The lockout will give defenses facing the Carolina Panthers and rookie quarterback Cam Newton a big advantage, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently.
"Cam Newton is a very athletic quarterback. It doesn't bode very well for him, not being able to go through OTAs and these minicamps and stuff," Lofton said in a story published Monday. "It's a lot and they are going to have to cut the playbook down. As a defensive guy, I kind of enjoy that. It kind of gives us the advantage. He's going to bring a lot of athleticism to Carolina's offense."
Lofton, the Falcons' leading tackler this past season with 118, was bullish on the team's decision to trade up and select Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones with the sixth overall pick in last month's NFL draft.
"They have been talking all offseason about how they wanted to get more explosive," Lofton said. "Julio was one of the most explosive players in the draft. He's going to help out the offense because you just can't double-team Roddy (White). Or double team Tony (Gonzalez). Then you have to handle Michael Turner, so it makes our offense more powerful."
Lofton, speaking at a recent player-organized workout, said his health remains a work in progress after having arthroscopic surgery on both knees. The procedures limited some of his conditioning activities, but he said they allowed him to focus more on building upper-body strength.
"This is probably the strongest that I've ever been because all I had to do was focus on my upper body," Lofton said. "Now, it's time to get these legs back right."
