Ryan rated as NFL’s top under-30 franchise player
Falcons QB Matt Ryan putting the silver sharpie to some helmets. He was helping out Kendyl Moss, the team's Director of Community Relations.
FLOWERY BRANCH – Blog-cation was awesome.
Found that Palm tree to relax under. Plenty of frothy beverages. Watched some old episodes of Rockford Files. What else can you ask for.
Hit the OTA scene and with just one more open session, the Falcons appear to be ahead of schedule compared to last year. But that was to be expected now that the coaching staff has a year under its belt.
Would not worry too much about all of the dust-ups at Wednesday’s session. They were mostly low-level rugby scrums. When you get those helmet-swinging fights, those are the ones to be concerned about. Helmet-swinging shows a clear intent to do bodily harm to a teammate.
There’s not need to worry about the pushing and shoving deals with a little jabbering
“I like the way they are working,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “It’s really difficult to see where we are because we are not really playing the game off football. We are in helmets and shorts and it’s really non-contact work.”
An emphasis has been placed on improving the passing attack during the OTA sessions.
“I think we’ll be ahead of where we need to be in the passing game in terms of what we’ve installed,” Smith
Peria Jerry and Curtis Lofton signing items for the Falcons.
said. “In the running game, we have to get out and work in pads and that will come here in August.”
RYAN LAUDED: Fox named Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, 24, the NFL’s top franchise player under 30.
TWO-MAN WEDGE: One of the major offseason rule changes involves the formation of two-man wedges on kickoff returns. The idea is to keep players from getting injured while trying to bust up three- and four-man wedges.
Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong is adjusting to the new rule.
“With a two-man wedge you are going to be little more simple with your game plan toward wedges,” Armstrong said. “You won’t have to adjust as much for kickoff coverage. Kickoff return-wise you’ve got to change a little bit.”
Tony Gonzalez' new book: The All-Pro Diet.
GONZALEZ BOOK: An advanced copy of Tony Gonzalez‘ book arrived in the office recently. It’s entitled, “The All-Pro Diet: Lose fat, build muscle and live like a champion.”
Gonzalez authors the book with Mitzi Dulan, RD (Registered Dietitian). Will get back to you all with a review later, but on the flip through saw some interesting recipes. One was for Fish Tacos and another for a Black Bean Burger.
Also, part of the All-Pro workout includes jumping rope 600 to 1,000 jumps total, 100 jumps per set, 30 seconds of rest between sets. This helps to develop quick feet.
SACKMASTER NEEDS HELP: The Falcons are looking for some help in the pass rushing department for John Abraham, who had a franchise-record 16.5 sacks last season. The battle for left end with Jamaal Anderson, Kroy Biermann and Chauncey Davis will interesting to watch in training camp.
Anderson, the No. 8 pick in 2007 draft, has two sacks in 31 starts. Biermann got two sacks in a reserve role last season as a rookie. Davis had a career-high four sacks last season, but has just eight overall in four seasons.
“It would be nice to get another guy to get into the six, seven sack range,” Smith said. “If we get two of those guys (in the six, seven sack range) I think we’ll be very efficient rushing the passer.”
OLINE LOOKING FOR DEPTH: Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau is looking to create some depth along the line.
“We are still in underwear, so we can’t hit anybody,” Boudreau said. “Compared to last year, we are ahead of the process in terms of communication and being able to work together as a unit. There is more chemistry. Even with the young guys, they are ahead of schedule. Last year we were trying to teach them all of the things and we were just trying to break the huddle at the same time.”
CHEERLEADER CORNER . . .
A-TOWN DANCER TRYOUTS: Our good buddy Jason “Jake” McDonald of I-Light Media at www.ilightmediaws.com was kind enough to send along two very nice slide shows from the A-Town Dancer tryouts. We know they work for the Hawks, but we can scout for the Falcons cheer squad here.
Looks like our good friend Sam Crenshaw of Channel 11 had a difficult time serving as one of the judges.
Check out the first cuts of the A-Town Dance Team Auditions
and some action from Day 2 of the tryouts.
IN THE COMMUNITY . . .
DAVIS TAKES ON BULLYING: Defensive End Chauncey Davis, DeKalb Juvenile Court Judge Desiree Peagler,
Chauncey Davis
DeKalb County Commissioner Lee May spoke to nearly 100 youth at the Browns Mill Road Recreation Center on June 5 as part of a special anti-bullying campaign.
“Something has to be done to combat this reckless behavior of bullying and to help build the self-esteem of both the person being bullied and the bully,” said Davis, who started the Chauncey Davis Foundation to address health and wellness related issues in the community. “As adults, if we don’t intervene now, we will hear more and more reports of suicides, gun violence, depression, drug/alcohol abuse, higher dropout rates and more with our young people.”
ROBISKIE, MILES TO HELP OUT YOUTH: Falcons wide receiver coach Terry Robiskie and inebacker Edmond Miles will be joined by four Falcons cheerleaders and PGA Tour pros DeWitt Weaver and James Mason at Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw for the inaugural Tee Off For Tykes charity golf tournament Friday and Saturday to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The public is invited to attend the event and meet the Falcons and PGA pros. Pinetree Country Club is located on McCollum Parkway in Kennesaw.
