Falcons running back Michael Turner has blamed himself for the down season he endured in 2009 after having a breakout year in 2008. "We made the playoffs and then I played in the Pro Bowl and all that was cool," Turner said. "Then I got home and I was just beat up. I needed to just rest, and I just went into a cave and didn't come out." Turner gained 1,699 yards and scored 17 touchdowns in the 2008 after being traded from San Diego. "I thought I'd just rest, but I was off too long, I got sloppy with my eating, the whole thing," he said. "By the time I got to training camp, I wasn't in good shape at all. It wasn't so much the weight, but my body fat was up. All of camp, I'm trying to catch up. I'm trying to get in football shape while I'm trying to lose weight, and I was just never right." Turner missed five games and rushed for just 871 yards after his tremendous 2008 campaign.

The Patriots have acquired reserve offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka from the Falcons for an undisclosed draft choice. Ojinnaka, a fifth-round pick out of Syracuse in 2005, has primarily played guard in his 39 career games.

Falcons rookie wide receiver Kerry Meier will miss the 2010 season with a knee injury suffered Thursday against the Patriots. Meier, a fifth-round pick, had been very impressive in training camp.

Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez is strongly considering retirement after this 2010 season. "It is year to year," Gonzalez said. "I could play another three or four years. I know I could ... There's a lot of different factors. Yeah, I'd probably come back but you never know. I'm going to wait." Gonzalez said there is roughly a "50-50" chance he will step away once his 14th season ends. "If you ask me now, I'd tell you I don't know if I'm going to play this year because I'm in (training) camp," he said. "Football is a grind. That's why (NFL) careers only last three years. It's tough on your body. It's tough on you mentally. I'm just fortunate to be playing this long."

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker traveled with the team to Atlanta, according to coach Bill Belichick. Welker said Monday that he was unsure if he would travel with the team. New England will play a preseason game against the Falcons on Thursday. The receiver's recovery from major knee surgery remains on track, but it's not yet known whether he'll play in the team's second preseason game. "It's still kind of the same, we're making strides," said Welker, who did not play in the team's preseason opener against the Saints. "At the same time, there are good days and bad days. We're just trying to work through them."

Falcons wide receiver Michael Jenkins will miss four to six weeks with a right shoulder injury. The team hasn't said whether Jenkins will need surgery or whether his shoulder might be separated or dislocated. "You are always concerned any time your player goes down with an injury," coach Mike Smith said in a statement released by the team Sunday night. "One thing I am certain of is that Michael will work very hard to get back on the field as soon as possible."