Abe’s absence will help young D-linemen
John Abraham shaking owner Arthur Blank's hand at the recent mini-camp. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC)
BACK TO OTA TOWN — The Falcons returned to Organized Team Activities on Tuesday.
The rain pushed them inside, according to a tweet from their Web site writer J. Michael Moore. (The “media” isn’t allowed at all of the practices.)
We’ll have to update everyone tomorrow if defensive end John Abraham, tight end Tony Gonzalez and cornerback Chris Owens are participating.
Gonzalez is expected to do some of the workouts. Owens has to wait until his class graduates from San Jose State.
Abraham is likely just doing his offseason core maintenance program. He’s found a workout plan that works for him and is sticking to it. He knows what he’s doing by now and problem doesn’t really need the OTA activities.
Also, with Abe missing OTAs action, the Falcons can give more snaps to Jamaal Anderson, Kroy Biermann, Chauncey Davis and fourth-round draft pick Lawrence Sidbury.
“John is one of the smartest guys in the league,” defensive line coach Ray Hamilton said. “We are just going to hold John. We drafted a guy in the fourth round. We just want to look at some of these young guys.”
Hamilton is pleased with the offseason work of defensive tackle Jonthan Babineaux.
“We have to be sudden with all of our moves and Babineaux is one of the quickest guys in the league,” Hamilton said. “He has very quick feet and hands. He’s started to get more violent also. I hate to say violent and good in the same tense, but he has a pretty good violent side. That’s a big part of being a defensive lineman.”
Hamilton is stressing versatility.
“We coach guys on every position,” Hamilton said. “They have to know all of the positions. We do drills were they have to know what the end does, what the tackle does, As a defensive lineman, besides being violent, quick, nasty and all of that stuff, how smart you are the better off you are going to be.”
Also, first-round pick Peria Jerry was not practicing with the team last week after suffering a mild knee sprain in mini-camp. Hamilton can’t want to get him on the field.
“We saw an aggressive player,” Hamilton said. “A quick and disruptive player. In our scheme, that’s how we play. That’s what we need. . . . We saw a good combination of run (stopper) and a good pass rusher. We saw all of that in him. We were very happy that he was there when we got our chance to pick.”
IN THE COMMUNITY . . .
Ryan pumping some offseason iron. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC)
LEARN HOW TO THROW LIKE MATTY ICE: Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is holding a young football clinic on Saturday, June 6 at Centennial High School in Roswell.
He’s bringing along guard Justin Blalock and tackle Sam Baker for the event which is sponsored by Topps.
The non-contact clinic is open to boys and girls ages 7 to 14 and will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
There is a $99 cost. Additional information and registration is available online or call 513-793-CAMP.
BLANK FAMILY OF BUSINESSES AND PARK PRIDE TEAM UP: Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Mayor Shirley Franklin will attend the grand opening ceremony for Vine City Park on Friday.
More than 100 volunteers from the Blank Family of Businesses and Park Pride will move to three area parks for a day of community service. Throughout the morning, the volunteers will provide a helping hand to revitalize and beautify nearby Vine City Park, Washington Park and Cleopas Johnson Park.
Among the volunteers, Falcons head coach Mike Smith and president Rich McKay will lead their team in renovations to Cleopas Johnson Park (Fair St. and Northside Dr.), and Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff will work at at Washington Park (Ollie St. at Lena St. NW). The renovation projects at all three parks will begin at 9:15 a.m. and end at approximately 12:30 p.m.
So let’s get back to some Falcons football. Is Babineaux ready to turn in a monster year? Happy that Abe is working on his core in the offseason? How about the Sidbury kid, is it a good thing that he’s getting extra reps? Worried about Jerry’s injury?
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220 comments Add your comment
Ken Strickland
May 29th, 2009
11:03 pm
WR-TD and Smitty have made a conscience effort to acquire smaller, quicker, faster DT’s. They know the Falcons will have a well balanced dominant OFF that will control the clock and put points on the scoreboard. That usually forces the opposition to play catchup, which means they’ll run less and pass more. Our DEF is being constructed to defend primarily against the pass and will feature speed, quickness and athleticism rather than size and brute strength.
