Dimitroff takes us inside the draft room
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff (L) and head coach Mike Smith (R) welcome first round pick Peria Jerry. (KENT D. JOHNSON/AJC)
THE WAR ROOM – Well, today Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff drops by the blog. This is about as close as I can get us to the real war room.
After all of the picks are made, Dimitroff comes down and does a de-briefing of the draft. I like to get his scouting break down on the lesser known second-day picks.
Here’s how the reigning executive of the year broke things down.
TD ON THIRD ROUND PICK CHRIS OWENS, CB, San Jose State: “Chris Owens for us is a combination of a very physical and aggressive corner. He comes to the table with a lot of speed. He’s a sub-4.5 guy. He’s actually a lower 4.4 guy. He’s around a 4.43 player. He’s increasing our speed in the secondary. Increases our physicality and has very good ball skills. He’s gotten his hands on a lot of balls. He definitely brings an element of urgency to our defense as well.”
TD ON FOURTH ROUND PICK LAWRENCE SIDBURY, DE, Richmond: “Lawrence was brought in here as a rush end type. He is a good athlete with what we believe is some serious upside. He as the ability to get off the mark quickly, to get up field. He has the (ability) to turn the corner and rush the passer. He is still a little bit raw and needs to grow in a number of areas. . . we were surprised to get him there in the fourth round. He ended up falling to us.”
Dimitroff and Smith during Jerry's presser.
TD ASIDE on SPEED: “You guys are going to be seeing this theme. Everyone one of these guys except for the offensive lineman has speed. When you go on the field in the training camps and OTAs you are going to see an increased level of speed.”
BACK TO SIDBURY: “He’s a 4.54 in our books. If he can continue to learn to rush the passer and continue to learn you have a legitimate DPR – defensive pass rush guy. He’s still developing.”
TD ON FIFTH ROUND PICK WILLIAM MIDDLETON, CB, Furman: (He’s a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. — 1-07-Mu Pi. — so we know he’s tough!!!) “He’s a low 4.4 guy for us as well. He came here to our local workout. . . He’s another aggressive defensive back. . . He comes in aggressively to support the run. He’s aggressive to the ball and he has nice ball skills. Combine that with his speed and ability to transition, he makes good usage of his footwork. We think he’s got growth potential to add to our depth in the secondary.”
ASIDE ON LEADERSHIP: “These three guys that we just talked about, in their programs, they are deemed as captain types. Just like last year, each guy was at the top of their programs in terms of leading their team mates. We really feel strongly about the type of work ethic and character that these players have.”
Garrett Reynolds in action.
TD ON FIFTH ROUND PICK GARRETT REYNOLDS, OT, North Carolina: “Another player that we were happy to get in the fifth round. For us he has the ability to play right tackle and possibly swing to the left tackle in a pinch. Ideally, he’s a right tackle for us. He’s strong, stout, big offensive lineman who has got a good awareness about him. He is tough. He fits in with our style on the right side right now with (Tyson) Clabo and Harvey Dahl.”
ASIDE on Reynolds: (Falcons thought about adding another cornerback and flooding the position): “We were looking at our board and we brought over a couple of offensive linemen. We’d just taken Middleton and went, back-to-back corners. We didn’t want to take three corners. We wanted a guy who could compete for a roster position here and develop into a solid offensive lineman in the National Football League. We deviated from defense, but it was one of the positions along the offensive line where we felt we need to build depth.”
TD ON SIXTH ROUND PICK LAWRENCE ADKINS, LB, The U: “He was a part-time starter and player there. He’s been in and out of the starting lineup. We like his upside. He’s another fast guy who ran 4.49 for us. He moves well laterally . . . He flies around. He’s tough upon impact. We feel that we have an opportunity to have a player on the field who can help contribute on special teams as well and continue to grow in the linebacker role. He’s an outside guy. He has (weakside) ability.”
ON SEVENTH ROUND PICK VANCE WALKER, DT, Georgia Tech: “We saw a guy who has some versatility to him. He has some natural leverage ability about him, to be able to hold the point. But also combines that with some upfield ability. He can be a one-gap guy which is very important in Mike Smith’s scheme and his
Vance Walker in action at Georgia Tech.
scheme going forward. . . Vance was another top notch leader in his program.”
TD on THE OVERALL THEME: “We wanted to get more urgent. We wanted to get more faster. We wanted to build with all-in, leadership-type guys that are dedicated to the program. We accomplished all of those things.”
TD ON THE DALLAS TRADE: (After taking Middleton, the Falcons pulled off a trade with the Dallas Cowboys. They sent the 143rd pick to Dallas for the 156th and picked up the 210th pick, the first pick of the seventh round.) “At that time we continued to think that we could move down and get another pick and still get who we were looking for in the fifth round.”
TD GIVE UPDATE ON THE LINEBACKER UNIT: ” We were happy to have (Michael Peterson) come in along with Curtis Lofton inside. We targeted a couple of linebackers in the draft that didn’t fall to us. (Brian Cushing was the only true LB taken before the Falcons picked 24th.) They went off the board a little early. We understood that we were not going to come away with every need early on in the draft. We were pretty calculated in our approach. We felt by getting a defensive lineman, pulling the safety off the board and then corner off the board that we addressed three of the four areas on defense. With Stephen Nicholas stepping up, in our mind, to be a legitimate contributor in the base defense, we feel like we are sitting quite sound in our linebacker group.”
TD ON THE CROWDED CORNERBACK MEETING ROOM: “We want competition going into training camp. Our feelings are that the more competition and the more speed, the better. We feel we have with our present
Omegaman Middleton putting his pads on some poor receiver.
players and the players coming in, a great forum for a very competitive training camp. I feel we are going to come out of that with a good solid group of cornerbacks.”
