Ryan gives up some advice to Stafford

Nice piece D.

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QB unlike Matty Ice. Note that Stafford has the better natural physical skills, but he will NEVER be as good as Matty Ice.

Stafford just does not care. He does not lead in the huddle. When hes on hes amazing, but he just does not care. – Huge UGA fan

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Stafford will be the next John Elway

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Nice story D-led, but you can’t top your other piece today about the falcons AND The Masters – Nobel Prize buddy!!!

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Good article D-Led. I had been hoping for something from you on Ryan’s offseason … not that I’m complaining about a quiet offseason from a professional athlete.

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@Hary: I don’t know if Stafford “doesn’t care” so much as I think he does not have the “it” (whatever it is) that great QBs have. I think Matty Ice does….I saw it at Virginia Tech his last year at BC…I saw it against Chicago in the last 11 seconds last year as a Falcon. You saw it in Joe Montana at Notre Dame…the comebacks….the fire in his eyes. Stafford obviously has all of the tangibles…and I certainly wish him well and hope I am dead wrong. He just never seemed to make the big plays at UGA or win the big games. The great ones seem to have a certain intensity yet a certain coolness at the same time. I always felt like Joe Montana was out there having a great time…like he was playing a video game…but the look in his eyes you can’t forget.

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DOL – earning your stud racing stripes, my brother. Getting up tidbits every couple of days really keeps us going. Just when a blog topic seems that it may have run its course, you put another up. Great job, DOL!

Stafford should have Matt Ryan on speed dial for the amazing job he did last year as a rookie in an almost impossible situation he was coming into in Atlanta’s turmoil, the expectations, and adversity he had right off the bat. As he said, he battled, worked hard, kept his head down, and earned the respect of the fans.

I wish Stafford the best and hope he gets a good fit, but he will not have the success Ryan did for several reasons if he starts day 1 in Detroit. As a UGA grad and seeing Stafford first hand in Athens, he has some of the best skills ever for a QB, but there were issues as UGA’s starting QB. Stafford never struck me a natural leader, especially compared to someone like Tim Tebow or Matty Ice now. There would be series where the offense just looked completely lost. 3 and outs, misfires, bad audibles, missing wide open receivers, and sometimes a feeling that once the offense made some mistakes, they would shutdown.

Part of it may have been that the team looked to him and Moreno to save the team, but another year in college would have done him good. The best scenario for him would be to go to Seattle and learn behind Matt Hasselbeck for a year or so.

I hope that Stafford turns out to be great, but if you ask me will Stafford have even close to the year Matty Ice have, it will have to be an emphatic no. The work ethic doesn’t even come close to Matty Ice. Hate to have to do that to a former Bulldog, but JMO.

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Quick: name Stafford’s marquee win at Georgia?

Not that easy is it.

Great news on Laurent Robinson. Man, our WR corps has the absolute chance of becoming one of the very best in football. White, Jenkins, Douglas, Robinson, & Finneran are a great set-up for WR. Add a TE with catching ability, who can learn to block better with good coaching such as Nelson, Cook, Coffman, or Morrah and man would that be something to special to watch.

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EW – as a season ticket holder, I’ve seen him first hand and my personal opinion is that he should have come back for his senior year, because physically he is ready, but mentally he is not. Matt Ryan was a 5th year senior, Matt Stafford left after his junior year and having a total collapse year being ranked pre-season #1. Fairly or not, if he is defined as the leader of the team, he bears some of that responsibility.

I know it sounds like I’m hatin’ on him, but I’m not. I’ve had these complaints after watching Stafford have brilliant games(Auburn & Tech ‘06, Auburn, Florida, & Hawaii ‘08) and absolutelty terrible ones(SC & Tenn ‘07, Bama & FL ‘08). After being in school and graduating from UGA, I’ve seen QB’s with much less talent (David Greene, DJ Shockley) do much, much more with much, much less concerning team talent and personal leadership.

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Stafford will take the Lions to its first Super Bowl.. when?.. ummm, give’em at least 3-4 yrs to get all the pieces 2gether. Of course, if Lions pick Staff.

Good luck Matt!

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D3, right on about where Stafford would do the best in the draft, 4 going to Seattle, where he can sit and learn for a year behind Matt H. Although, I don’t wish Jim Mora and Greg Knapp’s coaching on ANY young QB coming up in the league, we saw how they handled the last young QB under their care (OK maybe not all on them, but to a degree, they tried to make him fit into their offense, instead of building the offense around him? Does that make sense?)

I still think Matthew Stafford would have been perfect at 3 going to KC, but they’ve got their QB in Matt C.

Best news from the blog was the bit about Matt Ryan’s desire to work as hard as possible to get better. He’s got the Payton Manning like work attitude, which will help him go a long way. I only wish one previous starting QB would have done the same around here, instead of….well you know the rest!

