We all know that William Moore is always ready ...

But is he truly ready to lead the Falcons? The team has enjoyed the benefit of good veteran leadership since the Falcons selected Moore in the 2nd round of the 2009 NFL draft. He had guys to model himself after, and in particular, Tony Gonzalez made an impression on Moore. But now that Gonzalez is gone, Moore's ready to carry his figurative torch.

“Tony G showed a lot by telling us if you want to perfect your craft, you’ve got to work hard,” Moore said last week. “You’ve got to do something other guys aren’t doing. I told the rookies that they’ve got to hit the ground running this offseason.” Moore, who enters his sixth NFL season next year, is emerging as the leader of Atlanta’s defense and he said he’s always loved the game of football, but after this season and Gonzalez’s example, he said he intends to approach this offseason with a fervor and he expects his teammates to do the same.

In short, Moore's not messing around. He's serious about leading the Falcons' defense and he's serious about holding the young guys to a high standard. Moore's a capable leader, and I'm very confident in his abilities.

Your thoughts?