TD ON THE SAFETY SITUATION: Is it Moore, DeCoud and Fudge competing for the strong safety spot? “It will be up to Mike Smith. William is more of strong safety given his size and ability to come up and light up the ball carry. But he also has the range and he has more versatility than what was presented at the Senior Bowl. We really believe he has the ability to be in the deep part of the football field. There is some versatility there. We are happy to have Erik Coleman here with his veteran leadership and veteran status. He’s going to be a nice mentor for this young safety group. Thomas DeCoud, we are excited about his upside. We think he is going to continue to grow. He’s got nice speed and ability to cover the field. In my mind there are going to be three or four safeties on this team who can be legitimate contributors no matter who is called upon. ”
So there you have it, Dimitroff takes us into the war room and gives us a retrospective inside look on the Falcons draft? Do you have any post draft concerns? Like the second-day guys? Wonder if Reynolds has any insight on why his uncle sawed the car in half? Can Owens win a starting cornerback spot or are you comfortable with the Houston/Grimes tandem?
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181 comments Add your comment
Jesse
April 30th, 2009
1:06 pm
“At that time we continued to think that we could move down and get another pick and still get who we were looking for in the fifth round.”
Well, was Reynolds that guy? Or was it the linebacker from Ohio State (Freeman?) who went a few picks earlier than Reynolds?
D. Orlando Ledbetter
April 30th, 2009
1:07 pm
Had to be Reynolds.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
April 30th, 2009
1:08 pm
I called Freeman’s agent leading up to the draft and there had been no contact with the Falcons.
G State Ben
April 30th, 2009
1:35 pm
Especially helpful considering Tyson Clabo will be an UFA next season. If Reynolds can step in, great. If not, he provides quality depth and that’s what you want from a late round pick.
Reno 911
April 30th, 2009
1:36 pm
Good insights. It’ll be interesting to see all of those corners competing for roster spots. A young secondary, standing out among a very young team overall. Along with the schedule, another reason why I think the Falcons are contenders in 2010 much moreso than 2009. Not that I’m hoping they won’t have a winning season this year; I just think they’re too young to really shut offenses down this fall. Just my opinion, though. Gotta love the fact that the Falcons have excellent coaching, across the board, and will likely maximize what talent and ability all of these players have and turn them into contributors, a la the offensive line last year (a relatively sub-par collection of talent playing together way above their heads.)
Another question to mull: will the addition of Gonzalez and another year of seasoning for Ryan add up to reduced carries for Turner? I can’t see how he has another 350+ carry year and is the dominant runner that the Falcons will need for a SB run in 2010. The numbers don’t lie, and history shows that rbs that rack up that many carries over a year almost never sustain their productivity. (I believe Turner had 370 carries last year). Combined with the ability of the defensive line to produce pressure with the front four and the maturation of the secondary, the reduced carries for Turner (and a distribution of balls to Brown, Norwood, and in the short game to Gonzalez) will be the key to whether the Falcons are in striking range for a conference or league championship.
mountain_jim
April 30th, 2009
1:43 pm
Jesse asked my question and thanks DLed for answering. Great blog!
Whopper Dawg
April 30th, 2009
1:43 pm
I feel better. Logic there. It seems miles and miles from Mr. McKay. Especially like the emphasis on high character guys, I think that will pay a lot of dividends.
Marcus
April 30th, 2009
1:46 pm
Looking the collegiate SR and JR classes for 2009-201-, are there any studly LBs to address that need?
Reading other draft coverage (SI, ESPN, Sporting News), some folks felt this year was deep with DBs, talent across the range but a lot of good-to-decent prospects. In the total scope of the available DBs, how do Middleton and Owens measure up?
JMar
April 30th, 2009
1:47 pm
A bit early for predictions, but who do you think is going to make this team at cornerback? Are Grimes, Hutchins, Houston, Owens, Middleton, and Jackson all going to make the team? Is Irons out? Who starts and who plays nickel? With the return of Hutchins, Grimes, and two new draft picks, we’re going to have some serious talent riding the bench if we can’t work out a trade in the preseason.
gdg73
April 30th, 2009
1:52 pm
Please Ledbetter, stop it with the Cushing lovefest. TD was not talking about drafting Brian Cushing when he mentioned LBs that failed to fall to us. This guy had DT on his mind in the first round. LB was what he wanted in the third, fourth and fifth. When the particular LB he wanted wasn’t there, thats when TD started picking corners.
MiltonDawg
April 30th, 2009
1:53 pm
Great draft overall. I liked Grimes last year but felt like he missed a lot of plays. Should be interesting back in the secondary..so do we have Moore/Coleman as Safeties and a toss up for CBs?? Still think we could’ve drafted another LB instead of add’l corners.
dee
April 30th, 2009
1:55 pm
This is a damn good article! Thanks Orlando! Thomas Dimitroff really knows his football!
Left to Right
April 30th, 2009
1:58 pm
I wish the Falcons had more help at OLB, but next year’s draft seems to be fairly deep with them, so perhaps next year is the better year to draft for that position. Because the Falcons are, of course, still in “the process” of building up the team.
Pen
April 30th, 2009
2:02 pm
Orlando, did you get any insight on the UDFAs we signed? The one I am most excited about is Aaron Kelly, particularly since he is a local Walton boy.
Matt
April 30th, 2009
2:02 pm
My boy in Chicago said that freeman has a bad knee or knees and it could be a problem in a few years thats why he dropped to the 5th.