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MY HATERS MAKE ME STRONGER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Loquacious are you the dude from Star Wars with the bad skin and glow in the dark eyes ,that keeps sayin come over to the dark side of the force? lol

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Now lets get him some help on the defense side of the ball and take the pressure of the offense. GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Stirg – what’s up G-money? Personally, I think Laurent Robinson must compete with Douglas, who has firmly entrenched himself as a solid #3 slot receiver with the rookie season he had, but we know competition brings out the best. Agreed on Roddy White, they need to pay him what he deserves and lock him up. The sooner it gets to the end of next year, the more nervous I’ll be. Sometimes you let guys walk and sometimes you gotta pay them what they deserve it, you drafted and developed them.

Ron Brace over Peria Jerry if they’re both available? Would it be hard for you to pass on Maybin if he slipped to #24? Tough, tough decisions.

I guess everybody’s heard by now that Cutler’s officially on the block. According to John Clayton, looks like Cleveland and Detroit are the front runners. Man, Josh McDaniels better win, and win quick. What a complete arrogant, dumb@ss!

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Much has been made about Stafford’s talent and lack of leadership by the media. And since I usually bet against ESPN’s perception of athletes( their analyst’s are complete morons), he is my take with Stafford. I don’t think Stafford is a head case like Ryan Leaf, but he’s not a Peyton Manning either. I can see him being a starter in the NFL for 6-8 years and putting up decent numbers. I don’t think he’ll be a Tom Brady, but I think he has just as much potential as Tony Romo or Donovan McNabb. So basically, I can see Stafford getting a team to the playoffs but never winning a Super Bowl unless he has a nasty defense like the 2000 Ravens that can carry the team. I mean if Trent Dilfer can win a Super Bowl, anyone can with the right defense

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What up, D3? The Cutler situation is a bad sign for Atlanta. Detroit pick three times before Atlanta’s second pick and they need some of everything, especially defense. If they think like most defensive minds think, then they’ll start with defensive line, as well. Imagine that. One act, today, immediately changed the stock of Brace, Jerry, Hood, Delmas, Smith, etc…

This is so fun.

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STIRG,

Don’t say that. Ya makin’ me nervous. On the flip side of the coin, a team like Detroit not taking Stafford means another team picking ahead of us, taking somebody they hadn’t planned to take before. Which could be good or bad. Okay, that only confuses me even worse…

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Great article DLED..Any Falcons news is like a shot of adrenalin. The attitude of Matty Ice will carry over to some of the other players on the team..They cannot help but to get better..

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Nice stuff except the schedule is no longer based on previous season (except for one game I believe). The good news, everyone else in division will have just as tough of a schedule. 9-7 may win it this year if AFC and NFC East are as good as previous years

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What up D3, STIRG, BIG RAY?
Now the insanity of who will be there continues!

After exstensive research (20 min.), I’ve concluded we’ll have 1 (poss. 2) less defensive player taken before #24 (due to Cutler trade).

Any trade for Cutler looks like it has to go through the Browns in a 3-way. So at the very least, the Browns and the Broncos will receive an additional #1 before us. The Browns (LB/S/CB) and the Broncos (DT/DE) are predicted to draft defensive needs. So thats 2 defensive picks, but if the Bears or Bucs are the 3rd party (they both want DT/DE), then we gain one pick. So thanks to GSU, 2 – 1 = 1 Defensive player lost.
Yes, yes I know, incredible insight! lol

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I remember that the only complaoints about Ryan last year were that he threw too many interceptions and didn’t play against top notch competition (such as the SEC). The first sounds alot like Stafford and in the latter category Stafford has a leg up. Stafford’s defining win? Alabama overtime game or Florida victory, take your pick.

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Too Easy – you’re probably correct on the Bama game and not tryin’ to hate, but how’d that Alabama turn out that year? Also, since his best year should be his senior year, shouldn’t a signature game come from his senior year in college? Just saying as a Bulldog grad and fan.

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Good work Ledbetter. You’re finding your groove. I’m glad to see that Ryan is hungry for success this season and already looking at film and throwing to the Wide Outs. Our offense is going to have to be very productive because the defense still has a ways to go.

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Matt Ryan continues to impress on and off the field. What a relief for us Falcon fans to see our QB spending his offseason pumping weights, reaching out to upcoming players, talking about getting better, looking forward to getting back on the field, etc. Gone are the stories about our QB getting caught with illegal drugs, hanging out with shoplifters, fathering children out of wedlock, participating in dogfights, flat-out lying, etc.

No, I don’t miss that convict one bit. I can’t wait for the announcement that the Falcons have finally cut that loser from their team.

