Gonzalez shines as minicamp closes
See if you can find Falcons owner Arthur Blank? Minicamp was open to the public on Saturday. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC)
FLOWERY BRANCH – The one lasting impression of the Falcons minicamp, was seeing Tony Gonzalez whizzing around the field like a youngster.
He appeared to catch everything thrown his way. On Sunday, he drove out to tip a pass that was too far in front of him. While falling to the ground, he caught the ball.
Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey had him run a couple of vertical routes and it doesn’t look like the 33-year-old has lost a step. (Wonder if the Hawks have called the Falcons to see if he can suit up for Game 4 on Monday. Gonzalez also played hoops at California and went to the Sweet 16 with Jason Kidd and the crew back in the day.)
“He’s everything that I’ve seen for the last nine or 10 years,” Falcons head coach Mike Smith
Falcon fan Michael "STATS" Walling (42), of Dawsonville, was excited to see new tight end Tony Gonzalez. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC)
said. “He’s the prototypical tight end. He can block. He can catch. He can run after the catch. He’s just a guy who’s going to make everybody on this team, offense and defense, better.
KICKING IT WITH THE BVG: Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder is still the loudest coach on the field.
He’s got perhaps the toughest job, but has tons of help from his assistants and Smith. Molding at least five new starters into the unit is going something we’ll keep tabs on.
POSITION OUT IN
Strong safety Lawyer Milloy Thomas DeCoud
Cornerback Dominique Foxworth Brent Grimes
Weakside LB KeithBrooking Michael Peterson
Strongside LB Michael Boley Stephen Nicholas
Nose tackle Grady Jackson Trey Lewis
BVG thinks he has enough veterans to blend in some of the young talent.
John Abraham did not practice during mini-camp. The Falcons would not say if he a surgery or medical procedure. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC)
He cited Erik Coleman, Michael Peterson, John Abraham and Chauncey Davis.
“We’ve got enough veteran leadership that can work out to be a great blend with the young players,” VanGorder said. “With young players . . . right now it’s kind of crucial to allow them to get comfortable.”
COMPETITION: Smith said don’t put too much stock into how the unit lined up in mini-camp. There will be plenty of competition for those starting spots. First round pick Peria Jerry could push Lewis. Chris Owens could push Grimes and William Moore could push DeCoud.
“They are competing for playing time,” VanGorder said. “That playing time could come in a lot of different forms. That doesn’t mean, just as a starter. Certainly a lot of guys are battling for starting positions. Some guys are trying to earn spots on the roster. Some guys are trying to get into the two-deep so that they can gain reps. There are a lot of dynamics involved in that.”
NO MATTER HOW IT GOES DOWN, THE DEFENSE WILL BE YOUNG: “We’re going to be young,
Trey Lews (97) had a minor scare on his first day back after two knee surgeries. He spent last season on injured reserve. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC)
but I still think we’ve got a good mixture,” VanGorder said. “We have a number of guys going into their third year. We played with some rookies last year, who gained some valuable experience and should improve this year.
We’ve got a good formula set up.”
MULARKEY ON THE OFFENSE: Mularkey knows that with Gonazlez on board, teams will have trouble keying on one player.
There were games last season, when teams could sellout on stopping Michael Turner or Roddy White and shut the offense down.
“It will be hard to beat down on one guy with Tony in there,” Mularkey said. “It should help the run game with him in there.”
The theme for the offense is “Get Better.”
“We want to get better, everywhere,” Mularkey said.
THE ROOKIES: Made it a point to meet all of the rookie draft choices. Real nice and intelligent group. The Garrett Reynolds kid is huge. He’s the second biggest lineman next to Tyson Clabo. Was worried about the cornerbacks — Chris Owens and William Middleton — being to small. But one Falcon scout told me “as long as they can play.” And warned not to get caught up on their height. William Moore looks like a stud, now it will just be a matter of how fast will he pick up the defense.
Well, now that mini-camp is over, did you get your football fix? Learn anything new about the rookies? Worried about the defense still? Excited about the offense?
