Big roster decisions loom for new regime

FLOWERY BRANCH — The first order of business for the new Falcons coaching staff: evaluate the current players on the roster.

Some will stay. Some will go.

Special-teams coordinator Keith Armstrong, one of the four holdovers from Mike Smith’s staff, promised to stay quiet in order not to taint the process.

Coach Dan Quinn, who wants the Falcons to get faster, has ordered the staff to look for a player’s positive attributes.

“Dan’s mindset, which I believe is really good, is let’s find out what the player can do and not what he can’t do,” defensive coordinator Richard Smith said. “Whatever was in the past is in the past.”

Even with a clean slate, the Falcons have some major decisions to make.

Here are some of the key roster questions they are trying to work through:

Do they keep three quarterbacks?

Can offensive linemen Justin Blalock and Sam Baker fit the new blocking scheme?

What to do with running back Steven Jackson, who’s shown signs of aging?

Can defensive end Osi Umenyiora still get to the quarterback or is he too small for the 4-3 scheme?

What to do with defensive end Kroy Biermann, who’s failed as a full-time player? Do they keep him as a special-teamer and spot player?

We offer some help in our version of “Should they stay or should they go?”

CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM Coach Dan Quinn will be busy deciding which players to retain.