FUNDS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: At the annual Verizon Wireless golf tournament with the Atlanta Falcons recently, attendees raised $24,670 for Partnership Against Domestic Violence.
Steve Bartkowski
This was the fifth annual Verizon Wireless Network of Champions Gold Tournament, which was held at The River Club Golf Course in Suwanee. At this annual celebrity event, attendees were able to meet current players including Matt Ryan, Brian Finneran and Michael Turner, former players Steve Bartkowski and
Hall of Famer Emmit Thomas as well as the Falcons leadership including head coach Mike Smith, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and president Rich McKay.
So are you worried about the OTA fights? Do you believe Ryan is the top franchise player under 30 in the NFL? Will Jamaal Anderson turn into a double-digit sack guy in year three? Is the Hawks cheer squad going to step up and help them get deeper in the playoffs? Happy to see Davis tackling a timely issue of substance in the community?
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243 comments Add your comment
D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
June 18th, 2009
9:34 am
Chatted with my man J. Michael of AF.com yesterday. It was single letter fest.
http://jmike.blogs.atlantafalcons.com/2009/06/17/a-quick-chat-with-d-led/
row3
June 18th, 2009
10:49 am
Unca’Bob
Nice link. Love the Quote from Smitty (expect to win but don’t get caught up in expectations)
Unca' Bob
June 18th, 2009
10:57 am
row3,
I ran D-Led’s link. Finally I got to put a real face to a blog.
PS- Glad you enjoyed my link.
Unca' Bob
June 18th, 2009
11:01 am
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201337-are-the-atlanta-falcons-finally-for-real-2009-team-preview
D3
June 18th, 2009
12:11 pm
Good Thursday A.M. Ladies and Gents! Slow goes these days in the Bird-Cage, huh? Hey, to be expected with the driest of dead zones taking hold of our beloved Falcons. Everyone needs a break, except for a couple of us serious junkies. Anyway lets talk some Falcons and Football……….
Roster Position Analysis – Offensive Tackle
Based on last year’s active roster we carried 9 Offensive Lineman, with 4 of them being Offensive Tackles(Sam Baker, Tyson Clabo, Quinn Ojinnaka & Wayne Gandy). Obviously Sam Baker and Tyson Clabo are locks, so who makes the other 2 spots?
Sam Baker
Height: 6-5 Weight: 312 Age: 24
Games – 8, Games Started – 5
Pros – Showed signs of great promise as a true Rookie Left Tackle (one of the most difficult positions in the NFL). Held his own against some of the Best DE’s in the game protecting our rookie Franchise QB).
Cons – Extremely injury prone throughout his rookie year. Only played in half the regular season games, starting just 5 of those games. One of the big knocks against him coming out of USC was him being severly injury prone.
Tyson Clabo
Height: 6-6 Weight: 332 Age: 27
Games – 16, Games Started – 16
Pros – Amazing goldmine of a find picking him up after not making a roster in 2005 after being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2004. Increased his play steadily starting 10 games in 2006, 11 games in 2007, and being a rock-solid RT in 2008 starting all 16 games. Tough, nasty, physical. Paved way for Michael Turner being 2nd leading rusher in NFL. Pairs with Harvey Dahl to form the “Nasty Boys” on the right side.
Cons – Can he perform consistently as he did last year? Why did it take so long for the Falcons to re-up his Restricted Free Agent tender? Will the Falcons fork over the money for a long-term deal that Clabo will command for a very young, stud Right Tackle? Let’s hope so.
Quinn Ojinnaka
Height: 6-5 Weight: 305 Age: 25
Games – 8; Games Started – 0
Pros – young left tackle that has grown into a steady backup for the Falcons after being drafted by Lil’ Jimmy Mora. Has withstood and made the roster through 3 coaching regimes in consecutive years. Good size and only 25. Maybe can turn into the type of OL that Boudreau harvested in Clabo and Dahl.
Cons – even though making the roster 3 years in a row says something about his abilities, he has never had the light bulb come on and even started one game for the injuried Sam Baker. Couldn’t compete for either tackle spot when both were open. Falcons brass elected for Wayne Gandy to start instead of going with youth in their “process”. Originally drafted by Lil’ Jimmy Mora to run cut-blocking scheme.
Will Svitek, Garrett Reynolds, and Michael Butterworth coming next……
Ken Strickland
June 18th, 2009
1:42 pm
D3-The reason TClabo languished before last yr is because he came into the NFL as an OG. In 07, when OT WGandy, then TWeiner then RFoster suffered season ending injuries, he was switched to OT out of necessity, and excelled. His combination of size, strength and mobility(due to his experience with JMora’s cut blocking system), has helped turn him into a quality OT.
We don’t need to worry about our OL. There’s no way TD or Smitty will allow QB MRyan & RB MTurnerand, the heart and soul of the OFF and their 2 major investments, to go unprotected just to save a few million on the OL.
Ojinnaka’s versatility may have been the reason he hasn’t won the starting OT spot. He’s been the backup L/R OT and OG, while those who’ve started ahead of him have been OT’s only. He started out as a cut blocking OT, but has bulked up while managing to maintain his quickness, speed and mobility. His versatility and ability to effectively play both OT and OG positions might make him more valuable as a quality backup than starter. He reminds me of former Atlanta Hawks do everything player, Josh Childress, who’s versatility made him more valuable to the team as a backup than as a starter.