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768 comments Add your comment
cutter
May 15th, 2009
1:12 pm
But it’s good to hear that while you are sitting by the pool trying to gain some color you are thinking about me.
row3
May 15th, 2009
1:31 pm
1 SD @ OAK – L
2 OAK @ KC – L
3 DEN @ OAK – L
4 OAK @ HOU – L
5 OAK @ NYG – L
6 PHI @ OAK – L
7 NYJ @ OAK – W
8 OAK @ SD – L
9 BYE
10 KC @ OAK – L
11 CIN @ OAK – W
12 OAK @ DAL – L
13 OAK @ PIT – L
14 WAS @ OAK – L
15 OAK @ DEN – L
16 OAK @ CLE – W
17 BAL @ OAK – L
3-13 I have them going 0-6 in the conference, thats a little cruel, but I looked back and had KC beating them twice. The #1 draft choice could be theirs for the taking in 2010.
SonicJim
May 15th, 2009
1:34 pm
Hey guys, long time reader first time blogger. I too am a huge falcon fan and can’t wait for the season opener against Miami. My story is this, I grew up in N.Y. was a falcons fan the day I saw Billy White shoes catch that hail mary pass against the 49ers and the rest is what you call history. I don’t know what I’d do without the power of Direct tv. I enjoy reading everyone’s posts but not able to contribute as much as you all.
I was happy when Schaub got traded to Houston because this is my home now. If he can just stop gettin hurt he will be playoff bound. Anyway, thanks for readin.
Stirg d'Nahsif
May 15th, 2009
1:35 pm
Oooooo, football camp must be around the corner.
JohnWayneworld
May 15th, 2009
1:35 pm
The Rayyy-dahz:
1 Sep 14 SD @ OAK (loss)
2 Sep 20 OAK @ KC (loss)
3 Sep 27 DEN @ OAK (loss)
4 Oct 04 OAK @ HOU (loss)
5 Oct 11 OAK @ NYG (loss)
6 Oct 18 PHI @ OAK (loss)
7 Oct 25 NYJ @ OAK (loss)
8 Nov 01 OAK @ SD (loss)
9 Bye
10 Nov 15 KC @ OAK (win)
11 Nov 22 CIN @ OAK (loss)
12 Nov 26 OAK @ DAL (loss)
13 Dec 06 OAK @ PIT (loss)
14 Dec 13 WAS @ OAK (loss)
15 Dec 20 OAK @ DEN (loss)
16 Dec 27 OAK @ CLE (loss)
17 Jan 03 BAL @ OAK (loss)
1–15 with a feelin’!
Explanation: This is not a “TEAM”. It is collection of trinkets, like Mardi Gras beads, all thrown into a big empty basket called Macafee Coliseum, aka “The Virus”.
And starring Al Davis as the stiff.
JohnWayneworld
May 15th, 2009
1:40 pm
D3, while I agree that we can’t discuss DJ vs Redman ad nauseum, I think that discussing this particular team for any amount of time would actually create nausea. Da Rayyy-dahzzzz. Zuck.
JohnWayneworld
May 15th, 2009
1:42 pm
Page 6!!
row3
May 15th, 2009
1:51 pm
SonicJim,
I was a huge Schaub fan, I thought we really lost a quality QB that could of helped us alot in 2007. Things happen for reason, we now have Matty, and all is good. I wish the best of luck to Schaub this year.
Unca' Bob
May 15th, 2009
2:08 pm
SonicJim,
Welcome to the Cage. I’m in and out all day, but there should be some of the “Irregulars” posting. Got the Grand Babies over the weekend. More housework needed. Gotta’ run.
D3
May 15th, 2009
2:18 pm
Great Friday Afternoon Bird-Cager’s! Looks to be a warm, enjoyable start to the weekend. Haven’t hit the storms they said were rollin’ through the ATL, at least not yet. Good day for some cold brews as we head into the weekend. Had some Landshark Lager yesterday, that’s some good stuff. Anyway, I digress…………
SonicJim – great to have you post here in the Bird-Cage. Come join in and give us your thoughts anytime. We have tons of transplants Falcons fans from all over the nation and globe. Speaking of Houston, I thought they had a good draft with Cushing and Barwin. If they can find a big back complement to Slaton and a speedy WR opposite Andre Johnson, that offense would be really potent, especially with TE Owen Daniels. Anyway, welcome to the blog.
Sarah B. & JohnWayneworld – yeah, like I said not the greatest division to start with, but next week should be better with the AFC North. But you all are rockin’ out some seriously good record predictions, though.