Terrible Truth
April 30th, 2009
2:04 pm
Glad to see we have people in charge who know that defense wins championships. We could still use some more beef on the O-line but…
Falcons Lost in space then and now
April 30th, 2009
2:08 pm
only time will about the draft the rest is only hope!
leggomyego
April 30th, 2009
2:12 pm
What’s the word on Von Hutchins these days? I know that Grimes/Houston was our best option last year, but won’t Hutchins be in that conversation now as well? I know initially he was acquired as a veteran nickle guy for us, but I just wanted to throw it out there. And what about Chevous Jackson? He played a decent nickle for us, was opportunistic on occasion… Speed for him could be a factor, but watching him I recall he had no problems playing the role of ‘physical corner.’ Both are larger corners in comparison to Grimes, i’m wondering if that fact has any play at all. Like you, i expect the men to beat will indeed by Grimes/Houston, however i do think there might be a little room for speculation here. Just call me the guy who’s stirring up all the CB stink on the boards today…
JFLA
April 30th, 2009
2:13 pm
Great article, Orlando…..it’s great that TD is willing to give you the time to give some insight to what the thought process is and how it played out….Some GMs would rather have their eyes put out than give a candid, insightful answer….Of course, what we would REALLY like to hear are the candid comments about the ‘higher rated” players we passed up and why…..Those judgements are confidential and rightfully so, but I guarantee that TD could give you a direct answer on each seemingly ‘higher rated’ player who was bypassed…..
leggomyego
April 30th, 2009
2:14 pm
I’d also like to state in advance, for the record, that i think Grimes did a heck of a job last year considering his size and more importantly, lack of experience. He’s appears to be a smart kid with some grit, and you know us Southern boys and our grits… gotta love that. I got no prob with Grimes taking that side, especially if we can get a pass rush to help those boys out.
G-HooK
April 30th, 2009
2:25 pm
Great blog D-Led, thanks.
Thought this was interesting: “With Stephen Nicholas stepping up in our mind to be a legitimate contributor in the base defense, we fell like we are sitting quite sound in our linebacker group.”
So the Falcons must like what they see from Nicholas. I guess he’s the favorite to start over Wire?
clthurman
April 30th, 2009
2:27 pm
If these new CB’s cant beat out Grimes/Houston who flat out suck then we got a good 5th on the Tackle from NC and maybe on the Tech lineman. Anybody who was impressed with Grimes, Irons and Houston must have been high when watching the games. And this whole Nichols is ready to make an impact….sure hope he does better in practice than what he has shown on the field..cuz it aint been much.
Olskool
April 30th, 2009
2:27 pm
good article JLed. I take back most of the things I’ve thought and said about you. anyway, i look forward to not only these picks developing but last years picks to continue to develop and step up. My sleeper player is S Nichols at OLB. People keep bringing up how we lost Boley and Brooking but Peterson and Nichols along with an improved Lofton could make it a stronger unit in 09
uga_b
April 30th, 2009
2:27 pm
D-Led, my biggest unanswered question is how they feel about the guys coming back from IR? We hear about Trey some, but we are also getting Robert James (LB), Thomas Brown (RB), and Renardo Foster (T) back. Are they expected to compete? Any plans to cut them?
As far as corner goes, three are pretty much guaranteed spots: Houston, Jackson, and Hutchins. I think Grimes may have to fight but has inside track. Owens should make it unless Middleton or Irons seriously outplays him.
My guess is Irons is gone; I think I remember some issues with the staff. Middleton would have to beat out Grimes, which would be the battle to watch. Owens would have to fall flat on his face as a 3rd rounder.
Poor McKay
April 30th, 2009
2:27 pm
If Hutchins was brought in to be the nickel CB last year, then doesn’t Chevis get first crack at starting opposite of Houston? I won’t pretent that I know jack about the second CBs, but hopefully they will fuel some competition with Houston, Jackson, Grimes, Irons & Hutchins.
uga_b
April 30th, 2009
2:29 pm
G-Hook, Wire is WLB (weakside) and Nicholas is SLB (strongside). Nicholas may be able to slide inside but that’s manned down by Lofton. So they aren’t competing. Everyone is competing with Peterson who can play all 3. Probably going to be relegated to competing for SLB and backing up MLB.
bushwacker
April 30th, 2009
2:33 pm
Did I miss it or did he not speak on our first pick Jerry?
Khao$
April 30th, 2009
2:34 pm
Dled,do you teach at any of the schools at the AUC? Off subject, I attend the ITC and I was going through Robert Woodruff online library. I looked under instructers and low and behold, I saw Orlando Ledbetter. Coincidence?
D Money
April 30th, 2009
2:35 pm
I’m excited about the team and I believe that we did get a couple of steels in this draft. However, I was thinking LB instead of the second corner we took from Furman. But there are always cap casualties that become available.
country boy
April 30th, 2009
2:35 pm
Thanks for the info in the article. Hate to be a bit negative but I seldom hear about a GM or coach talking down the players they drafted. I do agree with the picks as Dimitroff and Smitty earned my respect last year – however I just cann’t get comfortable with our LB’s. We seem thin and I thought we should have looked at more than a part time starter with upside.
Nookah
April 30th, 2009
2:38 pm
Great article D LED. Thanks for the incite from the man himself. There is obviously one theme going through the talent we are assembling….SPEED…. at all positions bar none.
I am actually very excited when I look at the CB and Safety positions. There is so much competition and the aforementioned speed there that I think we will put a much improved product on the field. Apart from that, when you look at the additions on the front line (DT) and the added depth in the LBacking corpe, we are going to be a significantly improved defense.