Sarah B
May 30th, 2009
12:00 am
Flo-Ri-Duh! submit pictures. I may be up for a meet and greet.
Sarah B
May 30th, 2009
12:04 am
Dean21 I’m up for any coordinating that needs to be done – I’m a project coordinator by day – no really – that is my job title, so bring it on. Stirg when you comin’ my man?? We should all be there.
Sarah B
May 30th, 2009
12:34 am
Dean21 – to beginning setting this up s_brainerd@yahoo.com.
Sarah B
May 30th, 2009
12:38 am
Ut oh -Flo-Ri-Duh! has my e-mail address, oh well it’s my 3rd address.
Unca' Bob
May 30th, 2009
2:33 am
How does this affect all the coordinators in the AFC East? Well, on paper, the Patriots have an explosive multi-dimensional offense that can be effective playing any style. If an opponent puts a nickel on the field, the Pats can run it well. If they stay base, the Pats can throw at will. But the key component that makes them so dangerous (besides having Brady back) is the versatility in their running backs.
The Patriots will have a “Fred Taylor offense,” they will have a “Sammy Morris offense,” they will have their basic Kevin Faulk role on third down, and Laurence Maroney will fill in. As an opposing coordinator, you must be aware of what they’ll do when certain backs are in the game. Do you have the right match on defense? Will they be able to exploit the defense, creating a mismatch in their favor? With Morris in the game, teams might expect more power; with Taylor in the game, more finesse. However, both backs are big, both are fast, both can catch and both can protect. Both can seemingly do the same kinds of things, but they do them in a different style, a different manner, which means the defense has to be versatile enough to handle each player.
The Patriots love to be in the three-wideout formation, with Wes Welker in the slot. With Randy Moss away from Welker, he draws the rolled coverage, leaving Joey Galloway or Greg Lewis isolated in single coverage. But the weakest area when they spread the formation will be defending the paint (the area inside from tackle to tackle). And at this point, determining who is in the backfield will be critical. Because even though Taylor and Morris can do the same things, the run plays that make them most effective are slightly different, so the defense will need to cheat to “play the play.”
In spread formations, many feel the receivers make the offense, but in reality, the back is the critical piece. Last year, without a healthy back, the Colts’ offense struggled. The Cardinals, without a dominating back, struggled. But the Titans, without great wide receivers but with a great back in Chris Johnson, were very effective. The back’s talent makes the passing game more effective and creates more problems for the defense. The “passing to run” theory is what makes the running game of today’s football so effective, which is why the Patriots look good on paper.
They have everything you want in an offense: versatile players, a blend of old and new, a tough-minded team that, despite losing a great offensive coach in Josh McDaniels, will be explosive. In fact, this might be their most explosive team yet.
It will be interesting to see how the AFC East defensive coordinators defend the Patriots. I really hope they enjoy their summer vacations.
Unca' Bob
May 30th, 2009
2:53 am
This is where CBS’s Bleacher Report has Atlanta rated this season. Pats & Steelers are 1 & 2. A little loafty for me, but fun to see.
3) Atlanta Falcons
If you read my Arthur Blank article, then you understand why I like Atlanta as a championship contender. Matt Ryan was a rare gem that the Falcons were able to expose.
The offensive line is one of the best, and any running back (let alone Michael Turner) can run behind big Ovie Mughelli.
Mike Peterson was signed to Atlanta, which should solidify their linebacking corps. Remember, Peterson’s best year was in Jacksonville when Mike Smith was the defensive coordinator.
Secondary seems to be a problem, but the defensive line is so good that the secondary should fall into place nicely.
Tony Gonzalez’s entry only adds another blocker and receiver to a fundamental offense, and Harry Douglas will be a dark horse in that offense.
Atlanta’s biggest weakness (in my mind) is their punter. Michael Koenen has the boot but no touch. Coffin corner punts are the most overlooked part of the game, which becomes bigger as the season drags on longer.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Atlanta made a Super Bowl appearance.