So, you guys know I’m all about getting creative to keeping the Bird-Cage rockin’ hard-core. So think what you guys think about adding this to the discussion starting next week:
Individual 53-man Roster Analysis
-each weekday analyze every single roster spot
-every position from starting QB to backup strong safety
-if we do one each weekday for the rest of the summer, that rolls us right into training camp
Schedule
1 Monday 18-May QB 1
2 Tuesday 19-May QB 2
3 Wednesday 20-May QB 3
4 Thursday 21-May RB 1
5 Friday 22-May RB 2
6 Monday 25-May RB 3
7 Tuesday 26-May FB 1
8 Wednesday 27-May FB 2
9 Thursday 28-May TE 1
10 Friday 29-May K
11 Monday 1-Jun TE 2
12 Tuesday 2-Jun TE 3
13 Wednesday 3-Jun WR 1
14 Thursday 4-Jun WR 2
15 Friday 5-Jun WR 3/Slot
16 Monday 8-Jun WR 4
17 Tuesday 9-Jun WR 5
18 Wednesday 10-Jun WR 6
19 Thursday 11-Jun LT
20 Friday 12-Jun LG
21 Monday 15-Jun C
22 Tuesday 16-Jun RG
23 Wednesday 17-Jun RT
24 Thursday 18-Jun Tackle 3
25 Friday 19-Jun Tackle 4
26 Monday 22-Jun Guard 1
27 Tuesday 23-Jun Guard 2
28 Wednesday 24-Jun LDE
29 Thursday 25-Jun RDE
30 Friday 26-Jun DE 3
31 Monday 29-Jun DE 4
32 Tuesday 30-Jun DE 5
33 Wednesday 1-Jul DT
34 Thursday 2-Jul DT
35 Friday 3-Jul DT 3
36 Monday 6-Jul DT 4
37 Tuesday 7-Jul MLB
38 Wednesday 8-Jul MLB 2
39 Thursday 9-Jul WLB
40 Friday 10-Jul SLB
41 Monday 13-Jul SLB 2
42 Tuesday 14-Jul WLB
43 Wednesday 15-Jul WLB 2
44 Thursday 16-Jul SS
45 Friday 17-Jul SS 2
46 Monday 20-Jul FS 1
47 Tuesday 21-Jul FS 2
48 Wednesday 22-Jul CB
49 Thursday 23-Jul CB
50 Friday 24-Jul CB 3
51 Monday 27-Jul CB 4
52 Tuesday 28-Jul CB 5
53 Wednesday 29-Jul DB
Bubble Thursday 30-Jul Punter
Bubble Friday 31-Jul Long Snapper
So what you guys think of this proposal? I’m all ears on constructive criticism as well, so don’t hold back if please.
So we can have the Division/Team Analysis, Opponent Schedule Analysis, and Individual Roster Spot Analysis.
BTW, can anyone explain to me why DOB’s Braves Blog is so d@— popular? They have like over 2,500 posts in 3 days. Don’t really get that one. Are the Braves that much more popular than our Falconi’s?
jason
May 15th, 2009
2:36 pm
D3, DOB’s blog in in season.When football season gets here, it’s gonna get crazy. DOL started a good format here. And guys like you and a few others; you add to the momentum. Like DOB’s blog you have alot of regulars on here and that’s what will keep this blog growing. That and slamming the door on idiots that want trash talk and pick fights.
The difference with DOB is that he ventures outside of baseball. Dives into alot of music and movies. Also every park he goes to, he describes the scene of the city. Gives out good places to eat, take in entertainment, and such. DOB, also like here in the cage understands that fans are world wide and just not in the state of Georgia.
I am gonna touch on something here and not wanting to start anything. The Atlanta Falcons (all blogs, not just thgis one) blog in my opinion took a hit with the Vick situation. The things I read over that period of time were digusting; it still goes on today. You have seen Bradley’s blog, or Moore’s before he departed.I think that’s what makes this blog so good, special. Certain regulars on this blog will not put up with that nonsense. Nip it in the bud.That’s also why I think this blog will continue to grow; because of people like you, WR, Ken, Strig, and the rest of you who respect , and defend this blog if and when you have to.
