Falcons wave goodbye to L.J. Smith
Like Beyonce (above) sings about in her hit song, it doesn't appear that L.J. Smith and the Falcons will be putting a ring on it. The marriage is over before it started.
A little basketball break was in order.
Been zipping back and forth to Macon and to see Whitefield Academy claim its second Class A boys state title. Hats off to AD John East and coach Tyrone Johnson and the rest of his staff. (Full disclosure: one of the Ledbetter girls cheers for the J.V. squad. Got to support the Wolfpack.)
Also, had to watch some of the conference tournament games to get ready for the Big Dance.
While I was off getting my basketball fix, the Falcons and tight end L.J. Smith were still square dancing at the Free Agency Ball. But the waltz appears over, according to a source close to the negotiations. Smith’s lack of blocking ability isn’t a scheme fit for the run happy Falcons.
The dancing is finally over and in the words of Beyonce Knowles they are not going to be putting a ring on this once blooming marriage.
Smith’s options were down to Detroit and Atlanta. It seemed like the Falcons would easily be the winner. But Smith dragged his feet and the Falcons had a change of heart. In the end, they are a running team and Smith doesn’t block. That’s what football teams call “a bad scheme fit.”
Now, as far as the Falcons are concerned, they could have put a “Waffle House – Pancake” clause in Smith’s contract.
A little incentive clause for pancake blocks could have been a good motivator for Smith. They could have started at $200,000 after five pancakes and another $350,000 after 10 pancakes and so on.
That way Smith would have had added incentive to block and the Falcons offense would not have suffered when he was in the game.
In an ideal world, you need the tight end to block and catch. Maybe the Falcons could have made Smith go with offensive line coach Paul Boudreau and his assistant Paul Dunn during mini-camps. Those two could have got him re-dedicated to the blocking game.
LET’S JUMP AROUND A LITTLE BIT
MILLOY UPDATE: Former safety Lawyer Milloy has been in some initial talks with teams, according to his agent Todd France.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Falcons were represented at West Virginia’s pro day last week. Quarterback Pat White attracted most of the attention, but linebacker Mortty Ivy was of some interest.
He’s a smart kid, who played quarterback in high school. He helped himself by running a faster 40 time than the 4.88 he ran at the scouting combine. He’s 6-foot-1, 248-pounds and played weakside at West Virginia. Some consider him a strongside linebacker in the NFL.
A couple of key pro day stops for the Falcons this week are Pittsburgh on Tuesday and the University of Georgia on Thursday.
NCAA TOURNEY TIPS: Well it is March and what would the blog be without a tournament tip or two.
Wake Forest will have to deal with Cleveland State's Cedric Jackson.
Take Cleveland State in the first round. They have a really nice point guard in Cedric Jackson. You must have a point guard to pull off a tournament shocker.
The Vikings were one of the tournament’s original Cinderella teams. Back in 1986 Ken “The Mouse” McFadden, Clinton Smith (the pride of Cleveland Audubon Junior High and John Adams High) and Clinton Ransey shocked the world when they upset Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers. Big Ten purists insist that the Hoosiers haven’t been the same since and note that they had to go with JUCOs like Keith Smart to win the title in 1987. They have not won a title since.
My man Tom Crean will get the Hoosiers moving back in the right direction. Just hope he doesn’t start wearing red sweaters.
As a matter of fact, even with Mick Cronin still working on getting Cincinnati Bearcats turned around, the Buckeye state is flushed with five tournament teams: CSU, Ohio State, Dayton, Xavier and Akron. Only Xavier appears capable of a deep run, though.
QUARTERACK MARKET: The news out of Denver about the cat fight between head coach Josh Daniels and Jay Cutler is not good news for the Falcons.
That adds one more quarterback to the open market at a time when they are trying to shop the rights to Michael Vick.
There’s plenty of more hoops to watch this week. Thursday and Friday are the best to college basketball days of the year.