The record we achieve from this tough schedule that we now face this season, will be defined by how good our defense plays as we will be facing some teams that can put numbers on the board. It is therefore imperative that our defense performs at a high level consistently. I know we will be putting numbers on the board also but we will have to be able to stop the likes of the New England offense with the return of Brady, we face Drew Brees and the pass happy offense twice, Carolina always has good close games against us and we have them twice and the list goes on and on. Furthermore we face some very tough teams on the road, and not to mention those we face after they come off bye weeks. Notwithstanding all of that, I think we will go 10-6 or at worst case 9-7.
Good job TD and the drafting crew. Again I can’t emphasize enough (did it in an earlier blog) the job done by our Scouting Crew. Nuff respect to them!!
Go Falcons!!!!
Nuff respect everytime!!!!
Falcon Devil
April 30th, 2009
2:41 pm
Great article, temporarily quneched my desparate Falcons thirst. Grimes is a scrub and belongs on the practice squad. I have alot of faith in Houston making great imporvements, he has flashes of elite ability but his young age shows in his blown coverages last year. I’m starting to feel our defense could easily be in the 10-20th rankings and our offense being top 3.
Falcon Devil
April 30th, 2009
2:42 pm
quenched*
Falcon Devil
April 30th, 2009
2:53 pm
Even though our schedule is tough I am not worried. Might be unjustified confidence but I see 9-7 winning the conference this year. Bucs will suck, Carolina will be mediocre and the Saint will be the real competition. I can see them picking up Edge which will really make them dangerous but their defense is still suspect. Take care of business in the division and we will go deep in the playoffs.
**Frederick(Bailey)Douglass**
April 30th, 2009
2:56 pm
DOL,
I like the ENTHUSIASM TEAM!!!
Very good article. This is what the fans want: some insight into what the GM is/was thinking. Clearly, he wants to create some intense battles on the defensive side of the ball this year at CB, S and SS. This is GOOD!! These positions make or break a game/season. I want us to find some CBs that don’t mind mixing it up a little.
This may be the two best consecutive drafts in Falcons history. This stuff makes sense! There are no random TEs or premadonna WRs/CBs…no project lineman or weirdo punters. This draft is filled with competitors..and not all of THEM will make the team.
The Birds are stockpiling talent. Period.
Question Que: Do you think that we will consider signing the linebacker from the Steelers??? He would be a great addition to our group…albeit costly.
FBD
Talented Tenth D
Mac
April 30th, 2009
3:07 pm
Good stuff, Darryl. Keep up the good work.
J-Mo
April 30th, 2009
3:16 pm
Has TD mentioned anything about signing the next wave of free agents to upgrade our LB position? Traditionally, there are a number of players cut around June 1 (of course, we don’t know who that will be yet). What about Derrick Brooks? He’d be a great leader on the Defensive side and a great mentor.
As for our schedule … remember, Carolina, New Orleans, and Tampa (Tampa doesn’t worry me at all next year) also have very tough schedules. We might not finish 1 or 2 in the conference, but we absolutely can win our division. Anything can happen in the playoffs!!! You just gotta make it there first!!
ron moody
April 30th, 2009
3:19 pm
It appears that TD and Coach Smith had a great draft because they don’t look for athletic self-centered headliners. They look for players who earned the respect of their teammates whether in Division 1 or div2, as TD says “The Team Captain Type”, who also possess the tools and desire necessary to bring the high effort and consistent results on every play they are on the field. This may sound to some to be a no brainer, but when you look at who passed on the players we picked, maybe all GM’s and coaches haven’t broken the code yet. We will win again this year because our leadership functions with a sense of unity and our coaches are knowledgeable,experinced, and focused on developing a champion.The program starts with Mr.Blank’s trust and support of his management team and now a coaching staff that has spent a challenging season together, and players that have given their all to one another. Without having to endure a change in coaches,offensive schemes,defensive schemes and etc., and with the addition of more urgency and speedy new players this team will exceed our expectations. GOOOOOOOO FalconSSSSS
D. Orlando Ledbetter
April 30th, 2009
3:24 pm
Was working the Schultz plan today. Get the blog up in a hour, then spend two hours correcting. Sensed y’all needed something to munch on.
Champ
April 30th, 2009
3:26 pm
“Increases our physicality and has very good ball skills. He’s gotten his hands on a lot of balls…” sounds like he is describing Esera Tuaolo. HEY NOW! I’ll be here all week…
Mike
April 30th, 2009
3:28 pm
Good work team, I’m anxious to see how the competition at corner plays out. I also would’ve been interested to know why we passed on Duke Robinson. I didn’t know about Middleton at first, but good to know he’s frat. I hope he can cover. Roo Team- 7-2005-A
gabuldawg
April 30th, 2009
3:42 pm
It is great to see a bloc on AJC that sticks to the point and actually has people who know the sport. I’ve been a fan since the mid 70’s through thick and thin. I’m new to blogging though so help me out! I had to watch this draft out on the ocean while back on another combat deployment. I got up at midnight to watch all of the first day but missed the 2nd day since they decided not to show it out here. I was impressed but also surprised that we addressed as much as we did with quality players and quality men. We need to lock up TD for another 10 years. I’m looking at who we selected as well as well as who we signed as free agents and I’m concerned still about linebackers. We just don’t have many. There will be little competition in camp and we don’t have any cushion for injuries. After Loften, Nicholas, Wire & Peterson, we are really thin. Do ya’ll see anyone that we might go after to sign going into camp.
PMC
April 30th, 2009
3:45 pm
Thanks DOL for the interview. Great stuff.
Unca' Bob
April 30th, 2009
3:58 pm
gabuldawg
According to the Falcon’s current roster there will be at least 12 competing for the LB slots.