Sarah B
May 15th, 2009
3:13 pm
cutter I never said there was anything Wrong with posting from the Falcons webpage. As you know I have posted info from both yahoo and Fox Sports. Some other people thought you were an insider, which would have been cool BTW.
JohnWaynesworld
May 15th, 2009
3:19 pm
D3, Braves fans are scattered throughout the U.S. due to Ted Turner’s long reaching TBS channel back in the day when men were men and women were women. Oops, did I say something politically incorrect? Good.
I like the added analysis, especially after trying to find interest in today’s topic, Oakland. I think it would be fun! I can’t wait until we try to make predictions on the first cut! Should be a doozy.
D3
May 15th, 2009
3:41 pm
Quick Note: kind of suprised that UDFA Nicholson(LB) got the hook so fast, I thought with his size and speed he may challenge Robert James for the 6th backup LB spot. Guess not
Cutter – keep the info coming brother. We’ll take it where we can get it. DOL must be chillin’ beach-side in the Bahamas.
Where are our boys Seminole, Reno911, & Nookah? Do we need to send a search and rescue party for them? Haven’t seen a post from irvin or Ken Strick in a while either.
Sarah B
May 15th, 2009
4:43 pm
Bye ya’ll thlk at you Monday. Ugg I have to work tomorrow so maybe I’ll check in after all.
Jimbo
May 15th, 2009
4:58 pm
Just saw this post, thought y’all would enjoy:
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Take just about any team that was in the playoffs last season and remove five starters from the defense. In theory, that team’s probably not going back to the playoffs.
Now, take the Atlanta Falcons.
They got rid of almost half their defensive starters and expect to be better on defense. Wishful thinking? Not really.
Think about all the wonderful things that went right for the Falcons in a stunning 11-5 season. The defense wasn’t really one of them. This fact kind of got lost in the hysteria of quarterback Matt Ryan having a great rookie season and Michael Turner running wild.
The simple reality is that Atlanta’s defense wasn’t very good. The Falcons ranked 25th in rush defense, allowing 2,046 yards on the ground. Against the pass, the Falcons allowed 3,526 yards. That’s only 21 yards less than New Orleans allowed and the Saints were widely considered one of the league’s worst defenses.
John Abraham collected 16.5 sacks and forced four fumbles last season. Sure, Atlanta’s defense played well enough to help the Falcons win 11 games, but it was done with smoke, mirrors, John Abraham and a whole lot of luck.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith were painfully aware the defense wasn’t going to get any better by standing still and that’s why they didn’t. Linebacker Keith Brooking, defensive tackle Grady Jackson, cornerback Domonique Foxworth and linebacker Michael Boley were allowed to walk in free agency and safety Lawyer Milloy was released.
The truth is Foxworth was the only one of the bunch the Falcons wanted to keep, but only if they could do it at a reasonable price and that didn’t happen. Brooking, Jackson and Milloy were great players — a few years ago. But last season, they were old guys and liabilities. Boley fell out of favor with the coaching staff and wasn’t even starting at the end of last year.
The names of the guys who are going to replace those five aren’t going to excite anyone, but maybe they should. Atlanta’s defense is going to be better in the long run because of the housecleaning. But it also might be better right away.
“I came into the meeting (on the first day of last week’s minicamp) and I saw Abe and a couple old guys,” safety Erik Coleman said. “But for the most part, it was first- and second-year guys. I think it’s a good thing. We’ve got a lot of youth on our team and a lot of guys that are hungry to show they can play.”
Falcons head coach Mike Smith talks about sustaining the success of last year’s team. We won’t know for sure if all the young guys can play for a few more months. But they might have a better chance than last year’s defense. They at least fit the profile.
When Smith and Dimitroff came in last year, they focused most of their efforts on offense, signing Turner to a big free-agent contract and using the third overall draft pick on Ryan. Smith, who came with a defensive background, didn’t truly have the kind of players he wanted on defense, so he had to make do.
But that’s no longer an issue. Atlanta’s offseason was all about defense and players who fit Smith’s scheme. The Falcons are younger and the upgraded speed of the defense was obvious in minicamp.