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 18th, 2009
6:46 pm
There’s got to be a better way to clean gutters. Ain’t nobody invented that yet? You GT-guys need to work on that…
Unca' Bob
June 18th, 2009
7:34 pm
Strig,
Huh?
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 18th, 2009
8:10 pm
Started cleaning gutters on the house earlier. I was just thinking, hoping, that there was a better way to clean them. I was thinking, maybe, of a high-powered vacuum or a jet-blower, or something. I’m even thinking about using fire and just burn the debris. I figured that may make 11 o’clock news.
Unca' Bob
June 18th, 2009
8:29 pm
Strig,
Illegal aliens.
falcon21
June 18th, 2009
9:35 pm
That will work Unca’ Bob, they just finshed my roof.
Ken Strickland
June 18th, 2009
9:39 pm
STIRG-the best way I’ve found to clean gutters is with a garden hose and a good nozzle. If you wrap it around a chimney or something sturdy on the roof, then around your waist, it can serve as a safety device in case you slip. Before my stroke, I lived in a house that required me to clean out my gutters at least twice a week every fall. The house had mulitple roof lines and the property sloped towards the back of the house, so the back part of the roof was very steep. Therefore, I had to devise a way to clean my gutters safely.
falcon21
June 18th, 2009
9:40 pm
finished
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 18th, 2009
9:55 pm
I remember Jack-of-all-trades; just didn’t think society produced them anymore. Good looking, Ken.
Unca’ Bob, I cannot find one I.A. in this depressed town; there’s just simply no work, for anybody. I can’t even find a parking lot where they post-up and wait for work to drive through; then attack your car like “I Am Legend”.
Does anyone have a report for me, on John Abraham? Is it time for me to ignite a flame to his pile of wood? We’re going to need his leadership and we’re certainly going to need his tutelage. I read an earier report that either Sidbury or Biermann is expected to play earlier and more often than expected. Both Anderson and Abraham (don’t have to worry about him too much; If he stays healthy, he’ll start forever) better get up and stay on their “A” game. I see some shake-up on the line, literally and figuratively speaking.
Ed
June 19th, 2009
12:41 am
Thought you guys would enjoy this
Falcons mates say Ryan making ’scary’ improvement
By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer
Posted: 06/18/2009 12:37:47 AM PDT
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga.—Matt Ryan’s teammates say the quarterback will be even better in 2009 than he was when he won widespread acclaim as the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year last season.
“By leaps and bounds,” Atlanta fullback Ovie Mughelli said of Ryan on Wednesday as the Falcons approached the end of their organized team activities. “It’s actually scary how much he’s improved and it’s only his second year. People thought he couldn’t get much better than last year.
“In the weight room, what he’s done out here, his arm strength, the way he reads plays, he’s gotten better in every aspect.”
The Falcons will have their last day of workouts Thursday and begin training camp on Aug. 1.
Ryan led the Falcons to an 11-5 record—an unexpected jump from a 4-12 finish in 2007—and a playoff spot last season. Michael Turner rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first season as a full-time starter, and Roddy White had 88 receptions for 1,382 yards.
Ryan, Turner, White and Mughelli have been joined by 10-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, who was acquired from Kansas City.
The Falcons, who a year ago were a popular pick to finish last in the NFC South, now look like a rising force, especially on offense.
“The thing you see out there across the board is confidence, starting with Matt at quarterback, all the way down,” said center Todd McClure. “Everybody just has a different confidence than we had even last year,
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because we were trying to learn a new system. Now we have a year under our belt and that confidence can take us a long way if we can just stay together.”
Coach Mike Smith says he has focused on the Falcons’ passing game in the organized workouts.
“Matt is making good decisions and being accurate with the football,” Smith said. “I don’t think those two traits can be overlooked. That’s what we’ve emphasized with Matt, make better decisions and to be more accurate throwing the football.”
Ryan says the Falcons already are preparing to deal with increased expectations.
“I heard a quote from coach Smith, ‘expect to win but don’t get caught up in expectations,’” Ryan said. “I think that’s pretty pertinent because you can’t worry about all the long-term stuff. You just have to go out there and have confidence in yourself and not worry about all the long-term stuff that goes with it.”
Ryan said he began studying film after the Falcons’ playoff loss to Arizona as he focused on making better decisions in key situations.
“The No. 1 thing going into the offseason for me was to improve the decision making and so I’ve watched a ton of film, just trying to get better and to sharpen up for next season,” he said. “I’m going to continue to do that for the next two or three months.”
Ryan completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 3,440 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He said there’s much room to reach the levels of improvement that Mughelli sees.
“Quarterbacks make their living on third down and in the red zone, so those are areas I felt I could improve on from last year,” he said. “You also make your living at the end of the game so you want to make good plays and make good decisions in two-minute situations, so those are areas I definitely focused on.”
Ed
June 19th, 2009
12:55 am
Ken, the Hawks really miss J-Chill as he was the glue for that team.
