began training camp Wednesday with a roster that has only a few positions settled. The most intriguing battle will be at quarterback, the position Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder are competing for, but the team must decide on three starters on the offensive line along with two starters on the defensive line, two at linebacker and two in the secondary. The QB competition is front and center as Mariota and Ridder work to replace Matt Ryan, the team’s franchise cornerstone the past 14 years.