AGTFan
April 30th, 2009
4:00 pm
Thanks D-LED. Great Blog today. It was really nice to get inside the mind of one of the best GMs in the game today.
Brian Hunt
April 30th, 2009
4:03 pm
Anybody know what Hutchin’s cap number is this year? I think that he may be the odd man out if the draft picks show they can play. Hutchins is probably as good as he’s going to get, while the others show more potential. If there isn’t a big difference in their level of play his salary will become a factor.
Thor Hiney
April 30th, 2009
4:06 pm
I haven’t see this mentioned….The Reynolds kid is the son of Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds. Reynolds played Mike linebacker for the Rams for 13 years I think.
Also, I believe that the Falcons still have Will backer Tony Taylor and RB Thomas Brown on their injured reserve (both had season ending injuries pre-season last yr) and Smith liked both of them…especially Tayor….and it looked like both were going to make the team. Taylor is a versatile OLB type that made plays against the run and the pass at UGA so he should be able to provide good quality depth for the Falcons.
Chelsea Alpharetta Blues
April 30th, 2009
4:10 pm
Thor – I think they cut Tony Taylor and signed another Dawg Tony Gilbert.
gabuldawg
April 30th, 2009
4:23 pm
Unca Bob, I see what you are saying. I only see 10 on the roster but I may have missed the other 2. Of those 10, the only one I forgot about was Tony Gilbert. The other 5 are the one LB from Miami and 4 undrafted LB’s. Maybe one will surprise us but if the injury bug hits, I’m not sure TD doesn’t start looking around.
froggy
April 30th, 2009
4:27 pm
Good stuff…Sidbury is an intriguing pick, if he delivers on his promise my boy Biermann could be gone, which I’d hate to see. Kroy does need to get bigger and stronger if he is going to stick long term (what John Runyan did to him in the Philly game was just brutal to watch). How many situational pass rushers will you carry — probably just one out of 4 DE’s? KB had the same number of sacks (2) as Jamaal last year, but there seem to be no indications our #1 underachiever is on the bubble or likely to be cut — any thoughts on that ?
gabuldawg
April 30th, 2009
4:33 pm
I think Jamall gets one more year. If he doesn’t show any improvement, I think TD will look to grab a DE in the draft. Of course, that all depends on how Kroy and Sidbury do.
billy
April 30th, 2009
4:51 pm
Orlando any news if the Falcons might be interested in Leroy Hill the Seattle line backer?
Lil'Dave
April 30th, 2009
4:56 pm
Hill has had legal issues with the hippie lettuce in the past so I doubt it.
uga_b
April 30th, 2009
5:00 pm
Tony Taylor was cut last year. Rumor was he talked too much. Gilbert is a real solid special teamer.
Thor Hiney
April 30th, 2009
5:00 pm
Chelsea…I don’t know if they signed Gilbert, but they did sign Haynes.
Deangelo Falls
April 30th, 2009
5:14 pm
What’s up with the Verron Haynes signing? 3rd down back? I thought Snelling did a good job with that and plus Thomas Brown looked good before he got hurt.
ernisTbass
April 30th, 2009
5:15 pm
I was dissappointed to see how Jerry pronounces his first name. I thought it was Per iah Jerry not Per Ray as shown in the AJC. It would have been neet to see Periah Jerry lined up beside Miriah Cary and it would have been the Periah and Miriah post game show and stuff. Oh, nevermind, that was J Anderson I was thinking about, I get em mixed up all the time. You know, two highly paid entertainers that can’t play football.
chc4
April 30th, 2009
5:18 pm
We signed Haynes for depth. He’s certainly no lock to make the team… in fact it’s probably less than 50-50. With Turner, Norwood, Snelling and T. Brown, Haynes will have a hard time. His best hope is to be kept as a backup FB/RB/special teamer. For that to happen Snelling would have to bomb in training camp.
D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
April 30th, 2009
5:48 pm
REYNOLDS IS HACKSAW’S NEPHEW.
Kaho: Adjunct Prof at CAU. Have a JD. Teach Communications Law and a Multimedia class.
What’s up with the Drew Bennett visit?
Don’t think there’s any interest in Leroy Hill.
Haynes is a nice guy and strong supporter of the Sandy Springs Saints little league football program. He was in Athens at Georgia’s pro day talking to scouts, trying to get back in the league. Guess it worked out for him.
Gumbo
April 30th, 2009
5:55 pm
Just wanted to jump in and agree with many – damn good article and good insight. We just didn;t get that kind of stuff from the “NFL Network” guy. Thanks D.O.
Glad to hear TO mention Nicholas – saw him play a lot when I lived in Tampa, and he was an absolute monster at USF.
dave
April 30th, 2009
6:05 pm
Comment of the day:
(name deleted)
April 30th, 2009
1:55 pm
This is a damn good article! Thanks Orlando! Thomas Dimitroff really knows his football!
Ya reckon? Glad his knowledge impresses you.
KC
April 30th, 2009
6:08 pm
I think Middleton would have been there in the seventh or even UFA. They could have taken one of the TE’s Casey or Ingram in the fifth & still got Middleton later. I wonder how many teams even knew about this kid since he was local. They must think he is a real stud & didn’t want to take a chance with Bellichec sniffing around. I saw some highlights of him on youtube & he does play physical especially against the run.
ILL-logical
April 30th, 2009
6:14 pm
First timer here: 1) D-backs are all SHORT!2)Next year’s schedule will be much tougher because of NFL policy to upgrade acording to record 3) Falcons probably have best management team in town, no one else is even close. BTW, what does being a member of the “Horseshoe Club” have to do with a players ability? LOL
Mowreck
April 30th, 2009
6:16 pm
What I really liked about the picks are speed, speed, and more speed. Except for the offensive tackle and defensive tackle, the cornerbacks, safeties and LBs all run in the 4s. Sometimes you can make a mistake if you have the speed. I really like our new guys … all of them.