Fired up about the tournament? (Or are you a depressed Kentucky fan?) Since the Smith deal is not going down, what will the Falcons do for a pass catching tight end? We’ve got some time before the draft, but it’s looking like the Falcons will go heavy on defense – safety, cornerback and defensive tackle look like the top priorities. Who would you like to see them pick? Would the Waffle House Pancake clause have worked for Smith?
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140 comments Add your comment
Stirg d'Nahsif
March 17th, 2009
12:14 pm
Thanks, marko. It really wasn’t a lot of work; just researching. I like your point about Biermann. It gives my theory some vaidity.
WR
March 17th, 2009
12:39 pm
I agree with the opinion of taking Brandon Pettigrew in the first round even though the falcons seemingly have more needs to fill on defense. Matt Ryan is just entering his 2nd year and one of the best friends of any young quarterback is a good reliable blocking and catching tight-end. White, Jenkins, Douglas and a big target like Pettigrew, and alot of people may have forgotten that when healthy Laurent Robinson was progressing and preforming at a level comparable to White if not better, he just needs to stay healthy. I know championships are built on defense, but a high scoring prolific offense can keep you in most games while winning enough games to allow your young defense to learn and develop, remember the Broncos of the late 90’s,Rams of the early 2000’s, the Colts of just a few years ago. As much as I hate the Saints, I love the fact that they have trouble figuring out how to build defensively, if they did can you imagine where they would be. The Falcons on the other hand have a defensive minded head coach who has showed what they can do with smoke and mirrors, with the picks they have the Falcons will be able to select and groom young players to build a strong defense with the patience and assurance of knowing that they have a prolific and ball controlling office to keep the pressure on teams until the defense gets up to par. Also, I don’t think we are as bad off on defense as looks may appear. Someone made the comment earlier about Jamaal Andersen in comparison to comparable members of his draft class in beyond, I agree with the assessment and I will take it a step further looking closer to home. When the falcons first selected Patrick Kerney, after his first couple of years he was considered a bust, yes he made hustle plays but he wasn’t a real play-making DE which was coveted. As he gained experience and continued to develop playing along the side of Chuck Smith he eventually became a beast and a Pro Bowler but just like with Andersen it took a couple of years. I believe or am at least hoping that this is the year for Jamaal to break out, when watching him play he’s gotten to the point where he is just one step away from being a true playmaker, and that my friends is a far cry from when he first got here and was never even a few yards away from making plays.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
March 17th, 2009
1:21 pm
STIRG: Great work on the DEs! It is a tough, tough position to evaluate. You have to look at more than just sacks. Stacking up the run and fighting off cut blocks are two big character traits that are hard to evaluate.
Stirg d'Nahsif
March 17th, 2009
1:47 pm
Thanks, D.O.. I kind of figure that. I believe we are unfairly evaluating Anderson’s worth, based on his sack numbers. If we just give him some time to mature, I’m sure we’d be please with his work. Let’s evaluate how he sheds blockers, how he stacks up against a run, how he takes on a blocker to free up a pass rusher. A lot to consider. Thanks for the acknowledgement.
I was watching ESPN’s top ten first round upsets in the tournament. Cleveland State was very impressive. I think they were number 4? You got me watching them very closely in the tournament. Never would imagine.
gdg73
March 17th, 2009
2:08 pm
For the people calling for Pettigrew in the first round, I don’t want to here ya’ll crying this fall when Brees is standing back in the pocket baking cookies and Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are running sprints through our defensive line. Any fool can see that our defense, in particular our defensive line needs some attention paid to it in the up-coming draft. I get sick of us constantly getting whipped up front. The has been fixed over the last two years with Blalock, Clabo, Baker and Dahl. Now its time to fix the other side of the ball.