D3
June 19th, 2009
10:40 am
Great Friday A.M. Fellow ‘Cagers! Gotta love Fridays, huh? The best night of the weekend and the official start of the weekend, even though my weekends usually start on Thursday night. Excited to see some fellow ‘Cagers coming back in, even if its housework advice. Anyway, I digress…………
Coach Ken – good points on Ojinnaka. If he provides as much versatility as you suggest, than that definitely will be a huge plus-positive for him on making the roster. My thing is why would they draft a Tackle themselves and sign a backup Will Svitek if they were confident in Ojinnaka as a solid backup? Also, the versatility of Svitek, Romberg, & now Newberry kind of takes the place of that OL cross-training and use.
Stirg – I have to confess, and it probably knocks a couple of points off my Dude Score, but I paid a couple of guys who own their own handy-man business to clean my gutters. Best $70 bucks I ever spent.
falcon21 – how’s things going up NW GA way? Are the Rome Braves doing any better than the ATL Braves? Hope so, because the Bravo’s are DONE. I’m headed up Rome way myself towards the end of summer to see family and friends.
Stirg(2) – we definitely can expect Abe to show up and bring his A game week in and week out, but he doesn’t strike me as a leader/mentor type, so that might be a little bit of a stretch. Looks like Biermann is staying put at DE instead of moving back to OLB.
Ed – thanks for the article. How scary would it be to see Matty Ice “improve dramatically”? Can’t wait to don my Black #2 Jersey for the 2009 Season!
Dean21 – whenever you return, the training camp schedule has been released. I’ll definitely be headed up for the Aug 1st session, and will try to make to a couple of more as well, but that is the first week back for school and it will be hectic getting ready for the upcoming school year. Its too hard to make it up during the week with my 2 month old little WR.
Some Training Camp I’m looking at:
-Sat.Aug 1st (Love to go to both, but A.M. looks promising)
-Fri.Aug.7th (Scrimmage game @ Brookwood High)
-Sat.Aug.8th (Mock game in GA Dome)
OL Analysis later, for those of you interested……..
J-MAN
June 19th, 2009
10:49 am
We need a new blog this one is getting a little bit on the stale side. How is the Secondary coming together and which player offense/defense is emerging.
D3
June 19th, 2009
11:57 am
Continuing our analysis on Roster Spot Analysis – Offensive Tackle
As mentioned earlier, we carried 9 OL our active roster last year and 4 of them were Tackles (Sam Baker, Tyson Clabo, Quinn Ojinnaka, Todd Weiner, & Wayne Gandy rotated in when Baker was injuried).
Final 3 on the roster: Will Svitek, Garrett Reynolds, Michael Butterworth
Will Svitek
Height: 6-6 Weight: 300 Age: 27
Games – 13, Games Started – 4
Pros – young, big Tackle that has NFL starting experience with the Chiefs last year and having experience in 13 games. Will have no trouble filling in as a solid backup for either Tackle spot, needed especially with Sam Baker’s injury problem. Falcons brass thought enough of him to sign him as a Free Agent.
Cons – besides last year, has severly limited experience only playing in 3 total games over previous two years in KC. 6′6, 300 is big, but the weight is a little under for prototypical big tackles.
Garrett Reynolds(R)
Height: 6′8 Weight: 309 Rookie
Combine Scouting Report: Reynolds may lack the flashy athleticism that characterizes many of this year’s top tackle prospects, but his toughness and reliability on the right side could help him ultimately enjoy a more established pro career than some rated ahead of him. A three-year starter, with his action almost exclusively at right tackle, Reynolds has the frame and physicality to remain at the position at the next level. He lacks the speed to handle speed rushers, however, and isn’t the consistent drive blocker his size might indicate.
Possesses that “nasty streak” that Smitty and Boudreau covet. Last years 5th round draft pick, Kroy Biermann, not only made the actice roster, but contributed heavily.
Michael Butterworth
Height: 6′7 Weight: 334
No Stats, 2nd Season out of Slippery Rock
Pros – huge, big tackle that could be a nice backup option behind Clabo and Baker. If Boudreau could work his magic than might he be the next Clabo or Dahl?
Cons – impossible to find any actual stats. Was waived by Falcons last year for a reason and will be the lowest man on the totem pole. Will have to fight the hardest to make the active roster, and with the drafting of Reynolds may not even make the practice squad.
So fellas wathca think about our Tackle rotation this year?
Will Baker make it a full season with health?
Will Clabo look to hit the Free Agent market and leave a gaping hole at Left Tackle next year?
Who will make the 2 spots on the active roster behind Baker and Clabo?
Is this Ojinnaka’s final year as a Falcon?
How will the Svitek, Romberg, and Newberry signings affect our OL?
Happy with who we got at Tackle on our current Camp roster or do we need to sign some more?
J-MAN – understand your frustration with the blog’s dead-zone, but this is the driest of dry times of the year for Falcons and NFL. Eveyone’s taking their final vacation before the long, grueling NFL season takes hold. It would be nice to get a few more OTA updates though.