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WillDave – you’re exactly right, but let’s focus on the positive and forget the negative of the past. But it is great to see the QB leading by example and trainin, lifting, and throwing to get better.

BTW, what’s the deal with posting a new handle-name to address a recent point? Don’t get it, but anyway.

JJ- what’s up money? Yeah, you’re right, a Cutler trade to anybody would definitely not benefit us as it would take a potential OFF pick off the board and allow a team like the Broncos to pick up an additional pick. GSU is an awesome school, finishing up my grad work there as a matter of fact. So, that being said, we’ll have to have a lot of flexibility when we draft at #24. I’m sure they have the prospects ranked on who will be available. As I’ve said many times, there are a number of players I would be completely happy with. Maybin/English/Matthews/Jerry/Hood/Brace not necessarily in that order.

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[...] [Bears] Bears Want In On Jay Cutler Trade Talks? The Denver Broncos announced Tuesday evening they will trade disgruntled Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler, and the Bears are believed to want in. After more than a month of the Broncos trying every possible way to proclaim Cutler was their quarterback, owner Pat Bowlen issued a statement announcing that irreconcilable differences between the parties will not be resolved. ”We’ve got to get the quarterback position stabilized,” general manager Jerry Angelo said two days after the Bears missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. ”We’re fixated on that, and I don’t want us to lose sight of that.” Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution [...]

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I think if Stafford has the same success as McNabb (as someone else said he may have), that would mount to a pretty darn good NFL career! There is this perceived notion that b/c Philly hasn’t won the superbowl, McNabb’s been a failure or a bust. Couldn’t be further from the truth. The guy is still one of the top QB’s in the league when healthy. So if Stafford gets close to Donovan’s level of success more power to him!

As far as comparing Matthew and Matt Ryan’s college careers you really can’t compare the 2. What if Matthew had stuck around for his senior year, the comparison would have been much more valid. I believe Stafford would have greatly benefitted from staying an extra year, but what’s done is done. He also didn’t lose big games at UGA by himself. I get it, the QB gets the automatic blame, but there are also 10 other guys out there on the field, they were also responsible.

D3…Regarding Cutler, if the Lions had ANY intelligence, they do a trade and get Jay Cutler as their QB. I still expect the NY Jets to do EVERYTHING in their power to get their slimy hands on Cutler as well. Not sure how he would fit in their system, but what about Cutler going to the 49ers? They have the 10th pick in the draft, I can see them working something out with Denver. Denver then can draft Sanchez at 10 (unless someone jumps in infront of them at 8 or so and drafts him). Either way, Josh McDaniels is on a very SHORT grace period. He’s ran out a franchise QB (who was about to enter year 4 of his career)…Denver doesn’t have anyone else (please don’t say Simms) at QB and their RB situation…well not good.

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Hary @ various times above

I, too, am a big UGA fan but I think Stafford does have the leadership skills though he’s not Matt Ryan. It may take Stafford a bit longer to mature but I think he will. You’re right, though, he has mad physical skills that will allow him time to mature. Remember, he’s going to be paid to perform – no leadership, no check. It’s a simple calculus in the “Not For Long” league.

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Supes – right on the money. As I said last night, McDaniels better win and win quick and hope that Cutler doesn’t have a solid year year where ever he goes. What an arrogant dumb@ss. IMO, that’s all on him, why would you EVER try to trade a very young, very talented pro-bowl, franchise qb for a guys who did well for ONE YEAR in the patriots offense for god sake. Would Cassell have done as good in Miami’s Offense, for instance?

Understandable on Stafford, and it sounds like I’m the biggest hater on him but I’m really not. Just answering the question is Stafford as mentally and emotionally ready as Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco? The answer is NO. Even though you can’t blame the entire losses on Stafford, he does shoulder the blame for several. He was a sink or swim QB, really good and on or could just totally disappear (SC & TENN ‘07; Bama & FL ‘08). Consistency is one of his major weaknesses.

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I have whinced every year the ‘Birds do well, knowing that dubious stat, no consecutive winning seasons. Well this is the season to stop that. On to the next crop of rookie QB’s. Matthew Stafford will need time, and Mark Sanchez, if in the right system, COULD make a semi-positive impact. The Jets and Lions are the most important players in this fare. The Lions will try to trade for Cutler, allowing them to draft Jason Smith 1st, and a defensive standout later in the first. Thank God, we do not have that problem!!!!!!!!!!!

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Here’s some more stuff on Chris Baker. I know he was involved in a campus fight that he plea bargained out of. Not going to condemn the kid for that but it does put up a flag and you know our Management’s stance on that. I am not sure of the details anyway.

