There was some horrible injury news coming out of the Atlanta Falcons' camp today as linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, expected to be one of the top playmakers on the Falcons' defense during the 2014, was lost for the season due to a ruptured Achilles' tendon.

Weatherspoon had 290 tackles, eight sacks and two interceptions over the last four seasons for the Falcons despite missing 17 games. Among the players who could potentially play bigger roles in Weatherspoon's absence could be former UConn linebacker Yawin Smallwood.

Smallwood was taken in the seventh round by Atlanta and has been touted as potentially being one of the steals in the draft. Time will tell how the Falcons readjust the linebacking corps without Weatherspoon but losing a player of Weatherspoon's caliber leaving a significant hole for the Falcons to fill and with four of the final five draft picks in last month's draft being linebackers, it bears watching if Smallwood or any of the other rookies put themselves in position for expanded roles as rookies.