Ken Strickland
March 17th, 2009
2:27 pm
OLEDBETTER-thanks for the compliment. The truth is, you’ve made it possible for a lot of us to concentrate on the Falcons and be analytical. Until this off season, Falcon blogs had become the haven for a lot of negative and derogatory comments and attitudes. That seems to be a thing of the past, and for that I want to thank you. I also agree with you concerning the need to bring in another young LB. Peterson, and the rest of our veteran LB group, allows us to draft a equally talented, but less polished LB prospect in a lower rd.
SHAMUS THACKER-while I understand your motivation, it doesn’t justify your feelings. IF YOU MUST HATE SOMETHING, HATE WHAT MVICK DID, BUT DON’T WASTE YOUR ENERGY HATING HIM. HE’S PROBABLY AS MUCH A VICTIM IN ALL OF THIS AS THE DOGS HE AND HIS FRIENDS ABUSED, AND I’M SAYING THIS AS A DOG LOVER THAT’S OWNED AND CHERISHED 11 DOBERMAN PINSCHERS OVER THE YRS.
MARKO-DE Patrick Kerney exercised the option in his contract that allowed him to void the contract and become a FA. He wouldn’t have done that if he had any intention of staying with the Falcons. We also have to wonder how much of a factor his off season legal troubles(the rape that occurred in his apartment) had with his decision to bolt the team. At any rate, you can’t hold the Falcons solely responsible of Kerney’s departure. Also, why pay a premium to sign a hard hitting no cover SS like Roy Williams just to replace LMalloy, another hard hitting no cover SS. The cowboys have had a strong pass rush, unlike the Falcons, and they still couldn’t overcome SS RWilliams’ almost complete lack of cover ability and/or instincts. At least Malloy’s lack of cover ability, and loss of speed and quickness, was due to the effects of age, not absence of instinct.
One thing we have to understand. Dimitroff, Smith and the coaching staff have to reach their conclusions about DT TLewis, LB’s SNicholas and CWire, CB’s DIrons, BGrimes and VHutchins, DE’s JAnderson, CDavis and KBiermann and SS-JFudge before the draft. They won’t have the luxury of another training camp to see what they have before deciding who to select and where in the draft to select them.
I didn’t understand the interest in TE Smith in the first place, unless they intended to use a platoon system. And even if we decided to use the platoon system, sending Smith in would automatically tip the DEF off of our intent. It’s obvious our coaches and GM felt TE Smith didn’t have the aptitude to become an adequate blocking TE. The draft has far more of what we’re looking for in a TE than anything available through FA.
Falcon Devil
March 17th, 2009
2:38 pm
DOL, good call on mentioning Robert James. As a former Sun Devil I watched him play in person and on TV many games. He has that undeniable ability to make big plays and get a hit on the ball carrier nearly every play. His senior year he has 106 tackles and earned First All Pac-10 Team honors which isnt too shaby going against USC’s LB’s. He was on IR all last year so its hard to say how he is progressing but I am excited to hear come pre-season. We have the vets to be stable this year and next but I begin to salivate thinking of Cushing, Lofton and James as our LB line up in a few years.
Stirg d'Nahsif
March 17th, 2009
2:56 pm
Good points, Ken. I think the LJ Smith consideration would have allowed the Falcons to do on offense, the same thing they are attempting to do on defense. In the first paragraph of your blog, you stated that “Peterson, and the rest of our veteran LB group, allows us to draft a equally talented, but less polished LB prospect in a lower rd.” Wouldn’t that apply to the offense if Smith had signed? I remember during the combine that D.O. reported TD’s glee when he mentiond Chase Caufmann. Not only did the GM seemed interested in the prospect but he seriously believes that the kid may be available for picking in the later rounds.
I’m one of those fans that believe Pettigrew would really change the dynamics of our football team, offensively and defensively (with control of the clock). draftcountdown.com ranks the prospects and Coffman is only listed as the number five TE, right behind Pettigrew, S. Nelson, J. Cook and Cornelius Ingram out of Florida. I noted that the top five TE’s numbers were parallel. The exception was the blocking that Pettigrew apparently excels at, coupled with his size and speed. That, alone, should be enough incentive to take him at number 24.