JJ
May 30th, 2009
7:07 am
Unca’Bob: good research! I”m a little worried about all the games we have against teams coming off their bye weeks, I think 5. Besides healing injuries and more refreshed, they will have an extra week to game plan us. We really got hosed! This worries me much more than our opponents!
Unca' Bob
May 30th, 2009
7:27 am
JJ,
I have read about that some where before, about the bye weeks. I can’t remember if it’s 4 or 5, but even if it’s 4 the “bye” team wins a huge percentage of games. That alone could be as many as 3 loses.
Unca' Bob
May 30th, 2009
7:54 am
JJ,
I did a little digging on the bye weeks. It does not look good.
Week 4- Atl. bye
Week 5- @ SF
Week 6- Bears @ Atl
Week 7- Atl @ Dal
Week 9- Was @ Atl
Week 11- Atl @ NYG
Looks pretty brutal.
D3
May 30th, 2009
8:03 am
Great Saturday A.M. Bird-Cage Bro’s & Sis’s! Had one heck of a day yesterday and couldn’t make it in the ‘Cage to post yesterday, so I gotta a lot of catching up to do. Let’s get to Falcons vs Patriots, Roster Spot Analysis, and some good Recipes. Great to be back. To our Beloved ‘Bird-Talk…….
jason – love that recipe. That will be done very soon at the Locale. I’m going on a strick Bobby Flay Grilling Recipe Menu this summer and that one’s right up my alley.
Ken Strick – good point on our new look DL rotation. There’s definitely a good chance that if we can put some pressure on the Golden Boy, then we’ll have a great fighting chance to knock off the Pats @ Foxboro. If we do knock them off, then who knows what the season holds. If they keep in Fred Taylor, he will definitely serve as a much better blocker than Mauroney out of the backfield.
Nookah – what’s up my Marley-ian brother to the North? Great stat research on the Pats. I think Brady, Moss, and other Vets on that roster are starting to realize that their window is closing on perennial Super Bowl runs year in and year out, and will come out swinging this year. Fred Taylor adds a new dimension with some gas left in the tank. He will have the same effect that Corey Dillon had in helping them to a Super Bowl Title.
angry – agreed on RB Depth Chart. It definitely looks like we’ll be keeping both as the majority of teams carry 5 RBs.
WR – good breakdown of Evil Bill. As usual the Patriots are favorites for winning the Super Bowl. Adding Fred Taylor and that masterful draft day should give them at least 2-3 years for Brady and Moss to win another title. This is a big game for sure, and if we steal this one than who knows how high we can fly.
Dean21 – I’m all for a tailgating meet-up for sure. Just work with Sarah B and let’s get it cranked and rockin’. Might have to take MARTA on that one so I can sober up on the train ride back.
Unca’ Bob – nice analysis on the Patriots mulit-dimensional OFF. I think Fred Taylor will add a huge boost to their already powerful offense. Mauroney is on the serious hot-seat after not living up to big expectations. I know because he has been a serious bust on my Fantasy Football Teams. I think our DEF will recover, but that they will get in a deep hole early on and not be able to make up for it. On that part of the schedule, the Bears and Giants are really the only ones that truly scare me. Romo and the Cowboys are jokes, IMO.
Falcons OFF vs Patriots DEF & Final Prediction Match-ups, Roster Spot Analysis, and tons more fun coming soon……..
Ken Strickland
May 30th, 2009
8:10 am
FOOD FOR THOUGHT. The more WR’s you have on the field, the more options and reads the QB will have. However, if you get good pressure on the QB, it will shorten his read time and force him to pass before completing all of his reads. That means at least one or maybe 2 of his reads/passing options will be eliminated. The only way to get 3 to 4 WR’s on the field is to remove a TE and/or RB, which reduces your QB’s protection. History has shown if you limit the time TBrady has in the pocket to make his reads, he’s not very effective. If you don’t, he’ll carve you up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
I think it’s because they employ a vertical passing OFF, much like the old Raiders of the past that ADavis is desperately and unsuccessfully tying to revive, and they don’t do a lot of checkoffs and/or quick hitters. Our DEF is being constructed with the speed, quickness and athleticism it takes to compete against the Patriots type of OFF. Except for VHutchins, who’s rated more as a cover 2 CB and an excellent nickelback, all of our CB’s are known for their speed, quickness and man cover skills. The same can also be said for our OLB’s and safeties.