He transferred from Penn State as I said before. He played DE at Hampton and had 69 tackles; 16 1/2 for losses and 8 1/2 sacks and 13 QB hurries. Made 2008 All MEAC conference, 1st team.

Experts…..what can you all tell me about the level of competition in the MEAC?

GT fans, can anyone tell me about Vance Walker? I know he was injured for the combine? What is the evaluation of him? Any info?

Go Falcons!!!

Nuff respect!!!

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Chris Mortensen says the panthers could be in the Cutler derby. If he has to come down to our no-crybabies NFC SOUTH, let it be the bucs. The bucs are starting over so there is not a huge concern over them, even with Mr. Crybaby.
But can you imagine him in carolina? with their receivers? How many games did they almost lose BECAUSE of

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IMO, Stafford consistantly made terrible decisions with the ball. Maybe only second to Quincy in alltime UGA history. He was a 2 read guy, primary receiver or dump man. He has ALOT of maturing to do personally and professionally.

On a side note, can someone refer Stafford to a barber, the Beatles want their hair back!

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JJ – do agree with you on Cutler going to the Panthers. That would be scary, but like you said, the Panthers don’t have the ammo. They don’t even have a 1st round pick this year, so they won’t be in it, IMO unless they’re ready to unload the house. I disagree on Cutler being the crybaby though. That’s all on McDaniels for being so arrogant and stupid really for even considering trading, arguably, his franchise player.

Huh? – Even though there are some irrational arguments on here about Stafford, the question is not on whether he is a great quarterback, but rather on is if he is as mentally and emotionally ready to take over day 1 and perform the way Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco did. As mentioned earlier, he has all the skills in the world and will be a good qb in the NFL, but lacks consistency from game to game.

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The best advice Ryan could’ve given Stafford was TO STAY IN SCHOOL!!!!! He would’ve been that much more prepared and still would’ve been the #1 overall pick. Not to mention he might not have had the great honor of going to the first winless franchise in NFL history!!!! What a great way to start your career!!!

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Reno – whats up man? Where you been? When we moving back to the DEF argument, because it sounds like our OFF, by all accounts should rock pretty good. Assuming we get a quality TE.

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Some of the comments on here make me sick. Did you ever actually watch a georgia football game? Stafford was a clutch as there was in big situations. He led a bunch of game winning drives in his time at Georgia. And despite this lack of leadership, that’s a joke! He was the glue that held everything together through a season that saw half of his team go down with injuries. Give me a break, talk about something you know something about!

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I’m taking that Robot’s place on here. His whatnot was outrageous. It really was. Ok, now with the pleasantries out of the way, some football talk here on the internets.

Orlando, I’m calling you Atlanta, because you’re writing on our behalf. Enough of that.

I support the draft and the Falcons. Let’s pick a few tacklers this time. We picked a mighty good thrower (centerback is what we use to call them) and a small fast catcher (a wide out is what we called them) last year. Now we need stoppers. We use to call them linemen and linemen backers, defensive backers depending on where they stopped you.

Those were the days.

This team will be good. Ryan is one of the good ones. Is he coming back next year?

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Kudos Atlanta (Orlando) for a well run and respectful blognet.

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NOOKAH-FOOD FOR THOUGHT. when players assemble at the scouting combine and go through the same routines, the results aren’t based on the level of competition they’ve gone up against, or which school they came from. Remember, we’re counting heavily on the healthy return of DT TLewis of little known Washburn college, who had the same questions asked about him. Also, GJackson, the guy TLewis replaced as starter in 07, and will likely replace again, attended little Knoxville college, a school that’s in the same SIAC conference as Stillman college.

Smith’s DEF scheme uses a rotation, so none of our DLinemen are required to be every down linemen. A player like SHill would be an excellent situational player in our rotation. Even though GJackson was a starter, he was nothing more than a situational player himself.

As far as us not having a winning season next yr, it ain’t going to happen. We started last yr uncertain, shakey, inexperienced and limited. We progressed as the season went along and accomplished a lot considering our DEF weaknesses. We’ll start next season confident and minus those early issues of last yr. We’ll have an upgraded OFF(complete TE) and an expanded scheme and playbook. We’ll definitely have an upgraded DEF that will reduce the high rushing and passing yds that last yrs DEF gave up. IT’LL TAKE A LOT MORE THAN A TOUGHER SCHEDULE TO STOP NEXT YRS FALCONS FROM FLYING HIGH.

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Ken Strickerland, you have a keen eye for football and blogging. Nice work. I agree with you on the defensive strategies of our coaching staff. They appear to favor a rotation policies on the defensive line. All of which bodes well for the drafting of additional troops in that area. One on the end of the line and one to tackle in the middle.