SeminoleWarrior
April 30th, 2009
6:36 pm
What’s happening posse. Another great piece of work D. O-Led. Great insights. I guess the injury bug spooked the team in regards to my man Freeman.
Good point chc4 about the Haynes signing. And an excellent assessment from Ron M. on the leadership and unity facets.
I definately hope that we make a move to secure Clabo long term at the right tackle/guard. He is a beast of a man and a major reason for the effectiveness of the run game. He IS a long-term keeper. Reynolds could move in to the tackle postion possibly. Do not forget about the return of Foster to the active roster this season. He was very effective when he was in the lineup and provides key depth.
Let Leroy Hill keep on moving on. James has the look of a keeper from what I recall from minis last year; I love his aggressive nature. And Nicholson and Christopher will surprise you…keep an eye on them.
Falcon Devil/Nookah: Yes, making history will be sweet this season. I’m with you both; worst case scenario, we will win 9 games this season. i want to feel the division is ours but I’m not going to be premature.
Again, great job D O-Led. ONE NATION….THE FALCON NATION.
JFLA
April 30th, 2009
6:41 pm
Like KC, I was a little disappointed that they didn’t grab a TE in the middle rounds to develop behind Gonzalez….seemed like a lot of interesting TE prospects this year. Perhaps they might look at Ryan Purvis, who was Matt Ryan’s go-to receiver in his senior year …..I’ve got to think we can find backup TEs more versatile than Hartsock or Rader…..
The Dean 21
April 30th, 2009
6:43 pm
Thor – I think the Reynolds kid is the nephew of Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds
Ken Strickland
April 30th, 2009
6:47 pm
Now that I understand TD’s approach to drafting talent, I see why I like him so much. In the lower rds you draft players based on talent, regardless of their skill level, then develop their skills over time. While you’re helping them develop those skills, you’re upgrading your special teams by loading it with speed, quickness, aggressiveness and physical talent. It’s simular to redshirting players in college that aren’t quite ready to contribute.
When I looked at the players we drafted, I expected to see some of the FA’s on our roster let go, but not this soon. It looks like our DEF will be based on speed, quickness, man coverage(hence the emphasis on speed with our CB’s)and getting to the QB. Our overall DEF philosophy seems to be based primarily on defending the pass. It makes sense because our dominate OFF will control the clock, put points on the scoreboard and definitely put teams in catchup mode on a regular basis. I’M FEELING BETTER EVERYDAY ABOUT THIS TEAM AND THE FUTURE OF THIS FRANCHISE. GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Dean 21
April 30th, 2009
6:48 pm
Guys! Relax on the linebacker talk! TD & Coach Smitty knows what we have and what we need, please let them do their jobs. I’m sure they will know if we need additional free agent LB’s during the 2nd phase of free agent pick-ups and will not hesitate to pull the trigger. We surely can’t be as bad as we were last year in the line backer dept. I think we have to wait and see how the upcomings camps pan out. I am excited about our picks and ready to see the comp. play out at every position.
The Dean 21
April 30th, 2009
7:01 pm
Ken, I agree. I think the Offense will be much improved from last year and with TG, this will allow them to improve in the red zone area. I also think we are loading up at positions to account for injuries, etc. TD comes from that NE way of thinking. When TBrady went down last year; NE continued their success and had a winning season and should have made the playoffs. When you build your team to account for injuries to key players at key positions and still compete, then my friends, you will have a winning franchise. Although I still worry a little about the QB, DE, WR & RB positions as for as injury replacements. (work in progress)
Prisco grades: 2006 | Betting Football Coaching Club
April 30th, 2009
7:06 pm
[...] Sizing Up the Falcons Draft Well, today Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff drops by the blog. This is about as close as I can get us to the real war room. [...]
SeminoleWarrior
April 30th, 2009
7:39 pm
Great points K Strick and D21. I too want some experienced depth at the QB position especially.
The Dean 21
April 30th, 2009
7:43 pm
As I was saying, they will know when it’s time to add additional linebackers…Falcons just signed Veteran Linebacker Miles…Vet. receiver Drew Bennett was also worked out.
yeah Seminole….It would be in their best interest to get someone ready because the opposing teams will be coming after Matt this year, they surely don’t want him to sit back their and pick their defense apart, plus there is much tape on him now….We have to be ready for much improved defenses on the opponents side
falcon21
April 30th, 2009
7:55 pm
KS,SW and D21 if White was to get hurt, would we be in much trouble or do you guys think we have enough depth to handle the situation for say 2 or 3 weeks? I mean without picking anyone up.
Birdfan
April 30th, 2009
8:25 pm
DOL
Good football post. Enjoy reading comments by real Falcon’s fans.
SeminoleWarrior
April 30th, 2009
8:44 pm
Falcon21, two points as I answer your question:
RW needs to locked up NOW to a long term deal. The cost should still be reasonable since he is a late-bloomer on his current deal. I definately think we need depth behind RW. Jenkins and Douglas are not #1 options; they are complementary receivers. Cool Hand Luke aka Matt Ryan and RW have established a nice rthymn to what they do. I would equate a potential RW loss to what happen to Eli when he lost Burress. Depth is crucial.