Defense, as I explained before, is not as bad as is on paper. Grab a hybrid DB and a Sammie Hill in the third and I think we can compete for the top spot in the south.
Question: What’s wrong with Fudge? I read his bio and cannot find one excuse to not consider him for a starting strong safety. Yesterday, D.O. reminded us of a Robert James. I researched his bio and, WOW, I’d love to see him, healthy, in training camp.
Our pieces are there; We just need to put the puzzle together.
BravesFan79
March 17th, 2009
3:46 pm
Lj WHO?
temerity
March 17th, 2009
3:59 pm
Coach Smith will have our defence in the top 15 by mid-season!
chris 4 prez
March 17th, 2009
4:17 pm
Hey temerity!! It’s DEFENSE!! But I agree.
Stirg d'Nahsif
March 17th, 2009
4:19 pm
Just watched ESPN’s take on Vontae Davis and I can officially change my mind. Although the highlight film was impressive, he still has a lot of work to do (translation: he’s not NFL-starter ready). In comparison and contrast, the commentator considered Davis the top DB in the draft; however, he questioned his work ethic (which has been reported as “poor”) and his footwork, which is an invaluable asset at the next level.
Pettigrew or Cushing, for pick 24. What y’all think?
Joey563
March 17th, 2009
5:11 pm
Im thinking Laurinaitis, Matthews, or Butler for 24th pick.
Falcon Devil
March 17th, 2009
5:26 pm
We def don’t need Laurinaitis, MLB is one of the few positions we have on lock.
Falcon Devil
March 17th, 2009
5:29 pm
I’d only be on board with Pettigrew if the top 5 OLB’s, 3 DT’s and 3 DB’s are gone. Given the offensive needs of the teams in front of us I don’t see that happening.
marko
March 17th, 2009
5:42 pm
Ken Strickland, while I miss Kerney, he was one of my all time favorite Falcons, He’s been injured two out of the last three years. The Falcon’s made the right call; does’nt stop me from missing him though. We will also have to agree to disagree about Roy Williams. While I’m not crazy enough to suggest that he’s a super stud on coverage, he’s not as old or slow as Milloy. Teamed with his fellow Oakie Lofton, runs up middle would not be a pleasant experience for opposing ball carriers. Stop the run and your half way home. Anyway, I’d love to have Williams, his short comings in pass coverage are exagerated. Had he been on the field in Phoenix, Boldin does’nt dance in the end zone. By the way I’ll miss Milloy and Brooking. they were great guys. It’s just that they’re not as fast as they used to be. Football’s a tough business.
TheManMike
March 17th, 2009
6:03 pm
I can honestly say i will be happy with Pettigrew, Cushing, CK…whomever is selected. My real question is now the guys we picked up last year. There are names going around now and they are names not spoken in quite some time. Besides KBeirmann, SNicolas, CJackson, JFudge and the like, who else do we have in hiding and waiting in the wings? Lets bring out the names of current Birds and toss them around a bit – I would like to see some discussion on our GM’s first draft and its impact on its second year….
…..Talk amongst yourselves….
cutter
March 17th, 2009
7:33 pm
All of these meetings and L.J. Smith signs a 1 yr 1.5 mill contract with the Ravens??? Why meet with the guy if you don’t want him? The deal obviously did not go bad over money that’s for sure nor was it the length of contract, what is going on here? Sounds like the guy just wanted to play football so why meet with the guy then say oh you know what you don’t block never mind. I was not crazy about the L.J. Smith idea but if I can get the guy for 1 yr. 1.5 mill what the hell is the problem?
Rayanhasskill
March 17th, 2009
7:42 pm
VickSupporter2– What was that video suppose to prove? That vick is elusive? Sorry fella, but elusiveness does not equal skill, nor does skill equal elusiveness….but thanks for the video of greats and has beens…. #2 being the later. How bout some court room video…got any?