George Blanda once told me at a cookout that you can’t tackle an opponent without a good mean lineman. We need another one of those. I hear about this one called Ziggy and I have to admit the name sounds a bit sissy. But I’m willing to set that aside if the kid can play. I know nowadays kids have some crazy names and I shouldn’t hold that against them. My assistant’s name is DePhonizo and he’s a good kid.

Are there good defensive linemen available in the third and fourth rounds of the draft?

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IE’66 : You must have missed the last 2 weeks on this blog, its been all about potential defensive players, no biggy. “ZIGGY” aka Evander Hood has been climbing the charts the last few mock drafts. A damn fine player, but I prefer Ron Brace who is more of a NT, to replace grady. Welcome to the blog!!!

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Ken, my brother, in a word…………….WORD!!!!

That’s exactly why I enjoy blogging on this blog. I always come with an open mind and I always end up learniing something and expanding my perspective.

Very good point Ken. You have allayed my fears.

By the way, I also agree with you when you say we will be much improved for the same reasons you have expounded. In addition to all you have mentioned we will be approaching this season with less distractions (MV situation behind us), more confident and a core of players who will be in the 2nd year of the system. Add to this core some vital pieces and we will be very dangerous!!! Not to speak of the obvious unity in the locker room from top to bottom. AB must be feeling pretty good about the direction his franchise is now heading.

Go Falcons ……..it’s FEEDING TIME!!!!!

Nuff respect!!!!

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I expect Carolina to get in the Cutler sweepstakes, too. How can they sit by after one of the worst playoff performances by a quarterback.

IE’66: Thanks for your kind words. Yeah, we’ve been heavy draft lately. The New Mock will available on Friday. And that’s “PHAT!”

NOOKAH: The MEAC has turned out several pros and Pro Bowlers including the Indy safety Antoine Bethea from Howard. It’s an I-AA conference that usually gets knocked out in the first round of the I-AA playoffs.

BARRY: 1-HB!!!!

DON’T BUY THE HYPE ON Hood. Falcons are big film studiers. They are not going to be impressed by a good Senior Bowl showing. My Missouri folks say the film is real bad on the Zigster. In the words of Public Enemy and Flava Flav, “DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE.”

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Current MEAC NFL players:

Hampton – Justin Durant, LB; Kendall Langford, DE; Onrea Jones, WR; Alonzo Coleman, RB; Marcus Dixon, DE

Howard – Ron Bartell, CB; Antoine Bethea, S; Tracy White, LB; Marques Douglass, DE; Rudolph Hardie, DE; Brandon Torrey, T; Geoffrey Pope, CB;

Bethune – Rashean Mathis, C; Nick Collins, S, Eric Weems, WR; Damion Cook, DT

FAMU- Quinn Gray, QB

NCAT – Will Billingsley, CB; Junius Coston, C; Jason Horton, DB;

SCST – James Lee, G; Chartric Darby, DT;

Morgan – Cliff Lewis, T;

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This is the funniest blog I have ever read. Falcon fans criticizing UGA and Matt Stafford. Oh never mind. I figured it out, April Fools joke on me!!!

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Lynchy Right Now Sports . com (I know, weird name) is a very good sports site. Looking for more sites – Can you recommend?
Peter’s monday morning quarterback is the pinnacle of nfl sports writing – I bet D-led would agree. Pat Yasinskas with espn/nfc/south has chats most fridays that are informative plus stories throughout the week.
However, I always check here first because we have our man-D-LED. okay d, worth $5? lol

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Ken, whats up man good to have you back! I quit reading these blogs for a while, they got so out of hand. Now they are worth reading again. Always good to hear you guys thoughts. Come on draft! Lets go def. tackle first pick. Then maybe some DB’s after that.

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Harry, I’m a big UGA fan, how can you say Stafford doesn’t lead in the huddle? Were you in the huddle? I don’t know how Stafford will do in the pros but I wish him the best and will follow him.

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Terrell, what does “rebuttle” mean? You might want to check yourself before you resort to name-calling next time.

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What’s up, fellas?

Nookah,

Baker looks like a guy who will either make it big, or not at all. Scouting reports say that he has the physical tools in abundance…but lacks the stamina and conditioning. He had some bad off-field incidents that will likely hurt him, but how much is a question. He’s not a first round pick, I think we can be certain of that. So the question is, was he a kid that simply got caught up wrong place/wrong time, and is emminently coachable? And also, what round do you pick him in?

D3,

If Chung is gone, I go with either Moore or Vaughn. However, I wouldn’t be unhappy with Rashad Johnson. Having read more, I’m not sure about Sean Smith. All three guys are noted as having good intangibles. Smith? Not so much. I’ll break down what I see and think about each.