The same situation exists when it comes to Michael Turner. That is why I am so for keeping Jason Snelling. At 220 pounds, he is a big one. His speed is above average, he excels at receiving out of the backfield, and he is a above average blocker. I don’t know a lot about Thomas Brown or this guy they just signed so I will give the benefit of doubt right now. I’m not impressed at Norwood blocking and he definately is not a three down back in our scheme.
Greg
April 30th, 2009
8:58 pm
First, back to the Dallas trade for a moment; I’ve now heard TD talk about this twice, and both times he chose his words very carefully and did NOT say that he had IN FACT gotten the player he wanted in the 5th. No big deal; naturally he was rolling the dice, and you win some and lose some. If TD doesn’t say it explicitly, you can assume he doesn’t mean it. I very much doubt it was the plan to take Garrett Reynolds.
Second, I saw Verron Haynes play in a couple games, and this is some tough runner. Very strong, quick, and his short stature gives him some elusiveness. Not unlike Jones-Drew. I actually think Snelling and Brown will have their work cut out to beat him in camp.
SeminoleWarrior
April 30th, 2009
9:00 pm
The Miles selection appears at best to be an addition to our special teams. Nice size there at 6′0′ 240 though..
I really do not see a reason to sign Bennett. He bring nothing to the table that we do not already have or have not assessed in our current WR corp. Again, let’s get the deal done with RW.
Nique
April 30th, 2009
9:07 pm
Agreed, this is a really good article!!! I would have liked to see us pull the trigger on Duke Robinson with the 156th pick though, or Freeman, unless his knees are really that bad! But overall it was a good draft & i am happy. I really hope that Drew Bennett is healthy & that we pursue him! He’ll add experience & proven hands to our offensive arsenal! But as far as starters on Defense I see Ab, & Anderson, Jerry & Bab. Peterson, Lofton, & Nicholas. Houston & Jackson, with Coleman & Moore. One passing downs &/or third downs with more than 3 yards to go, look for Sid to sub in at DE, & on rare occasions, even 4 him to play OLB & Beierman to sub in at DE with AB on the other side, Peterson kicking inside to MLB & Von Hutchings to play nickel. That could give us a crazy front & on obvious passing downs DE AB & Sid/Bier & then DT Jerry, Bab, or J.A. & OLB Nic/ Peterson & Sid/ James.
JJ
April 30th, 2009
9:14 pm
Snelling is a future pro-bowler. Do you guys inhaleing on V>HAYNES actually watch any Snelling last yr? The man runs with power and purpose and has paid his dues.
D3: my man(am.gang.), you savin’ these awesome recipes right?
Hope sacs reinstates you guys tomm., gotta go, 5:30am comes early, peace my D-led falcon brothas–keep them recipes coming…..glad I got my Houston fix out of the way..!
falcon21
April 30th, 2009
9:17 pm
SeminoleWarrior, I agree RW needs to be locked up now and I will be surprised if it does not happen soon. We have signed possible potential at WR, maybe someone will step up. As for runningbacks Haynes and Brown were pretty good at UGA. Norwood can break one at anytime but as you said he is not a every down back. I hope Snelling will get the ball more so we don’t ware down Turner. Thanks for your response man.
Lash La Rue
April 30th, 2009
9:36 pm
Great job, Big D. I love the thinking of TD and Smith. Looking forward to great year. TD is still signing players as we speak…great.
SeminoleWarrior
April 30th, 2009
9:36 pm
Greg, I’m with you on the careful nature of TD’s fifth round analysis. I’m looking at the selections trying to see who it was we may have been after and I really can not come up with a target. I’m assuming that it was all about a “safe pick” so OL depth was addressed at little to no cost overall.
I do not know a lot about Haynes or Brown given my FSU roots. I will defer to my UGA posse members for analysis and thoughts. But I do have a question about signing a 8 year veteran (Haynes). Football’s future makes mention of the fact that he can pick up the blitz; big deal. If the Falcons some how lose Snelling, I assure you he will be picked up in no time. Dallas was after him last season when he was on the PS. We moved him to the active roster and a special teams position to protect him and prevent the request. Wise move there for sure.
There must have been something horribly wrong with the Duke Robinson visit/workout. He was rated as a possible second rounder by NFLdraftscout.com but fell like a Georgia pine being hit with a Poulan.
SeminoleWarrior
April 30th, 2009
9:38 pm
The only two signings I want to see immediately are long term deals for Roddy White and Tyson Clabo. We need them both!! All this other stuff can wait until after mini-camp and perhaps even into the late spring.
Cameron
April 30th, 2009
9:54 pm
I am concerned that we did not draft a LB. But, obviously our staff likes our LB unit more than the fans do. The corners were a bit puzzling, but I trust TD. I just don’t know anything about them. That could be a good thing though. The Patriots have made a killing on little known DBs and OLs. I am surprised we didn’t take Freeman in the fourth, but I like Sidbury. I want to say that everything I was reading about him touted him as a late 2nd, definitely 3rd round guy. I would of liked us to trade up and take Asher Allen, who was taken two spots earlier in the third, if we were targeting a CB. I think he has Pro Bowl potential.
It is hard to truly judge this draft until we see them play. If you asked me after last year’s draft about Kroy Biermann, I would have said, “who?” I trust TD and am excited to see these guys play. Well, everyone except John David Booty Parker Wilson (or Sarah Jessica Parker, if you will).
falcon21
April 30th, 2009
10:04 pm
You are right on John David Booty Parker Wilson but it will help save our real QB’s arms.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
April 30th, 2009
11:16 pm
THANKS FOR ALL OF THE KIND WORDS. After the draft, Thomas came down and spoke to my self and Charles Odum from AP. He gave us some great stuff and I wanted to share with the group since so many of you here believe in the work he’s doing.
