ATLANTA --- Michael Turner has waited five years for his chance to start.

Matt Ryan won't have to wait one game.

Turner, regarded as the top free-agent running back of 2008, and Ryan, the top quarterback in the 2008 NFL Draft, are the new figureheads of the Atlanta Falcons.

There's a new general manager, Thomas Dimitroff, and a new coach, Mike Smith, but the sales pitch to the fans is old for long-suffering Falcons fans. The Falcons, who have never had back-to-back winning seasons, again are asking for patience as Dimitroff and Smith orchestrate a dramatic roster makeover.

The Falcons are making plans for a new era with Ryan at quarterback, and the architect of the makeover doesn't try to hide the fact that the 2008 transition could be rocky.

"I get excited when I see some of the talent here and I think some of the pieces are falling into place, but as we know with any rebuild, there are going to be some hard knocks and some tough shots along the way," Dimitroff said.

"We feel we have the character makeup to deal with those shots and the rebuild."

There has been a lot of talk from Dimitroff about character since he was hired to sweep away the debris left by Michael Vick's fall from franchise star to federal prison on dogfighting charges last year.

With Vick beginning a prison sentence of almost two years, the Falcons tried three starting quarterbacks last season, finishing a miserable 4-12.

Among the three, Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich are gone, and Chris Redman returns, as does Georgia alum D.J. Shockley. But the preseason quarterback competition was only a formality. The job belongs to Ryan, the former Boston College star and the No. 3 overall draft pick.

The Falcons wasted no time proving they did not draft Ryan to hold a clipboard and model the team visor on the sideline.

Ryan's debut came after only two series in the team's preseason opener, and he quickly led a long touchdown drive against Jacksonville's starting defense.

Dimitroff says he's confident Ryan has the confidence to withstand the punishment -- physical and otherwise -- that comes with being a rookie quarterback on a rebuilding team.

"The combination of his intelligence, his natural leadership skills, his poise and savvy and confident swagger, but not arrogant swagger, have definitely caught our attention," said Dimitroff, the former director of college scouting for the New England Patriots.

The first real test of Ryan's poise came when his first interception was returned for a touchdown in the second preseason game, a loss to Indianapolis.

"The biggest thing is you have to stay composed," Ryan said. "When things break down, guys move faster in the NFL than they do in college, so you have to make smart decisions toward the end of the play."

Smith plans for a strong running game to help Ryan remain relaxed. Turner, the former longtime backup to LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego, and speedster Jerious Norwood give the Falcons dual threats for big plays at running back.

The 5-foot-10, 244-pound Turner is a power back with breakaway speed. He had 228 carries for 1,257 yards in four years in San Diego and said he'd like to top those totals in his first season in Atlanta.

"I've been looking forward to this chance for years," Turner said. "I'm just ready to grow as a player."

Norwood has averaged 6.2 yards per carry as a part-time player. Playing behind Warrick Dunn, Norwood rushed for 633 yards as a rookie in 2006, but the exit of Vick and the entrance of now-departed coach Bobby Petrino and his pass-oriented attack slowed the running game last year.

The Falcons' makeover began with some of the most accomplished players being cut or traded: Dunn, DeAngelo Hall, Alge Crumpler, Rod Coleman and Wayne Gandy.

"It wasn't a matter of us coming in to wield a big stick and slash everyone just to make our mark," Dimitroff said. "It was about getting players who were system-specific players for us. Players who would fit into that mold, we would keep. Players we felt would not, we would part ways with."

Linebackers Michael Boley and Keith Brooking, safety Lawyer Milloy, and defensive end John Abraham are the leaders on defense. Roddy White, who had 83 catches for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns last season, is the top returning receiver.

"Our aim is not necessarily to focus on the amount of W's in the win column," Dimitroff said. "It's more about knowing when the opponent steps off the field, they know that they've played a competitive, fiery football club. That is our goal this year, to really drive it home that we want to be a passionate, competitive, sort of a reckless playing football team."