Harry Douglas Out for Season - Torn ACL

[mattlanta]

Fox Sports reports and Adam Schefter reports.

Falcons must re-sign Roddy White now and go after a dynamic slot option for a third receiver. We have no speed in the receiving core after Roddy and we are limited with down-field receivers after losing Douglas.

I was feeling that Douglas would have a breakout season this year, but I'm just hoping he recovers just fine. Torn ACLs are hard to recover, especially as a receiver.

[Hawk88]

Fox Sports reports and Adam Schefter reports.

Falcons must re-sign Roddy White now and go after a dynamic slot option for a third receiver. We have no speed in the receiving core after Roddy and we are limited with down-field receivers after losing Douglas.

I was feeling that Douglas would have a breakout season this year, but I'm just hoping he recovers just fine. Torn ACLs are hard to recover, especially as a receiver.

Man, I was thinking he was going to explode as well. Bad news.

Hawk88

[JTB]

Fox Sports reports and Adam Schefter reports.

Falcons must re-sign Roddy White now and go after a dynamic slot option for a third receiver. We have no speed in the receiving core after Roddy and we are limited with down-field receivers after losing Douglas.

I was feeling that Douglas would have a breakout season this year, but I'm just hoping he recovers just fine. Torn ACLs are hard to recover, especially as a receiver.

do you have a link?

[bird_dirt]

That really blows. maybe lyons will stick now? trade out a former U of L wr with a UK wr? douglas would've been much better, though. damn shame.

[jy23]

I think we all felt that he would have a breakout year, especially with all the other pieces we have, this sucks!

[frosgrim]

This makes signing White even more important now. However, according to Bradley at the AJC, White is looking for a Larry Fitzgerald type contract. That's too much for Roddy.

On the radio this morning there were some suggestions of giving Marvin Harrison a look. I think that is worth a flyer. If Marvin has anything left in the tank then he would be a good addition as a #3 or 4 receiver. Especially since Douglas was our slot guy.

[DrReality]

Falcons' Douglas out for season

Second-year WR will miss 2009 season following knee injury

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Falcons' second-year receiver Harry Douglas will miss the 2009 season after suffering a knee injury, Falcons coach Mike Smith confirmed Thursday morning.

"It's disappointing to have Harry's season end before it got started," Smith said.

Douglas, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, went down after catching a pass from Matt Ryan during a one-on-one passing drill during Wednesday's practice. He was seen leaving the complex on crutches.

Douglas, a third-round pick from Louisville last season and a local Jonesboro High product, was used as a triple-threat. He caught passes, ran the ball and also was the team's top punt returner.

The team's receiving corps was already missing Pro Bowler Roddy White, who is holding out in a contract dispute with the team, and Laurent Robinson, traded to the St. Louis Rams over the offseason.

Douglas was replacing White in the starting lineup. With Douglas down, Brian Finneran would likely move into White's spot.

There are several untested candidates on the roster who will have a chance to take over Douglas role as the slot receiver, including Eric Weems, a former undrafted free agent who played in six games last season. Other candidates include Chandler Williams and Troy Bergeron, a former Arena Football League star.

The most difficult spot for the Falcons to fill will be punt returner. Douglas won the job last season after Adam Jennings struggled and was later released. Finneran came in to return punts when the team expected them to land inside their 20-yard line.

Some of the new punt return candidates include running backs Jerious Norwood and Thomas Brown, Williams and Bergeron.

White's holdout is in its sixth day. He is being fined $15,888 per day, pursuant to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.

Negotiations have not gone well and White, who is under contract for the 2009 season, could be out for an extended period of time. He's set to make $2.28 million under his current contract. White is seeking a more lucrative contract.

Douglas' injury is not expected to push White's negotiations along.

"We will not approach it that way," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "In our minds, that's now how it works."

[ATLBob]

Fox Sports reports and Adam Schefter reports.

Falcons must re-sign Roddy White now and go after a dynamic slot option for a third receiver. We have no speed in the receiving core after Roddy and we are limited with down-field receivers after losing Douglas.

I was feeling that Douglas would have a breakout season this year, but I'm just hoping he recovers just fine. Torn ACLs are hard to recover, especially as a receiver.

Awful news!

Doubt we give Harrison a look though ... not sure we need a mid-season murder trial two years after a season-destroying intrastate dogfight gambling conviction.