They used their first-round pick on defensive tackle Peria Jerry and their second-round choice on safety William Moore. They’re the likely replacements for Jackson and Milloy. They firmly believe that third-year pro Stephen Nicholas is ready to blossom and take over Boley’s old spot on the strong side. They’re not sure exactly who will start in Foxworth’s spot, but they’re going to throw Brent Grimes, Von Hutchins, Chevis Jackson and Chris Owens out there and see who rises up.
The Falcons didn’t necessarily get younger at weakside linebacker where free-agent Mike Peterson is only a year younger than Brooking. But Peterson spent much of his career under Smith in Jacksonville and he wouldn’t have been brought in if he didn’t fit the system.
Mike Peterson could provide some of the veteran leadership that the Falcons lost this offseason. The one potential downside to the youth movement is that the Falcons lost a lot of experience and leadership in Brooking, Milloy and Jackson and nobody is denying that’s a concern.
Smith doesn’t believe in randomly anointing leaders and he’s given a lot of thought to where his defensive leadership will come from.
“When you’re a good player and you have success on the field, it leads to leadership,” Smith said. “They become leaders.”
At the moment, the Falcons don’t have as many defensive leaders as a year ago. But Smith thinks that will change quickly.
Abraham’s already a leader. Coleman was close to being one last year and should have room to spread his wings with Milloy gone. Peterson’s a natural leader and already is getting comfortable with his new team. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton was thrust into a leadership role as a rookie by the nature of his position and Smith expects his development in that role will accelerate this year.
“Instead of having one or two leaders, you’ve got to have eight or nine leaders throughout the entire team,” Smith said. “There has to be a balance there.”
Balance really is what the Falcons are aiming for on defense. They’ve got veterans in Abraham, Coleman and Peterson, young guys in the rookies and second-year players and some guys in between like defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux and cornerback Chris Houston.
“We’ve got enough veteran leadership that can work out with the younger players to be a great blend,” defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. “With young players, it’s always a process. Right now, it’s crucial that we work hard to allow them to get comfortable so they can attach themselves to the leadership and let it shine through.”
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
5:26 pm
What’s Happening Bird Cage~
Well, this is a first…Page 6!!! A shout out and a toast to my boy Waymon Tisdale who lost his bout with cancer today. A heck of a ball player and surprisely a darn good bass player!
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
5:27 pm
Sarah B. , yes you do have football in the veins, that IV drop flows red and black of the birds now, which makes teh long suffering in Detroit a distant memory!
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
6:22 pm
2009 Oakland Raiders – Dean 21
1 Sep 14 SD @ OAK – L
2 Sep 20 OAK @ KC – L
3 Sep 27 DEN @ OAK – L
4 Oct 04 OAK @ HOU – W
5 Oct 11 OAK @ NYG – L
6 Oct 18 PHI @ OAK – L
7 Oct 25 NYJ @ OAK – W
8 Nov 01 OAK @ SD – L
9 Bye
10 Nov 15 KC @ OAK – W
11 Nov 22 CIN @ OAK – L
12 Nov 26 OAK @ DAL – L
13 Dec 06 OAK @ PIT – L
14 Dec 13 WAS @ OAK – L
15 Dec 20 OAK @ DEN – L
16 Dec 27 OAK @ CLE – W
17 Jan 03 BAL @ OAK – L
Final = 4-12
Who knows if Jeff Garcia takes over, that will be at least one win, maybe 2…so 6-10 is not out of the question.
Unca' Bob
May 15th, 2009
6:24 pm
Jimbo,
Very nice read, thank you. It’s always interesting hearing the opinionsof others.
Dean 21,
My glass is on high. He will sorely missed.
row3
May 15th, 2009
6:32 pm
cutter, Jimbo, and everybody else, Thanks for the info you bring in from other sites. I can come right here and get the latest info without having to surf the web. I thank all of you for your efforts to keep everything FALCONS!
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
6:33 pm
Unca’ Bob,
I seen the cat in concer here in the Atl at the Civic Center a few years ago and he was jammin man! I have all his cd’s, just a shocker, life is short which we just have to play hard! Dude gave them he*l on the court and again, he became a quality musician. Ditto on the glass bro…
Following the Falcons this season will be good, simple and easy. In years pass it was bad, painful and hard!
Wassup D3, stirg, jason, johnww, WR, and fellow Bird Cagers? We need to put something together for all of us to meet one day at the F Branch during trainig camp!
