By Clifton Brown

updated 3:59 p.m. ET May 13, 2008

Matt Ryan drops back to throw his first pass at Falcons minicamp. He knows all eyes are on him. He squeezes the ball tightly, firmer than normal. Nerves get the best of Ryan. The ball flutters like a balloon losing air. "It came out wobbly, sideways and late," says wide receiver Brian Finneran, who hauled in the pass. For a split second, Finneran is worried. How could the Falcons use the No. 3 pick in the draft on a quarterback who throws like this?

A couple of minutes later, though, Finneran feels much better. A perfect spiral from Ryan hits him between the numbers on a seam route. "Prettiest ball you've ever seen in your life," Finneran says.

Welcome to the new-look Falcons. At times, they will look bad. At times, they will look promising.

For certain, they will look different. No team in the NFC cleaned house like the Falcons — a new general manager, a new coaching staff and a revamped roster with the majority of starting spots up for grabs. After the Michael Vick fiasco, Bobby Petrino's resignation and a 4-12 season, the Falcons didn't just turn the page. They burned the book.

Minicamp in Flowery Branch, a 40-mile drive from the Georgia Dome, was the Falcons' first chance to show off their shiny new offensive trio — free-agent running back Michael Turner and first-round picks Ryan and left tackle Sam Baker. The Falcons envision this threesome as the long-term cornerstone of their offense.

Right now, that's a long way from reality. Nobody has given the Turner, Ryan and Baker group a nickname yet. They haven't earned it. They barely worked together during minicamp, spending most of their time on different parts of the field. Turner looked terrific, but Ryan and Baker have a long journey ahead. The minicamp skinny on three players hoping to fuel the rebirth of the Falcons:

Ryan started and finished minicamp at No. 3 on the depth chart behind Chris Redmond and Joey Harrington. But coach Mike Smith has made it clear that the job is wide-open. Ryan could be the Week 1 starter. Or he could rarely get on the field.

It all depends on how quickly Ryan progresses. Some early signs are good. Ryan has what Smith calls "F.B.I.'' — football intelligence. Many rookie quarterbacks have difficulty deciphering well-disguised NFL defenses. But judging from his quick responses during video study, the Falcons expect Ryan to read defenses well.

It took Ryan just two weeks after the draft to get a comfortable grasp of the playbook, and Smith likes the way Ryan commands the huddle. Before several snaps, he moved receivers who had lined up in the wrong formation into the right spots.

Most of Ryan's minicamp throws were accurate. But he was not consistent, especially throwing deep balls and sideline patterns to his left.

"He missed more passes than we'd expect today in seven-on-seven," quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said after the second day of practice. "But he came back later in practice and was more precise."

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Musgrave is focusing on Ryan's footwork. When the rookie sets up properly, the rest of his delivery falls into place.

Ryan seems comfortable under the microscope so far. At a practice session open to the public, some fans showed up in No. 2 Falcons jerseys.

"It's pretty cool to see people wearing your jersey — I'm not going to lie to you," says Ryan.

But Ryan was not drafted to be No. 2. His job between now and September is to become No. 1. Ryan will have a difficult time becoming the starter this season if he is not signed by the start of training camp in late July.

"That's going to be the key variable," Musgrave says.

This former Charger is the new Falcon primed to have the biggest immediate impact. Remember, this was just minicamp, with players wearing shorts and no shoulder pads. But Turner darted through creases, and when he reached the secondary, he picked up speed like a racecar kicking into its highest gear. "I really love to see this young man run," says Smith. "And when you go to tackle him, it's all elbows and knees.''

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