Moore is a big hitter, and he’s great against the run. The knock on him is that his senior season didn’t go as well as his junior one did, stat-wise. Well, apparently there is a reason for that: Moore was brought up near the line of scrimmage a heck of a lot more his senior season? Why? Big hitter, who could probably have played LB in college. The guy makes plays though, and is smart. But you can’t get many interceptions when you’re playing low in the box so much. This guy may be the best safety out there. Really. Even though Delmas improved his draft stock by a large margin, Moore cannot be ignored. And he has the ability to play both safety positions, and more. He’s described as rather versatile, Never a bad thing, ya know?

Chip Vaughn is actually rated lower than Rashad Johnson in some spots. The knock on him is that he has average speed/quickness, and would struggle against wideouts in man-to-man coverage. However, he is also noted as having good intangibles, is described as a blue collar guy, and is great against the run. It’s said that he fits best in the NFL as a SS. Well how about that?

Rashad Johnson gets high marks for his coverage capabilities and very good intangibles. Described as having the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time…damn near all the time. Unfortunately, all the knocks on him are physical: not considered very strong and needs to improve in that area, average speed/quickness/size (and barely average according to some), and not much good against the run, though he will at least try. And many think that what you see is what you get, he won’t get much better. But they’ve been wrong before, so there is that.

Sean Smith is a “potential” pick. If a team has time to work with him, and the right guys to work with him, and he has a good work ethic….then it works. But if you didn’t like how many times I typed the word “work” in the last sentence, then this is not a guy you want. He’s got most of the physical stuff down pat, but there are questions about his ability to be smart out there. He can learn, sure, but in the meantime, if a guy gets beat deep in college, he’ll get beat silly in the pros. That ain’t good. Chances are, he’s a good pick if you want to run him through the drills for a year or two, then put him on the field regularly. If we’re happy with what we have to go to war with right now, then he’s a good pick, but not early in the draft.

Problem is, his wonderful “potential”…yes, THAT dangerous word….will attract somebody and he’ll be gone by the time we should be picking a safety.

My vote is for Moore or Chung. Both guys seem to exhibit the toughness, always around the ball, and leadership that we could really use. After that, Delmas or Vaugh. After that, Johnson.

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Oh please don’t let Jay Cutler go to the Panthers or Buccaneers. Not only is that trouble for us, but no bottle of lotion would be safe with VS2 around. Does that mean he’ll drop Joe Flacco? Say it ain’t so!

I am glad to see that Ryan is getting after it already. No doubt he and his receivers will have an even stronger relationship than they did last year. Good news that Laurent Robinson is healthy. Sure hope he can stay that way. By the way, did it occur to anybody that Ryan’s work in the weight room will probably make him STRONGER? Watch that arm…

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Hate to bring the USC linebacker stuff back up, but I just had to watch the results of the USC pro day. All I can say is that all three LBs looked good, especially Clay Matthews.

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Ken Strick – right on about the SEC being the best, no question. You gott a fav. SEC team?

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Sorry if this is a re-post. This blog eats posts like Andre Smith at Burger King….Doooh!

All right guys, a little slow for a while, but finished with a bang with late, great analyses from Big Ray and Ken Strick, as usual. Gotta run, but I’ll leave you with a little research as food for thought for tonight and tomorrow. I went back to 2004 and looked at DT’s drafted after #20, which would be close to our pick. The results are not conclusive, but DT’s don’t get a lot of credit for many things they do, such as pusing the pile, pressure, closing running lanes, creating pile-ups, etc. See what you think:

Marcus Tubbs (#24 – 2004)
Tackles 60
Sacks 7.0
(averaged 7.5 tackles and about 1 sack a year)

Luis Castillo (#28 – 2005)
Tackles 158
Sacks 14.5
(averaged 39.5 tackles and about 4 sacks a year)

Mike Patterson (#31 – 2005)
Tackles 205
Sacks 9.5
(averaged 51 tackles and about 2 sacks a year)

John McCargo (#26 – 2006)
Tackles 35
Sacks 2.5
(averaged about 12 tackles and about 1 sack a year)

Justin Harrell (#16 – 2007)
Tackles 28
Sacks 0
(averaged 14 tackles a year)

Kentwan Balmer (#29 – 2008)
Tackles 7
Sacks 0

Catch you guys on the flip side. Have a good one.

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Sorry NOOGAH:

Haven’t been rolling with HAMPTON since my man JOE TAYLOR left town. Used to follow his players closely here at VIRGINIA UNION. What I’ve read on CHRIS is pretty much what you have as well. Haven’t seen him mentioned at all in the local paper in RICHMOND.

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There is no dought that the Falcons can develop the type of chemistry that the Colts have. Hearing that Laurent Robinson is doing well is no surprise i thought the previous season was going to be his break out season because he is talented and has had time to adjust to NFL game speed. Also, dont forget about Harry Douglas he also has one year under is belt and a load of untapped potential and talent still in him.