Jimbo
May 15th, 2009
6:37 pm
Unca – Thanks. I having been following this blog for a while and finally decided to chime in. Of course I didn’t have an original thought in that post but I’ve noticed y’all are news hounds like me so . . .
I’ve lived here for 21 years and I cannot remember being this excited for a Falcons season to begin. I think Arhtur has put together the right pieces for the Falcons to have a sustained contender and make it into the 2nd season with regualrity.
Y’all have a great blog going here with mature, intelligent and respectful members. I look forward to joining in with y’all regularly.
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
6:42 pm
So what you guys think of this proposal? I’m all ears on constructive criticism as well, so don’t hold back if please.
So we can have the Division/Team Analysis, Opponent Schedule Analysis, and Individual Roster Spot Analysis.
BTW, can anyone explain to me why DOB’s Braves Blog is so d@— popular? They have like over 2,500 posts in 3 days. Don’t really get that one. Are the Braves that much more popular than our Falconi’s?
D3, I’m down with the new addition of the 53 man roster break-down. I told you the other day, you my man are King Blog Master of the Cage!!!
By the way, I don’t think that Braves are more popular, I think they have a younger following i.e.(teenagers), who loves to blog man!
jason
May 15th, 2009
6:50 pm
Jimbo, That was a great article. That says it all. Talking about the process. Year one, it was all offense. Year two, all Offense. After this year, going into the next draft it will be all about tweaking and fine tuning. All part of the process. Look guys, some are going to fail. Some sre definitely going to rise. You think last year was awesome? you think this year is going to be ULTRA awesome. Wait until next year. I say right now, Atlanta will be in the NFC Champioship playing for the Super Bowl next season. Oh Yeah, we were talking about this year. This year is another step in the process. I would love more than anything for my Falcons; I mean OUR Falcons to go to the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think it’s going to happen. Don’t get upset and Ban me from the blog, now. I think we are going to be as good this year, if not better than last. I just don’t know if the won/loss record is going to show it. Next year is key. Ryan in his third year QBing the O. Lofton in his third year, taking over the Leadership role; QBing the D. That will be the True beginning of the prime years for this collection of Falcons. TD, and Coach Smitty has our(the FANS) best interests at heart. SO, CHEER on the PROCESS this year; it will be served soon.
jason
May 15th, 2009
6:52 pm
Dean 21, I will toast a beer, He was RunTMC… Great basketball player.
jason
May 15th, 2009
7:01 pm
Dean 21, I am out to getcha now. I can’t tell the difference between the Braves and the Falcons. All I know is they are in GEORGIA. I will follow them all the way. But yea much love has to go out to this blog. This is truly an expierence to talk Football without all the Smack talk. I have met some truly loyal fans, intellegent people who share and converse their opinons on all things Falcon. Who pull articles and post them so we get the most updated news and info on our favorite team. Geez, wish I could find a blog like this for UGA. Anyway Dean21, love your posts, looking foward to some more news.
By the way, sorry for posting so much, just trying to get caught up. I have been away for the majority of the day. I was just responding to each post while it was fresh.
jason
May 15th, 2009
7:09 pm
Dean 21, I totally misspoke on tisdale. I reconised the name from following the NBA as little as I do. Disregard my earlier post. I thought he played for Golden State in the 80’s. I see, after doing a search he was with Sacremento, not GS.
Unca' Bob
May 15th, 2009
8:21 pm
Jimbo,
Granma’ is straping the foodbag on to the critters so I gotta’ minute. I believe your particular fit will be like that of the most comfortable pair of jeans you have ever put on. I, for one, welcome you to the Cage.
JJ
May 15th, 2009
8:25 pm
OAK 5 – 11
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
8:45 pm
Jason, yeah, I was just giving him a shout because he was a good dude! Enjoyed and will continue to enjoy his music. Jason, here is a little break-down on Tisdale.
After three years at Oklahoma, Tisdale played in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. The 6-foot-9 forward, with a soft left-handed touch on the court, averaged 15.3 points for his career. He was on the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.
yeah, I’m looking forward to OTA’S & Training Camp. The biggest thing the Falcons defense should be prepared is the wild cat from the Dolphins. Being that this is the first game of the season, Miami will throw all they can at the Falcons defense including the young rookies!
Of course we will return the favor back to them!!