Ken Strickland
March 17th, 2009
7:57 pm
STIRG NAHSIF-loved your post. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Fudge. In fact, for all we know, he just might be the reason there were no serious attempts to resign Malloy, and Malloy may have known that. Like I said in an earlier post, there’s no way any of us fans can possibly know how well any of these backups to our departed starters performed in practice and during gms. And no matter what the combine results show, we can’t determine if anyone we might draft will out perform any of the young backups we currently have on our roster. While Fudge might have been a better all around SS than Malloy, Malloy may have been a better run stuffer, and with our weak interior DL, his run stuffing ability was more valuable to us. Since it’s a certainty we’re going to upgrade our DL, there will be less need for a one dimensional run stuffing SS and more need for a more complete SS like Fudge.
MARKO-Kerney became a Probowl DE through hard work, and I loved the about him as well. Like JAnderson, our current DE, Kerney wasn’t an instant success amd didn’t show his ability until his 3rd yr. After making the Probowl, he spent most of his remaining Falcon career on IR. I think that factored into the Falcons not making much of an effort to resign him. SS Roy Williams’ speed and quickness advantage over LMalloy isn’t the issue. The issue is whether he uses that speed and quickness to benefit himself and his team as a pass defender? Roy Williams may play SS, but he has a LB’s mentality and attitude and plays that way. The Cowboys switched to a 3-4 DEF, and it seems apparent they want a real SS, not a 5th LB pretending to be a SS. As far as effectively stopping the run, it starts with the DL(at line of scrimmage), not behind the line of scrimmage(LB’s) or in the secondary(safeties). I know you think RWilliams has some cover skills, but the Cowboys didn’t seem to think so. They obviously didn’t let him go because they didn’t like his hitting or run stuffing ability. Dallas has repeatedly gotten beaten on big pass plays, especially in the playoffs, and they seem to think SS Roy Williams is the culprit, just like the Falcons with LMalloy.
Dimitroff and Smith have stated they are looking for playmaking SS’s like EReed or TPolamalu. We are improving our overall rushing DEF, especially our DL, so there’s no longer a need for one dimensional hard hitting SS’s like RWilliams or LMalloy.
THEMANLIKE-you bring up an interesting question. We have some interesting and talented players coming off IR that will be competing for spots. The return of CB’s-DIrons, VHutchins & BGrimes, LB-Robert James, S-Antoine Harris, WR-Laurent Robinson, RB/KR/PR-Thomas Brown, OL-Renaldo Foster & Pat McCoy and DT-Trey Lewis will be like acquiring FA’s or draft picks at no additional cost. CB’s-BGrimes, DIrons & VHutchins, S-AHarris, DT-TLewis and LB-RJames will be competing for starting positions. The return to form of some of these players may have an impact on who we draft and where we draft them.
D3
March 17th, 2009
8:29 pm
Supes, nice point on TE depth. The more I look at theses TE’s the more I like it. Didn’t know that much about Coffman until you mentioned him. He looks solid too. Pettigrew might be the most “ready” and “complete” TE to step in, but if we pass on him or he’s already taken, we got plenty of options. I mean, I’d be happy with Jared Cook, Shawn Nelson, Chase Coffman, or Cornelius Ingram.
Stirg, great reality check. We assume that every DE that comes out should be like Mario Williams, who was considered a “bust” in his rookie season. This should be the year for J. Anderson. I love the insurance policy of re-signing C.Davis. ALways liked his effort and motor and his ability to make plays. I think Chauncey’s got a very good chance of beating out J.Anderson. People also forget that J.Anderson was very solid against the run. Love our DE rotation of Abraham, J.Anderson, Chauncey, & Biermann.
You know TD can pick some talent and if does half a good a year as last year than we’ll be fine.
