FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- There's not much news on the injury front around the Falcons facility these days as most injured players returned to practice at some point in the final weeks of the preseason.
One key player on defense, however, remains a question mark as the team prepares for a Week 1 game at Minnesota. But his condition is improving.
Head Coach Bobby Petrino said Wednesday that defensive tackle Rod Coleman was limited in practice and that a decision has not been made on his game status.
"We're still a little unsure whether he'll play or not," the coach said. "He had limited participation in practice but he was out there; he was working. He feels good about it. We just have to wait and see how it reacts to the harder work he does and, hopefully, it's in a positive way.
"It would be great to have him back, even if it's in a limited role. His ability to rush the passer in a three technique would certainly help us."
Coleman said he spent most of the last week trying to regain his footing, not his conditioning.
"My timing, my footsteps, just everything..." Coleman said Wednesday. "It's just your footing, your foot steps and how many steps it takes to be somewhere."
The Pro Bowl defensive tackle, who has 50.5 sacks since 2001, said he and coaches will have a plan for his playing time against the Vikings.
"We're going to talk," he said. "I'm going to talk to (defensive line coach Kevin Wolthausen) and the staff. We're just going up there and we're going to play it by ear."
WELCOME BACK: Atlanta released seventh-round draft pick Jason Snelling from the 53-man roster Monday, opting to bring running back Artose Pinner into the fold. Snelling, however, returned to the team Wednesday as the eighth member of the practice squad.
"We liked what we saw from Snelling in the preseason," Petrino said. "We always had our eye on Pinner as far as his explosiveness and his toughness and think that he could help us in some of our down-and-distance situations. We wanted to get Jason back here if we could. It worked out well."
Snelling, who led the team with 172 rushing yards in the preseason, will now help the Falcons prepare week-to-week and determine if he will play tailback or fullback in the NFL.
"We now have a decision to make with him in which way we want to go," Petrino said. "Is he going to end up putting some weight on and get more physical and be a good pass-receiving fullback or continue to be a tailback? It's something we discussed with him and feel like we have some time to make that decision."
INJURY REPORT: Teams changed the way they report injuries Wednesday afternoon. The traditional definitions of "probable," "questionable" and "doubtful" will lose some face time this year as the league introduces new reporting rules.
Going forward teams will list players as "out," "did not participate in practice," "limited participation in practice" or "full participation in practice" on Wednesday and Thursday. Traditional reporting terms will be used on Friday.
With that in mind, Petrino dusted off his list of players Wednesday afternoon and said the only player that did not participate in practice was safety Chris Crocker. Coleman will be listed as "limited participation" when the league releases its official report.
If Crocker, who suffered a bone bruise in his leg in the third preseason game, is unable to go against the Vikings second-year pro Jimmy Williams will take his place.
"You've got to go like Jimmy's going to be the guy," Petrino said. "Just talking to (Crocker) and just talking to the trainers I'm not real encouraged, but he does have a little bit of time left. Jimmy will be ready to go. He's excited about it. He knows what we want. I think he's gotten better each game."
The coach said an injury to Crocker would affect the team's nickel (five defensive back) package. With Williams at safety, either Antoine Harris or Lewis Sanders would move to the inside and cover a slot receiver.
Click here for the complete injury report.
DUNN ANNOUNCES FOUNDATION EVENT: Running back Warrick Dunn announced plans for the fifth-annual gala to benefit his foundation. The Oct. 1 event will include a fashion show and a live and silent auction.
The event will be at the Westin Buckhead with individual tickets available for $150.
Tickets are available online at www.warrickdunnfoundation.org.
The Warrick Dunn Foundation is dedicated to providing opportunities for economically-disadvantaged single parents and children who have demonstrated a commitment to achieve financial independence and stability.
