Drew Dalman, Matt Hennessy and the end of the month-long center competition

In the final couple weeks of the preseason, the decision loomed, but as Week 1 crept closer, the competition between the two never wavered.

“(It was) no different. From the beginning of camp until the end we really have been competing our butts off,” Dalman said. “… I think both of us kind of had our head down, trying to improve ourselves and the team. But then, we kind of reached the end of the line there.”

Even up until last week, though, Smith was still debating which direction he wanted to go.

“I have until 1 o’clock on September 11th (to make a decision),” Smith joked on Aug. 29. “We are close but not yet… I want to take a step back, go back through everything, so we can take emotion out of it and make a good objective decision.”

So, when the weekend came, that’s exactly what he did.

Smith sat down and watched everything he could from the last month of the preseason. Recalling the weekend’s work, Smith seemed very convicted about making the right decision for the center position. He felt so because he knew how closely this battle was contested between the two.

Chances are Smith sat in a room in the Falcons facility in Flowery Branch and broke down the individual plays of Dalman and Hennessy, how they communicated across the offensive line, how they carried themselves in a role that requires command, and – finally – made a decision.

Speaking to media on Monday, Smith said he had made his decision, but he wouldn’t share said decision until the depth chart came out on Tuesday.

When it did, it was Dalman’s name slotted in as the starting center. Sure, it was a goal, a dream realized for the lineman from Stanford. However, Dalman felt peace that whatever direction Smith ultimately went that it wouldn’t change his mentality as his second season in the league approached.

“I want to win games,” Dalman said. “That’s the only thing that truly matters.”