The addition of TE TGonzalez makes our passing OFF just as deadly and versatile as the Patriots, without having to go to 3 and 4 WR sets like they do. We’ll also have a much more dominant rushing OFF. Unlike them, TE TGonzalez allows us to switch to our no huddle OFF, without substituting, and become even more effective. Their 3 TE’s had 43 receptions collectively, while TGonzalez had 96, so they aren’t as effective when they switch to the no huddle without substituting for their TE’s. WE WILL MATCH UP VERY WELL AGAINST THE PATRIOTS. THEY’LL HAVE JUST AS MUCH TROUBLE WITH OUR OFF AS WE’LL HAVE WITH THEIR’S. THE ONLY QUESTION MARK FOR THE FALCONS WILL BE HOW WELL OUR DEF PERFORMS, SINCE IT HASN’T BEEN TESTED YET WITH THE NEW ADDITIONS. The Patriots will be an excellent test for the Falcons going into our bye week. They’ll let us know where we stand, what we have to work on, and we’ll have 2 wks to get it done.
Joey Porter
May 30th, 2009
9:44 am
The ATL wife beaters. first it was michael boley, michael turner, and now quinn ojinaka. What’s wrong with the water in atlanta that is making all these cats bash women.
Ken Strickland
May 30th, 2009
10:29 am
JOEY PORTER-trust me, its not unique to Atlanta. I’m certain it’s taking place whereever you are right now, unfortunately. And don’t think it’s just men abusing women either. I’m more concerned about the child abuse that’s being committed against defenseless children. Unfortunately, there are those who feel it’s less of an issue for a player to abuse a woman or child than some pit bulls, although abuse of any kind against anyone or anything is unacceptable.
Nookah
May 30th, 2009
11:53 am
Greetings Cagers, I see we are humming quite early. Some very substantive and sound posts being presented which makes for great reading.
Unca’ Bob, D3 & Ken Strick very good breakdown and analysis on the Pats. Ken Strick you raised a point which I think is a very important one. The key to our performance against the Pats will be if by week 3, our defense will be able to gel. Remember, we have a few new pieces and one of the worst things you can have is people missing assignments due to a lack of chemistry. However, I am optimistic that Smitty and this very able coaching staff will be able to have us playing solid D by week 1. Hopefully we can have all rookies signed and in camp so they miss none of the sessions and will have a good read on their assignments.
Keep it going guys. I’ll be out until tomorrow. I’ll be visiting some family. Hopefully I’ll get the chance during today to take a quick peek into the Bird Cage.
Go Falcons!!!
Nuff respect everytime!!!
jason
May 30th, 2009
12:28 pm
Good morning, Noon, Whatever… I haven’t been on much. The inmates have been running my asylum. Got 2 kids for sale… Any takers?
I have been catching up on reading the posts, and I have to say,D3 Some people in here are giving you a run for your money on in depth analysis. So much good info I don’t really have a lot to add.
Unca’ Bob, You are fastly becoming the man with your football intellect. Enjoyed the article about ATL ranked third in NFL rankings. I am not being negative, but I don’t see ATL 3rd. I see somewhere between 7-10. They have the ability to finish up 3rd or even better. The defense has some young players. We gotta see what they can do. Also, I want to see the OL play as they did before. Kind of not being a one year wonder.
The bye week info is important. That will be the most important factor for this team’s success. When you have 2 weeks to get healthy and game plan for an opponent, that can be deadly. ATL has to worry about their mental game. I like the first 3 games before ATL’s bye. 3 good teams to set the pace for the season. ATL can take the bye and focus on the remaining season, not just their next opponent. With the 3 games ATL will have played, they should definitely understand their strength and weakness’s going forward from the bye.