Sarah B
June 19th, 2009
12:31 pm
D3 unless you have a really big house or some 3 story deal that was to much, my guy did mine for $40. I’m pretty handy and do most of my own homeowner stuff but I draw the line at the roof/gutters. The back corner would probably result in my death if I fell. And I can’t do that until our Falcons win a Super Bowl!!
angry banker
June 19th, 2009
12:41 pm
Enter your comments here
angry banker
June 19th, 2009
1:02 pm
d3, row3, Ken – do you guys see Clabo spending anytime at LT? You know how Smitty feels about limiting reps on injury prone players – heck, worked great for Abe last year! Do you guys see Newberry at RT and bumping Clabo to LT? Or is Newberry looking at starting Center over McClure? If we keep Newberry in the middle of the line, and keep Clabo at RT, who else is qualified to take reps at LT? Not a knock, but I don’t see anyone else on the same level as those 3. To add fuel to my confussion, Newberry is simply listed as “OL” on AF.com… guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Unca' Bob
June 19th, 2009
2:27 pm
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcsouth/0-12-92/Very-special-Father-s-Day-for-Falcons–Nicholas.html
Y’all have got to read this. It is incredible!!
row3
June 19th, 2009
2:38 pm
angry banker-Interesting about Clabo at LT. My concern this off-season is who is our back-up LT. I hope Baker’s healty and can go all season, but if Clabo has to go to the left side can Newberry start at RT. Do we have a better candidate to start at RT? Do you think G Reynolds will be ready?
Unca' Bob
June 19th, 2009
3:17 pm
Just got back from getting my wife’s car repaired. You really, really need to click on my 2:27PM link. It will go a long way to explain a lot of questions…PS Bring a kleenex.
jason
June 19th, 2009
4:01 pm
Outstanding article. A great read. It puts a lot of things in perspective about football and more important life. As a father of a Special Needs child, I can relate. Nicholas has just become my favorite player for the Falcons. He and his family also just became a Role Model for mine.
jason
June 19th, 2009
4:05 pm
The thing on the OL is going to be versatility. Who can play multiple positions. The FAs ATL signe all seem to have that versatility, as well as Ojinnaka. Pretty interesting. I think maybe Reynolds will be assigned to the Practice Roster.
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 19th, 2009
4:24 pm
Thanks Sarah, D3. Its not all that. I mean, it ain’t Bob Whitfield’s house (heard the gold-digger lost it in foreclosure). Although its a lot of work, its a task that I can complete on my own. I can save that $40-$70 for the Detroit/Atlanta tailgating coming up. Sarah, you’ll be back in Detroit?
D3, boy you nailed it on the head “…but he (Abe) doesn’t strike me as a leader/mentor type…”. It would have taken me a complete page to say just that; and when finished, I would get accused of being ignorant and not having sex until I was 21. I say the same thing. Abe is Abe and he’ll get you 16.5 sacks; but what about leadership and mentoring. I was shocked (although, I shouldn’t be) that nine of Abraham’s 16.5 sacks, came in just three games. Which tells me in fourteen games, he recorded a total of seven sacks. Now, I’ll still take that but give me some leadership with it.
Sarah B
June 19th, 2009
4:28 pm
Stirg, I have to go to Grand Haven in August and my sister offered to have me fly into Detroit and ride up with them but I think I’m going to opt for flying to Flint and renting a car for the not quite 2 hour drive to Grand Haven because I don’t know about riding that far with them and NOT having my own way out either.
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 19th, 2009
4:52 pm
Okay, Sarah. Just trying to find out if you’re going to be here for the pre-season opener (Detroit and Atlanta). I was going to invite you to a tailgate and a show.
Unca’ Bob. Thanks a million for digging up that article. Really puts life in perspective. My little linebacker is now eighteen months and I cannot imagine us dealing with that scenario.
I especially appreciate the two anonymous Falcons that extended themselves for support of the Nicholas’ family. Nicholas, himself, I cannot believe you edured all that and still produced a good season last year. No matter where you are, you’ll always be a lifetime Falcon with me, buddy. I tip my hat and lift my buur to you, Coach Smith, the two anonymous Falcons, Mrs. Blank, Kevin Winston and Pat Yasinkas. It takes a village; and in this case, it takes a football team.
jason, I know you don’t know me from the man-on-the-moon; but if you ever need ANYTHING, it won’t hurt you to ask. We’re all Falcons, for real.
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 19th, 2009
4:55 pm
…and you guys try to convince me that its okay for Abe to miss practice, camps and OTA’s because of a brutal season last year. How absurd? That really demonstrates leadership.
Ken Strickland
June 19th, 2009
10:19 pm
D3-they signed and drafted OT’s in order to upgrade the position. Even I kmew OT RFoster lacked versatility and didn’t have much of a chance to make the final cut. With TWeiner retiring, and Gandy becoming an unsigned FA, there were at least 3 positions open. They also wanted more versatility, and you can see the FA’s we’ve signed have played multiple positions and have extensive starting experience.
row3
June 20th, 2009
10:16 am
Unca’Bob, LOVE the story. How did this not leak? Hats off to the entire organization for the love at support they showed Mr. Nicholas and his family. It makes me even MORE proud to be a Falcons fan!
Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads in the Cage.