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
8:50 pm
Well you can tell it’s Friday because the Cage has slowed down. My man D3 is getting a much needed break, it’s been a busy week of posts. Jason, did I hear you also followed the red & black down in Athens? If so, man you got a friend in he Dean! I just picked up my “G” dawg lounge chair! The Red & Black goes along way with me, just have been a follower of both organizations since I can remember….nothing can replace those H.Walkers days and the W. Andrews days in the ATL.
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
8:51 pm
Jason, yeah, I was just giving him a shout out because he was a good dude! Enjoyed and will continue to enjoy his music. Jason, here is a little break-down on Tisdale.
After three years at Oklahoma, Tisdale played in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. The 6-foot-9 forward, with a soft left-handed touch on the court, averaged 15.3 points for his career. He was on the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.
yeah, I’m looking forward to OTA’S & Training Camp. The biggest thing the Falcons defense should be preparing for is the wild cat from the Dolphins. Being that this is the first game of the season, Miami will throw all they can at the Falcons defense including the young rookies!
Of course we will return the favor back to them!!
jason
May 15th, 2009
9:01 pm
Dean 21, you just didn’t say William Andrews. He was the reason I started watching ATL. I was like 7 or 8 years old. Them days seem to run together now. But Andrews, Bartkowski, Lynn Cain, Buddy Curry. I remember as a kid, I cried when Andrews blew his Knee out.
Can’t get started on my DAWGS. This is an NFL site Afterwall. I’ll just say… I thinkg they will be alot better than what alotta people think. Herschel Walker, was the man. I have a confession though. I loved Herchel when he was UGA. But when Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys, and hired Jimmy Johnson as HC, ATL played Dallas that year and I wanted them to break Herschel’s neck. I know I was a kid. I didn’t know no better. To some time to understand that the NFL was just a buissness.
Lets run some UGA history while the blog is slow. Tell me if I missed RB. Walker, Tate, Worley, Henderson, Hampton, Hearst, Davis, Gary, Smith, Brown, Moreno. Now, I know Mack Strong was in there, but I thoght he was a FB at UGA. And of course Ware, and Lumpkin.
jason
May 15th, 2009
9:03 pm
Oh Yeah, Almost forgot. I am RED and BLACK all the way. Cairo Highschool Syrupmakers, Georgia Bulldogs, and the Atlanta Falcons. I literally bleed red-n-black.
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
9:22 pm
yup Jason, William was my main man running that ball also! Man this dude was awesome when healthy! Man you do bleed Red & Black!! I can’t wait to see our offense turn some heads this season!
Dean 21
May 15th, 2009
9:25 pm
Well, it’s time for the Dean to roll out~ Will check in later throughout the weekend!!
Unca' Bob
May 15th, 2009
9:37 pm
Dean 21,
To conteract the wildcat, I feel Miami needs to watch out for the Falcon’s “Raptor” package. I don’t feel Miami has enough to bring to the table to win the first game. Strig tossed out some numbers about their best Wr’s and RB’s for last year and proposed the question, how did they do it. After looking at D3’s stat post, plus 17 turnover ratio. #1 in the NFL. That is, on potential, 102 points, not including extra points. Their spread for points, for and against was 28. Any questions? The Falcons graded out at minus three on the turnover ratio. Having said that…Falcons 27 Miami 17. Gotta’ love Tony G.
jason
May 15th, 2009
9:54 pm
Jimbo, Welcome to the cage. Just wanted to say I referenced the’WhiteShoes”Johnson Catch yesterday. One of the single greatest play in Falcon History. I remember it like it was yesterday. Question, did “whiteSoes”really score, or did he crawl into the endzone. You know, they didn’t have replay review back then.