Marko, man nice memory of the potential of Kerney and Abraham. I was so pumped about having them on the same team and it never panned out. In hindsight, we should’ve paid Kerney, but thats always 20/20. I don’t think Roy Williams will be a Falcon as he’s on the decline and can’t cover a soul. I’m feeling good about Patrick Chung or Sean Smith, even though others may feel Chung is a #24, I don’t agree. Second round for me. Kenny Phillips got picked 31st last year, and I think he was as good or better coming out of college.
D3
March 17th, 2009
9:22 pm
Great points about Robert James. He was nicknamed “The Beast” after all and immediately got hurt. So there’s one more OLB to add to the mix, so assuming he’s in the hunt we probably might not be looking at OLB. Might be a shame to pass on this year’s depth at OLB, but I’d understand it. Grabbing Cushing, Matthews, or Maybin would set us at LB for years and years.
As Ken and others have mentioned times, do we really want to draft an Alphonso Smith, Darius Butler, or DJ Moore in the first round when we have Von Hutchins, David Irons, and Brent Grimes who all have experience?
That sends us to what DO we pick? Assuming Raji and Jerry are gone, is Ziggy Hood really worth #24? Or is there a S worth #24? I think not, particularly if Fudge or DeCoud have proven something in practices, games, or season. As mentioned before, we just can’t know what the coaches think of all these guys returning from injury/ready to take over a spot.
darrell starks
March 17th, 2009
11:35 pm
I dont UNDERSTAND how can we as falcons fan can even consider drafting 1 player on the offense side in this year draft we need a dominating defense something this franchise has never had on a consistent base, we have no one on defense accept ABRAHAM who will be 31 when this season starte defense wins championship not only that it give the offense more opportunity TO SCORE. GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Supes
March 18th, 2009
12:13 am
No question that this draft is rich in TE prospects, the question is…do the Falcons use that 1st round pick on one, rather than use that pick on a Defensive Player (who we badly need, like a LB, DT, or SS) or do we hold out and draft a TE later on. (Remember, it’s hard to predict exactly which one of the top 4-5 TE in the draft will be the best player down the road).
You can find playmaking TE in round 3-4, a good GM like TD will make sure of that:)
D. Orlando Ledbetter
March 18th, 2009
12:33 am
Nothing shaking on the Falcons front today. Will get up a new Blog tomorrow on UGA’s pro day. It’s going to be hot. Mike Mayock will be in the house to dis Matt Stafford in person perhaps. Should be some good stuff to report. Todd McShay from ESPN/Scouts Inc. will be there. My good friend and predecessor Steve Wyche of NFL.Com will be there. We talked tonight and couldn’t believe how big of wimp Jay Cutler is acting like.
Also, got word today that we are going to the Owner’s meeting next week. So I will definitely have some good stuff from out there (Dana Point, Calif.) to blog about.
STIRG: Got the Vikes going to the Sweet 16 before getting steamrolled by Louisville in one of my brackets.
A couple of other first round upsets to look at: VCU over UCLA; Butler over LSU and Western Kentucky over Illinois (Wyche hates Big 10 hoops!! Hater.)
I’ve done about four brackets. I’ll carry them around as long as I’m alive.
My Final Four is Pitt, Louisville, North Carolina and Memphis. I switch it up in the finals. I have either Pitt or North Carolina — the Lawson injury– winning. (Couldn’t pick Louisville. My buddy Michael Cunningham from the Sun Sentinel and another Packers alum wouldn’t let me live that down!)
Joey563
March 18th, 2009
8:01 am
We def don’t need Laurinaitis, MLB is one of the few positions we have on lock.