For the folks new to the blog trying to talk journalism, you’re in the wrong place for that. This is the FALCONS FOOTBALL BLOG!!! So yeah, you’ll get bounced.
So, if you have something to say about football, you’re welcome.
ILL: Never heard of a “Horseshoe Club.” Know about the passion of Omega Men though.
Boxcarar
April 30th, 2009
11:36 pm
In a minor note concerning an earlier post, I played for the Sandy Springs Saints out at the old Morgan Falls park back in the early 1970’s. Showing my age. On another note, as fast as he is for his size, can Sidbury play SS?
Boo Boo
May 1st, 2009
12:06 am
Did I read right … Christopher Owens (San Jose St.) is 5′9″? I read that height with a report that said he was aggressive and a good leaper, although one specific tall reciever in the WAC burned him regularly. Both corners drafted have bios stating they are both 5′10″, but it makes me think of Rick Byas. He was 5′9″, and also aggressive and a hard hitter. If only he could have leaped when covering Drew Pearson in 1980 against the Cowboys. How tall are the Falcon corners without these new kids?
Adkins is Free Agent Material
May 1st, 2009
1:25 am
I just didn’t like the Adkins pick in the 6th round. I have NO doubt that you could have gotten him
as a free agent. You could have gotten a better pick there and still had a shot at a
free agent signing with Adkins.
Ed
May 1st, 2009
2:41 am
On this draft I have to give the benefit of the doubt to TD. Picks 1, 2, & 4 I have no qualms with even if I would have done differently. But the other picks (beginning with number 3 where I like DJ Moore from Vandy much better) are somewhat puzzling. But since it’s TD and he has shown he knows what he’s doing I am looking forward to see what these new guys can do.
Unca' Bob
May 1st, 2009
8:16 am
Boo Boo
CB’s Sharpe & Tiller are 6′ even. They are the tallest.
P.S…I was in AFCS for that game. Frooze to death. Late 3rd quarter, we failed to pick up a 1st down and I could feel the Mo’ swing. Cried all the way back, via bus, to Timothy-Johns in Roswell.
Darren
May 1st, 2009
8:49 am
Isn’t the caption at the top backwards?
Ken Strickland
May 1st, 2009
10:49 am
FALCON21-anytime you lose your leading Probowl receiver, who had 88 receptions and 7 TD’s, you’re going to feel the effects. However, when you add a Probowler TE that had 96 receptions and 10 TD’s, you can absorb the loss. Add BFinneran, a quality veteran clutch WR and former starter, and HDouglas, a quick, fast and talented young WR, and we’ll still have the ability to throw it anytime, anyplace and against anybody we want. It was the emergence of HDouglas and and acquisition of TGonzalez that led to the trade of promising but often injured WR LRobinson.
After looking over the talent we acquired in the draft and the FA signings, I went back and reviewed this yrs schedule. I see only 5 teams, the Patriots, Giants, Dolphins, Eagles and Cowboys, that should be talented enough to give us any trouble. We play the Eagles and Dolphins at home and the Cowboys have lost key talent and have been inconsistent due to a lot of internal issues.
Our current OFF will be much better than last yrs, especially the shakey one dimensional OFF that started last season. We’ll start this season with our complete OFF package installed, especially our no huddle OFF which wasn’t unveiled last yr until after our bye week. Unlike all of last yr, QB MRyan will have 3 quality pass receivers on the field at all times, 2 of them Probowlers in WR RWhite & TE TGonzalez. Unlike last yrs start, there will be no questions about whether the OL can protect MRyan or block for Probowl RB MTurner.
When you add 2 young, big, strong, agile, quick, aggressive and talented DT’s with stamina, you have a formula for stopping the run and providing an inside psss rush. Add a quick, speedy, hard hitting veteran OLB like MPeterson, and you have an upgrade. Bring in a big, strong, fast and versatile SS like WMoore, and add a compliment of other candidates like TDeCoud, EColeman, JFudge, EBrock and AHarris, and you are assured of having 2 safeties that can cover the entire field and provide support for our CB’s. That wasn’t the case last yr.
Look at what we accomplished last yr with an OFF that was one dimensional for almost half the yr and a DEF that was unable to stop the run or provide a pass rush the entire yr. We’ll start this season with an OFF that’s much more improved than the one that finished 2nd in the NFL in rushing and 14th in passing last yr. IF WE GET THE SAME DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT FROM OUR DEF THAT WE GOT FROM LAST YRS OFF, WE’LL BE A SUPERBOWL CONTENDER, NOT JUST A PLAYOFF CONTENDER.
FALCON FANS, WE ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS THE BIRTH OF A NATION, THE FALCONS NATION.
Unca' Bob
May 1st, 2009
11:04 am
Ken Strickland,
What are your thoughts on Carolina and New Orleans with our home and away games?
JohnWaynesworld
May 1st, 2009
11:10 am
It must have been a very good draft! Not nearly as much head scratching on the top picks and a few doubters on this page concerning…Our 5th and 6th round picks!! lol
That means TD is the man. No smoke and mirrors, no defensive answers (remember?)…Just the facts.
Great stuff Orlando. Keep it coming, we’re thirsty!
rich brave
May 1st, 2009
11:26 am
Watch my man SIDBURY. If he doesn’t impress I’ll be very surprised.
D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
May 1st, 2009
11:50 am
DARREN: NICE CATCH!!!
SeminoleWarrior
May 1st, 2009
1:01 pm
Good afternoon Posse. K-Strick, great breakdown my brother. You covered it all in depth and on point. You are the man!!
clthurman
May 1st, 2009
1:43 pm
Pray Abraham does not get hurt or this improved pass rush goes out the window.