Read More: John Abraham (DE – ATL), Todd McClure (C – ATL), Stephen Nicholas (LB – ATL), Kelvin Hayden (CB – ATL), Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints

The Atlanta Falcons will take the field against the New Orleans Saints on Monday, likely with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. The Falcons’ relative health should help them in a Week 16 NFC South showdown.

Neither cornerback Kelvin Hayden nor linebacker Stephen Nicholas participated in practice on Friday, but a triumvirate of veterans usually held out of practice to keep them fresh did. Those players, John Abraham, Tony Gonzalez, and Todd McClure, have routinely been DNPs on practice reports in 2011, but all three fully participated on Friday.

Here’s the rest of Friday’s edition of the Falcons injury report for Week 16:

DID NOT PARTICIPATE: CB Kelvin Hayden (toe), LB Stephen Nicholas (toe), WR Kerry Meier (groin), RB Jason Snelling (illness).

LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Harry Douglas (groin), CB Brent Grimes (groin), LB Curtis Lofton (ankle), DT Corey Peters (knee), RB Michael Turner (groin).

FULL PARTICIPATION: DE John Abraham (not injury-related), TE Tony Gonzalez (not injury-related), C Todd McClure (not injury-related), CB Chris Owens (hand).

For more on the Falcons, visit The Falcoholic; for more on the Saints, head to Canal Street Chronicles.

Atlanta Falcons’ rookie receiver Julio Jones will miss Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring injury.

Fantasy owners, sit him. Fantasy owners and the rest of us, close your eyes and go to a fantasy world where Jones actually ends up in the end zone, whether we want to see him do it for points or just for the sake of doing it.

Open your eyes now. Reality is that fantasy hasn’t come true.

Jones pulled up in the fourth quarter of a 25-14 loss to Green Bay while running a deep route down the sideline. He’s been able to do some light running with the training staff, but coach Mike Smith said Wednesday there’s no chance of the first-round pick playing against the Panthers.

Harry Douglas will start in place of Jones, who has 25 catches for 358 yards. Kerry Meier and Eric Weems should get more playing time out of the three-receiver sets.

“One man’s misfortune is another guy’s opportunity.” said Smith.

The Falcons are 2-3, a record that many hope would be reversed, if not, better. Jones was supposed to play a huge part in making the team better than they were last season, being expected to produce touchdowns alongside Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White. But Jones has accounted for no touchdowns thus far for a team in need of a better deep game, despite QB Matt Ryan and White.

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For a guy who left Alabama after his junior year, much hype has enshrouded him, and rightfully so. He was the Crimson Tide’s best receiver throughout those three years, helping lead the team in 2009 to win the BCS National Championship. Fast forward to the 2011 NFL Draft, and the Falcons dealt five picks to the Cleveland Browns, including a first-rounder in 2012, to move up 21 slots to claim Jones.

Just one word describes why: explosiveness.

At 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds, a 4.39 40-yard dash and a 40-inch vertical leap, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff pretty much thought the same thing we thought of Jones. He’s a must have…but for the Falcons especially.

Remember when Atlanta earned a No.1 seed last season with the NFC’s best regular-season record (13-3), then was trounced in its playoff opener by the Green Bay Packers? Dimitroff certainly does.

“We learned that we have to have explosive playmakers if we’re going to go tit for tat with explosive teams.” he said.

What’s ironic about Dimitroff’s comment is that 90 percent of today’s NFL teams are explosive. That means the Falcons need Julio Jones practically every game to get the Falcons to the next level.

However, as someone that has come out of a Nick Saban team, Jones needs to get himself to the next level first by correcting his mistakes once he’s healthy again and becoming that wily young veteran that he can be.

The glaring omission to his game is his touchdowns. His start of 25 receptions and 358 yards is justified. Defenses are going to stop a tall receiver, especially a move-the-chains guy like Jones. But, if Jones wants to play to our own and his own high expectations (which I’m sure he has), then the fat donut in the TD column must disappear.

Read More: Joe Zelenka (LS – ATL), Ken Parrish (P – ATL), Matt Bosher (K – ATL), Thor Merrow (FB – ATL), Andrew Schulze (LS – ATL), A.J. Simmons (TE – ATL), Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons announced the waiving of four players Wednesday: fullback Thor Merrow, punter Ken Parrish, tight end A.J. Simmons and long snapper Andrew Schulze. All except Parrish were undrafted free agents — Simmons was brought on earlier this month after the team released Robbie Agnone.

The biggest story here: Atlanta’s kicking units are now set, with Matt Bosher outlasting his competition for punting duties and Joe Zelenka returning as long snapper. Fellow undrafted fullback Lucas Cox remains on the depth chart behind Ovie Mughelli, as do young tight ends Michael Palmer, Marquez Branson and Ryan Winterswyk behind Tony Gonzalez and Reggie Kelly.

The Falcons have until August 30 to get down to 80 players. They’re currently at 83, according to the team’s official site.

For complete Falcons coverage, please visit The Falcoholic.

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. Kerry Meier was the last player off the practice field at the Atlanta Falcons’ training camp on Sunday morning.

The receiver kept running goal-line routes and catching soft lob passes over his shoulder while his teammates were signing autographs or headed to the locker-room.

Meier says he’s determined to make up for lost time after missing his 2010 rookie season with a knee injury.

“You can never catch enough balls,” he said. “In a day’s practice, I try to maximize the number of catches I get in. It can definitely pay off in the long run.”

Meier, a fifth-round pick from Kansas in 2010, impressed coaches in training camp last year before hurting his right knee in a pre-season game against New England. He missed the season following surgery but has participated in every practice in camp.

“I’ve been really surprised that he hasn’t had to miss any time in practice,” coach Mike Smith said. “He did a great job in his rehabilitation. … For him to be able to come out here and not miss a snap so far in training camp, I think that says a lot about his work ethic in the off-season.”

Meier is wearing a wrap but no brace on the right knee. At six-foot-three and 220 pounds, he gives the team a big target at receiver — especially important after Michael Jenkins was released and Brian Finneran wasn’t re-signed.

First-round pick Julio Jones is expected to join Roddy White, coming off his third straight Pro Bowl berth, as Matt Ryan’s top targets. Harry Douglas returns as a possible No. 3 receiver.

That leaves room for Meier to re-emerge with an important role.

“He’s got to do a lot of stuff that Finneran did last year,” White said. “He’s got to come in there and get those third-down catches for us and get those seam routes and things like that.

“You need a guy who can go out there and do what Kerry can do, because he catches the football really well. He’s a tough cover. He’s a big, strong kid and he can run and do a lot of good things. I’m just happy he’s getting his chance to show what he can do. I hope he has a lot of success this year.”

Meier converted from quarterback to wide receiver for Kansas and had a school-record 102 catches for 985 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. He set another Kansas record with 226 career catches.

Meier was earning praise from Smith in training camp last year before the knee injury. The receiver continued to impress his coach with his dedication to his rehab, even during the NFL lockout that prevented him from using the team’s facilities.

“Prior to the end of the season we knew he was ahead of schedule and he continued to do that when he wasn’t able to work out here at the facility,” Smith said. “He was working offsite but he was working with some people who were communicating with our guys. We knew through the months of April and May that Kerry was ahead of schedule.”

Meier said his recovery is ongoing but he has cleared an important step by taking the first hits on the knee.

“It felt great, just being able to move around freely and confidently and do the things I once did,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about banging the knee on the turf and thinking something is wrong. It’s great to be able to go against the turf and pop up and run back to the huddle without worry.”

The Associated Press