Don’t he also play OLB? Because i could of swore i saw a couple of draft “experts” say that he would be either ILB or OLB at the next level…
marko
March 18th, 2009
8:43 am
Coaches like to point out that great teams are strong up the middle. Taken at face value, this would seem to be great news for guards and safties. The sad truth is that safties and guards can’t back up the statement by pointing to their paychecks. When April finally comes, and we get chose our new millionaires, the first round will include QB’s, running backs, and tons of corners and tackles. Good tackles are so scarce that some teams will even trade up to select specimens with short arms. In the upcomming draft, a safety may or may not be selected in the first round. A guard almost certainly won’t be. In the NFL world of supply and demand, good interior players can be found in the mid rounds for relative chump change. All this brings me to the sad case of Roy Williams. Roy’s a fine player. I do feel that’s he’s going to struggle a bit finding a new home. Not because he can’t play, but because his paycheck isn’t cap friendly. I really think a lot of the Dallas fans never liked Roy because he played for Oklahoma, Or Oklahommo as they like to say. Besides those losers can’t blame all their problems on Jessia Simpson. Roy’s the kind of safety Jack Lambert would’nt mind bringing home to meet his mamma. that’s good enough for me.
ray
March 18th, 2009
9:24 am
Stirg d’Nahsif,
Thanks for the info on Vontae Davis. I wasn’t overly thrilled about the prospect of getting a CB with our first pick as it was, but was okay if it’s the right guy. Davis sounds like he isn’t it. Though I am somewhat concerned about fortifying our defense, I cannot shake the idea of getting Pettigrew if he’s available, and for all the reasons you state. Excellent post, and good points about our existing defensive players.
Ken Strickland and D3,
Y’all are just off the chain with your posts, one right after the other. I’m enjoying this blog in ways I have not in so long. Way better than during this past season. It’s great to be talking Falcon Football. Man, I wish the draft would get here already. I’m half-giddy thinking about it.
As for not signing LJ Smith after meeting with him. I figure Dimitroff, Smith, and Co. sincerely wanted to meet with the guy to see if he was a good fit. Obviously they want to upgrade the position with a guy who can catch, but don’t want to cut the position in half with a guy who won’t block. After meeting with him, they must have come to the conclusion that he is not willing to buy into what they want to do. It could have been mutual, as he may not have felt like this was a good fit for him, either. I mean, they could have said, “hey, we want you to block, and maybe get 35-40 catches for the season.” And he says, “Naw, I want to be featured more in the offense, and I’m not too crazy about blocking for running plays all the time.” Who knows……but I bet I know what ONE of our picks will be in the draft NOW…
I MUS.WRITE
March 18th, 2009
10:33 am
GDG73- you killing me dude….(Baking cookies) Couldnt agree more- Y pick Pettigrew when we can get Coffman or Cook in later rounds, NO 5′9 CB’s -we need size out there and besides we have a roster full of CB’s that are small (Irons, Hutch, Grimes) Defense Defense Defense at 24……. If the value isnt there at NT i would go with Maybin -Delmas or possibly Sean Smith…..Also trading out of the pick wouldnt be bad either.
Ken lucas would be a nice addition -veteran corner with size …….. Roy Williams, LJ SMith NO WAY!!!!!! We should have gone after Chris Canty for our D Line which would have given us more flexibility in the draft.
clthurman
March 18th, 2009
11:30 am
Who the hell is gonna play in our secondary…anybody else mention Brent “the hobbit” Grimes as a possibility is missing their short bus. And for those who say we are set at linebacker are idiots….seriously they have no coverage skills that have shown up in any games yet some morons state we are set there. And Orlando you need to get a clue and mention these shortcomings with some suggestions other than your cheerleading quotes. Our defense is weaker than last year that’s a fact and depending on the draft this year is a joke….a joke. Poor Ryan will have to score 30 a game just to make us competitive. Quit sucking the big optimism nipple from last year and really wonder what the hell is going on in TD’s head…..cuz ifs and maybes for a team that made the playoffs last year is not what I had in mind for progress. Frakkin Brent Grimes!!!!!
JSS
March 18th, 2009
4:24 pm
At least you aren’t posting photos of 15 year old girls like that pervert Jeff Schultz!!!
