Turner finally earned a starting job in 2008 and made the most of it, finishing as one of the top running backs in the NFL.

Last year wasn’t nearly as fun, as Turner battled a sprained ankle much of the year and saw his team miss out on the playoffs.

To try and regain some of that 2008 magic, Turner spent the offseason working out and losing weight.

Some say he has lost so much weight that he looks like a different person, but Turner believes he is much faster now.

Jenkins hurt the shoulder during a scrimmage. The team did not say whether it was separated or disclosed, or whether surgery would be needed.

Head coach Mike Smith said it’s a concern to lose Jenkins, but he is sure his wideout will work very hard to get back out on the field.

Jenkins is expected yet again to start at wide receiver on the opposite side of star Roddy White.

The Falcons have very little in the way of quality backups at wideout, so Jenkins’ presence is much needed.

It won’t be long before fans of the Atlanta Falcons can go watch their heroes prepare for the upcoming NFL season.

Falcons’ training camp opens July 30 in Flowery Branch, and once again fans will be able to attend select morning and afternoon practices.

A highlight of the preseason buildup is the Falcons’ All-Access Weekend, Aug. 6-7. On Aug. 6, the Falcons will hold their very popular “Friday Night Lights” team scrimmage at North Gwinnett High School, starting at 7:30 p.m. The next day, Atlanta plays a mock game inside the Georgia Dome. Both events are open to the public.

The Falcons also will hold combined practices with two NFL teams at Flowery Branch. On Aug. 9-10, the Falcons will hold two workouts with the Jacksonville Jaguars. On Aug. 17, the Falcons will work out in a combined practice with the New England Patriots.

Both sets of practices against the Jags and Pats are open to the public.

The Falcons open the preseason schedule on Aug. 13 at home against Kansas City.

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It’s a familiar story for D.J. Shockley and the Atlanta Falcons, one that ends yet again with the former suburban Atlanta prep star and University of Georgia standout being the odd man out.

The Falcons released Shockley on Friday, the third time in the past four seasons the quarterback has been cut loose by the team.

Shockley, who starred at North Clayton High School just south of Atlanta and then stood out during his time at Georgia, never took a snap in a regular-season game for Atlanta. Selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL draft, Shockley served as the third (emergency) quarterback in 2006 and 2008.

He missed all of 2007 with a knee injury, a season during which the Falcons likely could have used Shockley to run Bobby Petrino’s offense following the suspension of Michael Vick.

Last year, Shockley was signed to the practice squad and later cut on two different occasions. With Matt Ryan entrenched as starter, and Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson as backups under contract, there was no room for Shockley to make an impact.

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The Falcons finished with back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history.

While the team failed to reach the postseason for the second straight year, Ryan showed improvement in his second season.

The Falcons are hopeful that after a minor setback last year, the team is ready to take a big step forward in 2010.

It all starts with Ryan, who now has plenty of weapons around him to put a lot of points up on the scoreboard.

The running back said he is fully recovered from the injury but not yet back to 100 percent.

He believes he is around 90 percent, which is enough for him to play in games and not worry about hurting it again.

There are still several weeks left before training camp, so Turner should be 100 percent by then.

Getting a healthy Turner back in the backfield will be a nice luxury for quarterback Matt Ryan.

The Georgia Dome, home to the Falcons, was just opened in 1992. There is literally no chance the team will receive a new stadium anytime soon.

There has been talk of possibly renovating the stadium, but it has been made abundantly clear that it will not be torn down for a new facility.

Even if the city doesn’t eventually build an open-air stadium, the Georgia dome would have to be kept operation for a number of other events.

The dome hosts a college football bowl game, the SEC championship game and the SEC tournament, among many other events.

Some were surprised and displeased last year when Turner showed up to camp checking in at 260 pounds.

Turner surprised many of the same folks this year by showing up in significantly better shape and weighing 244 pounds.

Fullback Ovie Mughelli said there is a noticeable difference and that Turner has done a lot of cardio work to lose weight.

Mughelli used to call Turner fat and said that he resembled a fullback more than a running back.

Robinson did not receive a contract offer from the Houston Texans, who let him go without much resistance, deciding he wasn’t worth the money it would take to bring him back.

The young cornerback has plenty of talent but was inconsistent during his time with the Texans. He started all 16 games in his rookie season.

Atlanta is hopeful that he can help to solidify a defense that has been the downfall of the team. The team ranked just 28th in the NFL against the pass last season.

Robinson would instantly become Atlanta’s No. 1 cornerback, but the pressure shouldn’t be anything more than he faced when he was in the same position with the Texans.

Finneran has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him from becoming a free agent next year.

The terms on the new deal have not yet been disclosed.

Finneran was once the leading wide receiver on the team until the emergence of wideout Roddy White.

The team also has tight end Tony Gonzalez, making Finneran more of a complimentary player.