FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Brent Grimes is walking in familiar territory.
A year ago, the short -- but feisty -- cornerback worked with the first team defense opposite Chris Houston. He earned a starting job and was one of 10 Falcons players to record his first career start on opening day.
Grimes started the first six games of the season before a knee injury and solid play from veteran Domonique Foxworth moved him down the depth chart. The second-year player from tiny Shippensburg University was inactive for four of the final 10 games.
But Foxworth left via free agency and, backed by confidence from his coaches, Grimes spends OTA practices competing for a No. 1 spot.
"You come in here and work every day," he said. "You come in here and compete and try to get your spot on the team."
Modest words from a player with humble beginnings.
Grimes isn't the biggest player on the roster (he's 5-foot-10 in cleats and 185 pounds in a sweat-soaked jersey) but the undrafted player is, according to Head Coach Mike Smith, "the most athletic player" on the roster.
"He has got a lot more confidence this season knowing the system and having been around Brian (Van Gorder), Emmitt (Thomas) and the defensive coaching staff," Smith said.
The cornerback has been known to leap over practice equipment at the end of plays and shows other feats of speed and agility, but he's careful not to let his athletic ability be a safety net for his aspirations.
"You can't make every play on the field," he said after Thursday's practice. "You just have to play within the defense and know your limits and the plays will come to you... If you do your job, plays come to you."
Grimes totaled 36 tackles, an interception and six passes defensed last season. But his athleticism alone couldn't prepare him for a rough day in Week 4, when Carolina wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad caught eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown.
The Falcons lost the game but the experience was vital for Grimes' development.
While injured, he reviewed his mistakes.
"I learned the game," he said. "I watched film and watched the other people playing and the stuff they learned. It makes you a better player as far as watching tape, paying attention in meetings and picking up on little stuff that can help you in the game. Since I couldn't play as much as I wanted to because I was hurt I just focused on other parts of the game and got better at that."
And now he's back in what promises to be a lengthy battle for a starting job.
The Falcons drafted two cornerbacks in the 2009 NFL Draft (Chris Owens and William Middleton) and second-year player Chevis Jackson will get a look on the outside after spending 2008 as the team's nickel, or third, defensive back.
Von Hutchins, a free agent acquisition in 2008 who injured his foot in training camp, is also expected to return to the field in the coming weeks.
It's not bad news for Grimes. He has experience as an underdog.
He'll just work harder.
"Competition is good; it brings the best out of everybody," he said. "You don't want to come in and there's nobody here. You want to compete. That's what I think the coaches try to do -- to have a lot of competition at all the positions. It will help our team out and make us better in the long run."