Roy Williams is toast… Draft a young lion and live with the mistakes…
For the last time, stop bringing up Michael Vick and Canada… He’ll never get a Canadian work visa!!! Either he’s going to get a chance back in the NFL, or he will be out of the league… Simple as that…
clthurman
March 18th, 2009
10:53 pm
I am so sorry for bringing my know-nothing azz to this blog. Clearly I don’t have a clue and am not a Falcon fan. I just sit here and pull my pud while getting angry at the fact that the Falcons didn’t spend millions of dollars on big name do-nothing free agents. Got to go now and change my grammies depends again. She gets cranky when I make her wait too long.
Dimitroff knows more than you
March 18th, 2009
10:58 pm
“Quit sucking the big optimism nipple from last year and really wonder what the hell is going on in TD’s head…..cuz ifs and maybes for a team that made the playoffs last year is not what I had in mind for progress.”
That is why you are not the general manager you pi$$ ant. Nobody cares what you had in mind. On top of that, what kind of an idiot GM would tip his hat to the media on what he’s going to do in the draft or in free agency? Sure, let’s go tell everybody what we’re going to do. You’d be the biggest window licker on the short bus if you weren’t getting run over by it all the time. I guess that makes you the exhaust licker. Moron.
Ken Strickland
March 18th, 2009
11:32 pm
CLTHURMAN-the way you’re calling everyone that doesn’t share your OPINION a MORON, it’s obvious you’re not standig near a mirror. LB Peterson has 15 INT’s in 11yrs of NFL experience, and that isn’t bad at all for a LB YOU SAY has no cover skills and has played MLB for almost half of those 11yrs.. This would be LB SNicholas’ 1st yr as a starter, so how would you know what kind of pass coverage skills he has? MLB CLofton was a rookie last yr, so it’s far too early to pass judgement on his pass coverage ability. Besides, all players had to adjust to a new DEF, new terminology and coaching staff, so last yr wasn’t a good yr to pass blanket judgements on most players, especially DEF players.
You made the following statement, “WHO THE HELL IS GONNA PLAY IN OUR SECONDARY”. Now this is classic. You admit you don’t have a clue who’s going to play in our secondary, yet you call anyone that actually has a clue, and mentions BGrimes, a moron. You are a classic example of old addage, WHO’S THE BIGGEST FOOL(MORON), THE FOOL(MORON), OR THE FOOL(MORON) THAT FOLLOWS THE FOOL(MORON)?
Dimitroff knows more than you
March 18th, 2009
11:35 pm
“Quit sucking the big optimism nipple from last year and really wonder what the hell is going on in TD’s head…..cuz ifs and maybes for a team that made the playoffs last year is not what I had in mind for progress.”
That is why you are not the general manager you pi$$ ant. Nobody cares what you had in mind. On top of that, what kind of an idiot GM would tip his hat to the media on what he’s going to do in the draft or in free agency? Sure, let’s go tell everybody what we’re going to do. You’d be the biggest window licker on the short bus if you weren’t getting run over by it all the time. I guess that makes you the exhaust licker. Moron.
jim williamson
March 22nd, 2009
6:26 pm
Ledbetter should read Bedwetter. You are the crappiest sports writer in the world. Your articles are juvinile and I dont get it. The AJC has gone to hell.
Falcons Lose Interest In Smith - NFL Access
March 27th, 2009
1:08 am
[...] a tight end to improve what was a pretty awful group of tight ends last year. But apparently the Falcons got tired of Smith’s unwillingness to agree to their offer. // [...]
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May 4th, 2009
12:44 am
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FalcFans.com » Smith to decide soon on Falcons or Lions
May 29th, 2009
12:00 am
[...] NO. 2: D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC reports that the Falcons have opted not to continue their pursuit of Smith. Ledbetter cites a source with [...]
Charles
October 25th, 2009
10:31 pm
beyonce got a phat ass.