You know?

[frosgrim]

Awful news!

Doubt we give Harrison a look though ... not sure we need a mid-season murder trial two years after a season-destroying intrastate dogfight gambling conviction.

You know?

I thought Harrison was completely cleared of the shooting at his car wash.

There isn't much out there in the FA market right now, so maybe the Falcons wait until the second cuts to add a guy?

[coachx]

He was our best punt returner and was our "gimmick guy" offensively. He is the guy that ran the reverses, end arounds, and would catch the quick screen and try to make a play with his legs. He did things no one else did. We have plenty of the big tall recievers..........we need a little gimmick guy like him.

We just lost a lot of our trick plays.

[APE]

Does Brian Finneran still have it in him?

[Dnice]

Thank goodness we have Tony G to be in the top 3 in recepts, but HD is a specialist for returns and holding down the slot. I guess the potent offense will just be good.

I don't even know the 5th and 6th guys on the depth chart without looking.

[TroyMcClure]

This makes signing White even more important now. However, according to Bradley at the AJC, White is looking for a Larry Fitzgerald type contract. That's too much for Roddy.

On the radio this morning there were some suggestions of giving Marvin Harrison a look. I think that is worth a flyer. If Marvin has anything left in the tank then he would be a good addition as a #3 or 4 receiver. Especially since Douglas was our slot guy.

White led the NFL in percentage of passes thrown to. 32.7% of all Falcon passes went to him. Steve Smith was second at 28%. Not sure how much he's worth, but it's hard to argue that he isn't in the ballpark of a Fitzgerald. With another year like the last, he's in the discussion of perennial top wr's. Pay that man his money.

[AHF]

Does Brian Finneran still have it in him?

Even if he does, they are completely different kinds of receivers. Having one doesn't replace the other.

[ATLBob]

He was our best punt returner and was our "gimmick guy" offensively. He is the guy that ran the reverses, end arounds, and would catch the quick screen and try to make a play with his legs. He did things no one else did. We have plenty of the big tall recievers..........we need a little gimmick guy like him.

We just lost a lot of our trick plays.

Robert Ferguson doesn't really seem the type either.

Looks like Weems will get a shot, huh?

[ATLBob]

Robert Ferguson doesn't really seem the type either.

Looks like Weems will get a shot, huh?

Makes our decision to trade Laurent Robinson over the summer (simply to move up in two late rounds) seem a bit suspect too now.

Anyone ever figure out what was behind that one (dude has talent)?

[HawkItus]

Hate to lose the guy. We'll miss him this year. But on a side note, he has one awesome porn name haha.

[DrReality]

Falcons sign free agent WRsBy D. Orlando Ledbetter

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

.Douglas suffered a torn ACL and will miss the 2009 season, Falcons coach Mike Smith confirmed Thursday morning.

Later, the Falcons signed wide receiver Robert Ferguson to a one-year contract, Smith announced after practice, in which Ferguson participated.

Thursday night the team announced the signing of wide receiver Marty Booker and the release of receiver Bradon Godfrey.

The move to add Ferguson was in the works before Douglas went down with a season-ending injury. Ferguson worked out for the Falcons along with wide receiver Ike Hilliard early Thursday morning, said Brian Overstreet, Ferguson’s agent.

Ferguson was a second-round pick by Green Bay in 2001 and played the past two seasons with Minnesota.

Ferguson, 6-foot-1, 209 pounds has played in 83 games with 34 starts. He had 151 career catches for 1,993 yards and 13 touchdowns. “We had been contacted prior to the injury,” Overstreet said. “We just felt they were looking for some veteran help for whatever reason.”

In 141 career games, 116 of them starts, Booker has caught 523 passes for 6,522 yards and 36 touchdowns. He has played six seasons with Chicago and four with Miami.

Edited August 7, 2009 by DrReality

[mattlanta]

Someone I'd like to give a look at is Arnaz Battle. I wouldn't mind trading away a late round draft pick for him. He's a Harry Douglas player and can do everything Douglas can. I wouldn't mind Marvin Harrison, but he's more of a possession type receiver and not a downfield receiver. We already have two POSS receivers in Michael Jenkins and Brian Finneran.

[HawkItus]

I'd like to add Donte Hall as well. He could fill in for Douglas on special teams.