Big Ray
May 15th, 2009
9:55 pm
RIP, Wayman Tisdale. Hell of a jazz player, and hell of a player for the Jazz.
jason
May 15th, 2009
10:02 pm
Unca’ Bob, I agree. What’s the chances of pulling that type of turnover ratio again? I believe you have to have talent, and positioning. But you also have to have a whole lotta luck to pull a+17 ratio. Now, Pennington is savy enough. He want lose the game for them. ATL just has to play sound defense against the run and the “Wildcat”. That will be the key to the game. The 11th commandment… Thou shall stop the run.
falcon21
May 15th, 2009
10:47 pm
Jason and Unca’Bob, I have a short story for you and it’s kinda boring so bare with me. In 95 or 96 not sure. The Falcons were playing the Vikings in the dome and getting pounded. June Jones was the coach, Jeff George the QB. Anyway sometime in the second half C. Bennett better known as biscuit hit someone and caused a fumble recovering it. He then kicked the football into the stands. I was about 20 or 25 rows up at about the 25 yard line. The ball came straight to me and I caught it. That is all I remember from that game because I ended up on the floor underneath about 10 fans and was sore for a week. I thought someday I may catch a baseball but to catch a football means alot to me. Still have it. Sorry for the boring story.
jason
May 15th, 2009
11:08 pm
D3, are we starting the AFC North tomorrow? falcon21, Good story. I would imagine the football took more work than a baseball would have.
falcon21
May 15th, 2009
11:10 pm
By the way Jason, that WhiteShoes catch cost me winning 50 dollars. I was not betting against the Falcons, it was one of those final score boards but I was happy as heck to see them win because it was not a good season.
Mike
May 16th, 2009
12:01 am
Jimbo…excellent post. I personally feel from watching Lofton develop last year… from game 1 facing Detroit until game 16 against St Louis, he was beginning to assume a leadership role. Some become leaders after years of being thrust into a leadership role, and some are leaders by nature and instinct. I think lofton is natural bor leader, and that will be exhibited on the field this year. I think Jerry and Moore will be day 1 starters, look for Owens to be an impact rookie, and Sidbury to be a major contributor on 3rd down. I also agree that nicholas is ready to blossom. I also think Bierman should be moved to LB…weakside, 3rd down specialist. I love the philosphy of this team… bring in rookies to force the 2nd and 3 rd year guys to step their games up.
Ed
May 16th, 2009
2:55 am
2009 Oakland Raiders – Dean 21
1 Sep 14 SD @ OAK – L
2 Sep 20 OAK @ KC – L
3 Sep 27 DEN @ OAK – W
4 Oct 04 OAK @ HOU – L
5 Oct 11 OAK @ NYG – L
6 Oct 18 PHI @ OAK – L
7 Oct 25 NYJ @ OAK – W
8 Nov 01 OAK @ SD – L
9 Bye
10 Nov 15 KC @ OAK – W
11 Nov 22 CIN @ OAK – L
12 Nov 26 OAK @ DAL – L
13 Dec 06 OAK @ PIT – L
14 Dec 13 WAS @ OAK – W
15 Dec 20 OAK @ DEN – L
16 Dec 27 OAK @ CLE – L
17 Jan 03 BAL @ OAK – L
4 – 12 It will take a miracle for Oakland to get out of the doldrums they have been in for years until Al Davis is gone / retired.
jason
May 16th, 2009
8:32 am
ALrighr, who’s gotta hangover? The blog was running a lil’ thin last night. All good, seeing it was a Friday night. I wanto reference Mikes’s post about Lofton. Earlier yersterday, I was talking About Year three of TD and Coach Smitty being the beginning of this group of Falcon’s prime years for SuperBowl contention. The simple reason is the developement of Ryan and Lofton. You know Ryan gotta alot of love from the media. It was all fair and deserved. Lofton got know love, and I thought he was perhaps the most important aspect for the D. Atlanta drafted two QBs this past year. One for O, and one for D.
row3
May 16th, 2009
9:18 am
Good Morning, Guilty on the hangover, also had to be at work @ 8:30, not a good mixture, all is good. Falcon21, good story on catching the football at a game, I remember Biscuit well, I have one of his practice jerseys. Who was it back in the 70’s that everytime he scored a TD he threw the ball in the stands, back then the NFL fined pretty heavy for that, but he did it anyway. It’s too early for me to think that far back, somebody help me out here.
jason
May 16th, 2009
9:48 am
row3, Man that’s a tough question on an early Saturday morning. The 70’s, that was before my time. I started following in the 80’s. The first game I remember was the Dallas/ Atlanta playoff game. Iwas like 7yrs. old I think. Dang, so long ago.
row3
May 16th, 2009
9:57 am
jason, You forgot Jasper Sanks, or was it Jasper Tanks, maybe, Jasper Shanks.