Ken, as always outstanding posts. I too agree that the defense is being set up more for pass defense and man coverage. I feel you always have more options in man. You don’t have to guard a space and keep eyes on the QB. That was a nice breakdown on the PATS offenses and what they are trying to do. It goes right along with Unca’ Bob’s post. The complexity of the PATS offense is that they are so versatile and multidimensional. They look at what your defensive game plan is and adapt. They have different styles not only in their RBs, but also their WRs. Don’t forget their TEs though. They also can be deadly. When you have as much talent on offense, the TEs are usually the after thought. They won’t see as many passes their way.
D3, I am starting to lean your way on this game.I had picked ATL to win 24-21, I think on a last sec. FG. I think this game will be hard fought by whomever the victor is. I can see ATL getting down early. Especially with all the new parts on defense, and it still being only the third game of the year. We will need a MVP effort from Turner and Norwood. I just don’t see the running lanes from NE. I think Gonzo is huge in this game. We will need him and HD underneath. Short passes are good as a 4-5 yard run. We just need to keep the chains moving, get first downs and run the clock. That and we can not miss on scoring opportunities. Make each one we get count, because there want be many. I would sacrifice points in this game to keep Brady and co. off the field. That’s why I had the score low. We talk about how balanced ATL’s O is. I would like to see 65%-35& rush to pass. If that’s not possible, then I would like to see Gonzo around 10 catches but under 10yds. per. See where I am going? I want 10-15 play scoring drives. I want every possession to last 4-5 min. at a minimum. I know that’s a lot to ask, but that’s the only way I see a victory by ATL. I think our pass defense will be exposed if Brady and co. are on the field alot. Getting a good sustained rush on Brady will be difficult. Unlike Cassell, Brady knows where the hot reads are and will not hold the ball.
jason
May 30th, 2009
12:30 pm
Ken Strickland, I wouldn’t waste my time on Joey Porter. He won’t last long in the cage with that crap. That’s the nonsense you talk when you don’t have any knowledge on the topic at hand; ATL football.
Ken Strickland
May 30th, 2009
9:29 pm
JASON-point well taken.
The Patriots entire OFF strategy is to use their passing OFF and multiple WR sets to spread the DEF. Keeping your DL bunched close together gives you an advantage against the run. However, having your DL bunched up makes it more difficult to rush the passer. The PATS try to get you to spread your DL, which creates natural rushing lanes for their RB’s. As far as run blocking, I don’t think their OL is as good as ours. Our OL made us the NFL’s #2 rushing OFF, even though teams stacked the line of scrimmage and dared us to pass, especially early in the season.
If you have big DT’s and DE’s that aren’t very mobile or agile, they’ll spread you out and take disadvantage. When you have the speed, quickness, agility and mobility of our DL rotation, you can make mistakes, or get out of position, and still recover. The only thing last yrs DT GJackson successfully chased down was the snack tray.
Here’s what separates this yrs DT’s from the DT’s of the last few yrs. In the past, we had what was considered our best DLinemen starting, and there was a drastic dropoff when we started our DT rotations. This yrs DT’s are pretty much evenly matched in size, speed, quickness and mobility, so there won’t be much of a dropoff, if any, when we start our DT rotations.
With our DL rotation of DE’s JAbraham, CDavis, JAnderson, KBeirmann, LSidbury and DT’s TLewis, PJerry, JBabineaux and VWalker, our DL should be able to consistently get pressure on anybody, including TBrady. Our DEF will be young and somewhat inexperienced, but we’ll be too deep and talented at every position, and too well coached, not to be good.
Unca' Bob
June 7th, 2009
7:33 am
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2009/05/26/abes-absent-will-help-young-d-linemen/comment-page-3/#comments
jerry
July 30th, 2009
9:37 am
On the bye week: It is not so much just playing a bye team, it is not having a bye also. The Falcons play the Cowboys, Redskins, Giants, and Bears with no bye themselves. Guess who the Panthers play on a bye–nobody. The Saints play the Rams-isn’t that tough— and the Bucs play only the Packers. Is this fair to the Falcons? Has the schedule been rigged against them? It looks damn suspicious to me.