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The falcons are said to have lined up an interview with Jarron Gilbert. http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=72823&draftyear=2009&genpos=DE I’ll let you guy’s check it out and see what you make of it. Thought I’d share my observations on Dimitroff and Smith. Over the years I’ve seem a lot of failing Franchises go outside their systems. They select assistants from winning programs to put their houses in order. This is pretty much what Arthur did with Dimmitroff , Step two in the process usually involves the newly elevated brain trust attempting to clone the successful programs that they’d come from into their new surroundings. Most fail. Check the numbers. Why do they fail? Most suck because they simply weren’t as good as the guys they worked for. They were good assistants but if they try for a hundred years that’s all they’ll ever be. I think that the really great coaches, and GM’s were very good assistants. They worked hard. They consistently did what was asked of them to the best of their abilities. Where they differ from the guys that fall flat on their faces is that always at the back of their minds rest the nagging notion that given the chance they could do it better. Great coaches aren’t followers they’re innovators. They have systems identified with them .The West coast offense, cover two, run and shoot the list goes on. What I’m getting at is that I have no earthly idea where Smith and Dimmitroff are going, but I strongly suspect that someday there will be a name for it.

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Fellow interneters, I have copyright and trademark protection in the word Dimitroffootball. Please contact me before use. Thank you.

My assistant DePhonizo tells me that if the defensive end Michael Johnson from Georgia Tech slips into the second round that the Falcons will trade up (their second and fourth round selections) to take him. He is usually correct. And prepares a good muffin, English-style.

When did we stop writing foot-ball and start writing football? I’m guilty of it too.

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DOL – Agreed. Just using pure stats and draft history over the last 5 years, shows that picking a DT in the late first round has a low probability of success, around a 33% success rate.

And before I get lamblasted by the DT-first guys, I know these are only stats and its impossible to gauge things like closing running lanes, qb pressure, creating pile, etc. so I’m not saying it wouldn’t be successful, just that there are more guys that become fairly average (Tubbs, McCargo, Harrell, Balmer), than do that are studs (Castillo, Patterson).

More research to come……….

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Mark, I know two UGA quarterbacks that have done pretty well, Fran Tarkenton and Hines Ward. Both of those are Hall of Famers.

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Ok, so Hines didn’t play QB at the pro level, but your original challenge was “QB from the University of Georgia”. And Hines played some QB at Georgia.

I understand your point. Eric Z, Greene, Shock, those guys haven’t accomplished much if anything at the pro level. But with that said, I don’t think you can say that will affect Stafford’s chances. He may or may not succeed but if he doesn’t it won’t have anything to do with his time at Georgia.

Of course, he should have stayed one more year.

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FOR THE COUNT. Agree Stafford should had stayed one more year. My original challenge was a UGA QB who had a successful career in the NFL. Hines did not. No biggie though.

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Mr. (Atlanta) Ledbetter, please use your journalist credentials to secure us blognet readers an interview with this Ziggy Jarron Gilbert fellow. I’m not sure what all this talk about him playing cornerback. He seems to have the perfect size for defensive nose tackle. (We use to call that position the center-tackler or middle-center-guard depending on where you were from.)

What did we decide on that Laurent chap? Canadian French or just French? I’m not sure I know how to use the google.

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Sorry,
had to get that off my chest.
I am still for Clay Matthews for our First pick.
He had a strong Pro day, and we have a chance of him being there if New England doesn’t snag him. And If he is good enough for New England, He is good enough for me.
If he isn’t then I would definite take Perry, Ziggy or Ron.
We need Dline and Linebacker help bad.

Go Birds..

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Hey Ken, Stafford still want make it in the NFL.

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I’ve got an ex-wife that teaches at FAMU and one that teaches at South Carolina State. With the checks I write to those ladies, I must fund half of the athletics in the SIAC.

When Coach Ross was at Tech, he and I would sometimes watch those SIAC games. There was some talent on those fields. And the dance teams were good too, just don’t marry one.

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DLed: I was a freshman WR on that 1983 Joe Taylor 1-9 Bison Team, what a miserable year. Still cant figure why you bench All-MEAC QB Sandy Nichols for HD Woodson’s Kenny “I’m the Man” Jones?

My 2nd yr under Coach J wasnt much better, but we eventually turned that program around. And had a good run for about 10 years afterward, but looks like ship has sunk again.

Was surprised to see so many Bison in the league, despite the school record in recent years . I guess we owe that to Coach Steve Wilson, he brought an NFL pedigree and they have been getting good looks ever since.

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nuff said!