The Black Beast: For Every Black Beast: NBA Finals Observation 2
June 20th, 2009
12:03 pm
[...] Ryan rated as NFL's top under-30 franchise player | Atlanta …Having pro sports teams in the Atl is a blessing that most of us don’t truly appreciate. Trust me, some states like West Virginia would love to have just One pro team in their state. It is truly special when the pro athletes come out and support …… “The offense gets a lot of publicity and notoriety and they deserve that but don’t overlook this defense,” Lofton said. “We have a lot of young guys that started for us last year and really didn’t know what they were doing. … [...]
Ken Strickland
June 20th, 2009
2:18 pm
ANGRY BANKER-the answer to your question about Clabo is NO. Why destroy the continuity of the OL by switchng Clabo to LT, where he has no experience, when both Ojinnaka and Newberry have starting experience at the position. Besides disrupting the OL continuity, putting someone with no experience at LT would put QB MRyan at greater risk, and that’s
not going to happen.
STIRG-don’t let this JAbraham thing get you off track. It doesn’t seem like the players or the coaching staff is having trouble with his OTA and minicamp participation. Personally, I think both TD and Smitty are prone to keeping things close to the vest, so to speak. Their comments about Abe recovering from the rigors of last season might be their way of concealing the fact he might be recovering from major surgery. The special treatment you’re complaining Abe’s receiving has led to him having record production, and playing 2 full seasons. What player couldn’t appreciate JAbraham’s leadership by example after watching him consistently utilize his vast skills and determination to fight through double and triple teams to provide a virtural one man pass rush.
LET THE COACHING STAFF WORRY ABOUT LEADERSHIP. AFTER ALL, HOW MANY MISTAKES HAVE THEY MADE SO FAR WITH THIS TEAM AND IT’S PLAYERS?
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 20th, 2009
2:51 pm
You know what, Ken? That’s what I’m unsettled about. The coaching staff and players, both, don’t seem to be as overly concerned about Abe as much as I am. Its just that I’m a firm believer in setting examples by doing, e.g., Peterson and Nicholas. Granted, Smitty and TD may be concealing the reality of the situation (i.e., injury, fatigue or just old age) but he’s obviously capable of some physical activity, while conducting his own personal and private “maintenance” workout program. To me, that does not demonstrate neither team unity nor leadership. Call me wrong; but I see guys on the football field, that shouldn’t be there (injury, age, readiness or, in Nicholas’ case, family issues) and still show-up. Did you read the Nicholas story that Unca’ Bob posted? Call me a wuss but I wouldn’t have been worth a fat baby’s a$$ on the field, knowing my boy needs a heart; but Nicholas showed-up. Don’t worry, though, I’m not going to start on old-Abe today. I’m going to save my energy for the opposition.
Tell me something. If Abe had not produced 16.5 sacks last season (say he produced only eight, in 17 games), do you suppose coaches and staff would still be willing to let old-Abe be?
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 20th, 2009
3:01 pm
Oh, I forgot to answer your question: “…how many mistakes have they made with this team and its players?” Keith Brooking should have been shipped along with DeAngelo Hall. He certainly should not have been starting for four downs last season. I bet Dallas won’t make that mistake. I admire Brooking and I appreciate the years that he’s given to the organization; but physical abiltiy is physical ability, it cannot be taught. The man just got old, simply put. I think the mistake was being loyal to Brooking because of his contributions to the team. Clearly, Wire or Nicholas should have been starting in Arizona.
Ken Strickland
June 20th, 2009
7:49 pm
STIRG-let’s not confuse apples with oranges. Nicolas’ situation is emotional while Abrahams situation is physical. Some people deal with the same situation differently while others deal with different situations in the same way. Being in camp and competing with the guys might have been the best way for Nicholas to deal with the stress of his situation. Like you said, in the same situation you wouldn’t be worth a baby’s A$$.
Also, CWire actually was the starting OLB against Arizona, and except for a few plays, KBrooking had a good yr overall. Considering our poor run and pass DEF last yr, including against Arizona, a case can be made for not starting SS LMalloy(poor pass DEF), DT GJackson(poor pass rush and run DEF), OLB CWire(poor pass DEF)and DE JAnderson(poor pass rush)as well.
As young as the Falcons will be, there will be no shortage of veteran leadership, on either side of the ball. On OFF we’ll have QB MRyan, TE TGonzalez, RB MTurner, WR RWhite/BFinneran and C TMcClure. On DEF we’ll have OLB MPeterson, DT JBabineaux, DE’s CDavis/JAbraham, LB CWire, FS EColeman and MLB CLofton has assumed the challenge of becoming more of a leader. This isn’t college, high school or the pee wee league, where players are often in need of constant motivation and leadership.
BT
June 20th, 2009
8:40 pm
D3, that`s good stuff on the backup OT analysis.
You and Ken Strickland (and others) know your Falcon football.
That said, here is my general take in the interior of the Falcons O-line.
Keep in mind some guys will be crossed trained to be backup to both guard and tackle or guard and center.
It looks like Romberg and Newberry will be utilized as backup to center and guards.
The idea being when you can have only 45 players active on your game day roster, of the 53 on your total roster.
Have one guy to back up all 3 interior positions.
That way you can go with 7 active O-linemen instead of 8, allowing you to have an extra D-line man or D-back active on game days.
The Newberry connection is sort of a domino effect. With plenty of extra tackles, Quinn Ojinnaka was likely to practice at guard. But now that the team has signed both Romberg and Newberry, there’s an overload of interior linemen. Bump Ojinnaka back over to tackle, and bump both Foster and Stepanovich out the door.