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Jay Cutler to the Bears for 2009 & 2010 first round picks plus a 2009 third round pick plus Kyle Orton. What a steep price to pay but I gues when you are in the desert for many many days, a sip of water will seem like a river to you!!! Also grateful he did not go to Tampa!!!

Thank God we got Matty!!!!!

Go Falcons!!!

Nuff respect

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One more thing….how will this change the dynamics of the draft?

That question is a blog within D LED’s blog!!!!

Nuff respect!!

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Well, I called it yesterday that Denver was going to make a move……just didn’t see Chicago in the mix. List of teams going after Stafford grows shorter.

I hope he likes the Browns uniforms.

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@JG “I am tired of everyone blaming Cutler.
I have nothing to do with the guy, and don’t care about Denver.
But, If I hear another Sports talk station call him a baby, I am gonna get sick. He had a 32 year old punk come in and try throw his weight around.”

x2…Now you’re preaching the Gospel. McDaniels is a complete idiot and I wouldn’t want to be him for the next two years. The Bears just upgraded tremendously and McDaniels has destroyed a really good offense.

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Report on Foxsports.com, ……Raji tested positive at combine, drug not identified.

Well, well, well, what will that do to the draft now or does anybody care? How will he be seen by other teams?

Will he fall to #24?

Go Falcons!!!

Nuff respect!!!

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What’s goin’ on Bird-Cage bloggers? Crazy deal with Cutler, huh. Man, I was shocked when I was listening to the radio and heard it was the Bears. I mean, they gave up a lot in 2 first round draft picks, but if they could develop or sign a receiver or 2, than they would be contender in the NFC, JMHO, with their DEF and Stud RB Matt Forte. McDaniels better hopes he wins, and quick, because its all on him. What an arrogant jack@ss to even consider trading your best player.

Falcon21 – agreed. After watching Stafford up close for 3 years, he has all the talent in the world, he just needs to get some more mental and emotional maturing. He definitely could have benefited from coming back for his senior year, but I think he has a chance to become a good NFL QB.

Ken Strick – what’s up coach? You’re exactly right on prognosticating if Stafford will be successful, truth is nobody knows. Its all about the situation. Matty Ice just came in with a perfect storm in the hiring of TD and Smitty.

Crabapple – couldn’t side with you more on McDaniels. The guy came in with that brazen, arrogant Belichick attitude and has totally screwed himself in my opinion. With Kyle Orton replacing Jay Cutler, no RB’s, and one of their best players, Brandon Marshall, out until July because of surgery, they could totally tank. Also, did you see how many free-agents they picked up? Like 15 or something crazy. Completely opposite of TD’s method of getting a couple of key guys, and building through the draft.

marko – whats the word? I’m glad you brought that up about Pettigrew. I was looking on AF.com, and noticed that Pettigrew is still the conscensus pick for the Falcons, but I don’t see it either with all our needs on DEF. And seeing how deep the TE’s are, it would be hard to imagine.

JG – I still have a hard time giving up on Matthews as well. The guy has an amazing work ethic and would set us at LB for years and years. As DOL said, Raji and Jerry were the only DT’s that graded out in first round. I’m doing a little research on the success rate 1st round draft picks of DT and OLB, just to see.

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Not.

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SCOOTER-what’s up my friend. I’m excited about the new attitude of the current blogs as well.

I think we can forget about us drafting TE BPettigrew, since the Eagles pick ahead of us and they need a TE more than we do. I don’t know if we’ll benefit from the Cuttler trade to Chicago. Every mock draft I saw, except one, had them taking a DEF player, usually a DE. If Denver decides to take an OFF player with their pick, then we’ll benefit. Most mock drafts have Denver taking a DEF player with their 1st pick, so they might go OFF with Chicago’s #18 pick.

The Raji situation could hurt us only if we targeted a DT with our 1st pick. It could cause Raji to drop in the draft, which would benefit the team willing to take a chance on him. It would also cause the other DT’s to move up in the draft.

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Whoever said that Stafford will be the next Elway is crazy. He’s the next Jeff George. HUGE arm, lots of potential, but never quite lived up to it because he would either 1) be behind a terrible line, or 2) wouldn’t check down his receivers. Stafford may live up to some expectations, but in all honesty, you look at Matt Ryan who started three of four years in college in a pro-style offense. He stayed to graduate and ended up looking like the next big thing in the NFL for years to come. Also, no embarrassing photos of him being overweight and power lifting a keg. See the difference?

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Nfldraftbible.com is reporting Cushing and Matthews both tested positive for steroids and Percy Harvin and Vontae Davis tested positive for Marijuana at the combine. WTF! Who’s next? We might trade down now if this is true.

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Richbrave were you around when JT and Kenny Jones tore the CIAA up, I believe Big Ben Wallace was hooping for Union about the same time.

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