Garrett Reynolds and free agent Will Svitek are also available as tackles and are the leading contenders along with Ojinnaka to win those roster spots. Ryan Stanchek played left tackle at West Virginia, but he’ll play guard in camp. I’m anticipating that he’ll pair up nicely with Garrett Reynolds, which will increase his chances of making the team.
Stirg d'Nahsif
June 20th, 2009
10:42 pm
Well said, Ken. Like I said before, I’ll restrain my heckling and prepare myself for the upcoming season. I do agree that we have sufficient leadership on both sides of the line; I never disputed that. For some unearthly reason, TD is able to recruit leaders, immediate leaders. Perhaps that is a part of the “Matrix”.
You’re right, a case can be made about Grady Jackson and Coy Wire. What puzzles me, however, is your reminder of Milloy and Anderson not starting. I’m not in Atlanta so I missed mid-season. Falcons weren’t nationally televised until media recognized the winning effort, near the end of season. I recall Davis playing more often than Anderson should have (I’m actually pro-Anderson) but I don’t recall Milloy not starting; and if that is the case, you darn tootin’ I want to make that a case for a mistake that the staff made. I did watch the Arizona game; and yes, he was burnt, often. I thought he had a remarkable regular season, however, but I didn’t know he missed a start. Did Coy Wire start Arizona’s game? Where did he start, Will or Sam?
Dallas Cowboys Stick To Plan, But Did They Succeed? | Dallas …
June 21st, 2009
1:04 am
[...] Ryan rated as NFL's top under-30 franchise player | Atlanta …Having pro sports teams in the Atl is a blessing that most of us don’t truly appreciate. Trust me, some states like West Virginia would love to have just One pro team in their state. It is truly special when the pro athletes come out and support …… “The offense gets a lot of publicity and notoriety and they deserve that but don’t overlook this defense,” Lofton said. “We have a lot of young guys that started for us last year and really didn’t know what they were doing. … [...]
Ken Strickland
June 21st, 2009
1:46 am
STIRG-our coaching staff had to make concessions due to our lack of overall DEF talent last yr. We started GJackson because of the untimely reinjury to DT TLewis and the fact he offered the best protection for rookie MLB CLofton. SS LMalloy started because of his leadership and superior ability to defend the run, which was our major DEF weakness. OLB CWire became a starter because of the meltdown of MBoley, which seems to have started with his off season domestic issues, and like SS LMalloy, he was strong against the run. I believe OLB KBrooking was retained as a starter because he was a known comodity, and that’s important for a new coaching staff with a 1st time HC.
CWire replaced MBoley, who played the SAM. SS LMalloy did start, and he was actually the one victimized on those 2 backbreaking scoring plays, not OLB KBrooking, although he got burned as well. While they were the 2 players that gave up the big plays against Arizona, they were both victimized by the lack of our DL’s ability to generate an effective pass rush and contain the run.
After a yr of experience, and observation by our coaching staff, it’s obvious OLB SNicholas gained their confidence in his ability to take over for KBrooking. The same seems to have held true for SS/FS TDeCoud, and their belief in his ability to replace LMalloy. DT GJackson was an easy call. I really think the rapid progress made by CB CJackson might have had a hand in the decision not to go all out to resign CB DFoxworth. His demonstrated ability, plus the return of VHutchins, DIrons and starter BGrimes, gave them a lot of reasons to make that decision.
Unca' Bob
June 21st, 2009
7:08 am
Happy Fathers Day to one and all. It would seem our secret is out
A year ago, most looked at the Atlanta Falcons and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan and figured they would be a 5-11 rebuilding project. But Ryan exploded onto the NFL scene, leading Atlanta to an 11-5 record and becoming the best young quarterback to hit the league since Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Carson Palmer.
Ryan completed 61.1 percent of his passes and threw 16 touchdown passes in a run-oriented, well-coached offense. More than that, Ryan displayed a remarkable presence in the fourth quarter. He also completed passes to his fourth read after only one month, a rare showing by a young QB.
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But the Falcons’ return to prominence is more than just Ryan. General manager Thomas Dimitroff comes from the Bill Belichick school of evaluators and has quickly established himself as one of the league’s better personnel minds. Mike Smith is the perfect head coach for Atlanta. A brilliant defensive coach, Smith hired a great staff and won over players by being honest and establishing a consistent voice.
Here are five things other than Ryan that make the Falcons a winner:
1. Improving defense
Despite losing five starters from 2008, the defense should be better than you think. The biggest improvement is in the middle, where the defense is much faster. Mike Peterson, a former Jaguar, provides leadership and experience at weakside linebacker. Thomas DeCoud not only has good size at safety at 6-foot, 193 pounds, but he adds more speed. Plus, second-round pick William Moore should work his way into a three-safety rotation that improves depth.
Peria Jerry, a first-round pick, offers a little more quickness from nose tackle. Stephen Nicholas, a fourth-round pick from 2007, completes a much quicker linebacking corps coming from the strong side. The past two drafts have also added speed and depth at cornerback. Now, Smith can choose from a decent crop of corners — Chris Houston, Chevis Jackson, Brent Grimes, Von Hutchins and rookies Chris Owens and William Middleton. They may not be big corners, but the Falcons now have more speed at the position. The other factor on defense is that vocal defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder is a rising star in coaching circles.
2. This team can really run
Expect the Falcons to run 35 times a game, taking pressure off Ryan and allowing him to avoid 30-pass games. Atlanta plans to lighten the load for workhorse Michael Turner, who had 376 carries for 1,699 yards last season. The ace in the hole is Jerious Norwood. People tend to forget Norwood is one of the team’s faster athletes. His career rushing average is a staggering 5.8 yards per carry, but he has never had more than 103 attempts in a season. The Turner-Norwood one-two punch is the perfect blend of speed and power.
3. Solid offensive line
Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau has assembled a group of five starters that should be together for years. Unlike most teams that are switching to more athletic zone blocking schemes, Boudreau has installed a man blocking line that has gotten bigger since the departure of offensive line coach Alex Gibbs, who set up the line for former Falcons coach Jim Mora a couple of years ago. Right tackle Tyson Clabo is 6-foot-6, 332 pounds, and right guard Harvey Dahl is a mauler who will battle until the whistle has blown. The left side of the line offers good athleticism and pass-blocking skills. Left tackle Sam Baker established himself as a solid pass-blocker as a rookie last season. Justin Blalock is a solid left guard, and Todd McClure is a smart center with leadership skills. Dimitroff brought in veteran depth with the signings of centers Brett Romberg and Jeremy Newberry. Garrett Reynolds, a 6-8, 310-pound tackle prospect taken in the fifth round, is being groomed for the future.
4. Development of Harry Douglas
Tight end Tony Gonzalez was the headline acquisition of the offseason, but the development of wide receiver Harry Douglas will make Ryan more dangerous throwing into the middle of the field. Gonzalez’s skills are well known. He’s a future Hall of Famer who has a knack for getting separation in the middle of the field. Douglas, a sleeper in the three-receiver, one-tight end set, could explode this season. At 5-11, Douglas is taller than many slot receivers and has added more than 10 pounds of muscle to his frame. With great targets in Douglas and Gonzalez, Ryan has the luxury of throwing a few higher passes in the middle of the field, knowing Douglas and Gonzalez have the height and leaping skills to grab the ball. That opens up the offense and could allow the Falcons to turn a few more field-goal drives into TD drives.
5. Underestimated D-line
Outsiders might be underestimating their defensive line talent, but the Falcons have a lot of high picks invested in the line. Starters John Abraham, Jamaal Anderson and Jerry are first-round picks. Jonathan Babineaux was a second-rounder and defensive end Chauncey Davis was taken in the fourth round. Jerry’s the most interesting player of the bunch to watch. He’s a little raw, but he has a good first step. Smith has enough linemen to keep them fresh with a nice rotation. Veteran defensive line coach Ray Hamilton made a smart move resting Abraham (16.5 sacks in ‘08) on early downs last season to save him for the pass rush. Hamilton’s next mission is to get more sacks from Anderson and develop Jerry.
JJ
June 21st, 2009
8:38 am
Unca’Bob: nice snag, you’re getting pretty good at this!; can you stop the rain in ny?
Unca' Bob
June 21st, 2009
9:59 am
JJ,
Thank you. I try. I wish I could. They hope to complete the third round today.
jason
June 21st, 2009
11:11 am
Unca’ Bob. The Father’s day write up on Nicholas and his family was tremendous. Makes you pause for a moment to understand life vs. Football. Who really knows? Maybe ‘ol KB would have been benched if Nicholas didn’t have the personal issues to deal with. Maybe ATL knew to take it slow in his developement and offered a learning curve to the new defense implaced by BVG and Smitty. If the world was perfect and Nicholas didn’t have a care in the world, then maybe he would have grabbed a starting spot before the end of last year. But he didn’t, and he had a lot going on. I know I can relate. ATL will be better in the long run. Just the desire, the work ethic, and most important the Character that Nicholas showed last year says to me that he will one of the most important pieces to the team this year and in years to come. All the mistakes that an aged KB made last year and ATL won 11 games a a play off birth.
jason
June 21st, 2009
11:12 am
4. Development of Harry Douglas
Tight end Tony Gonzalez was the headline acquisition of the offseason, but the development of wide receiver Harry Douglas will make Ryan more dangerous throwing into the middle of the field. Gonzalez’s skills are well known. He’s a future Hall of Famer who has a knack for getting separation in the middle of the field. Douglas, a sleeper in the three-receiver, one-tight end set, could explode this season. At 5-11, Douglas is taller than many slot receivers and has added more than 10 pounds of muscle to his frame. With great targets in Douglas and Gonzalez, Ryan has the luxury of throwing a few higher passes in the middle of the field, knowing Douglas and Gonzalez have the height and leaping skills to grab the ball. That opens up the offense and could allow the Falcons to turn a few more field-goal drives into TD drives
This will be what sets the Falcon offense off this year. HD and Gonzo in the middle.
D3
June 21st, 2009
11:00 pm
Happy (late) Dad’s Day to all my fellow ‘cagers! Hope everyone is doing well. Up @ a wedding in Dahlonega.
My quick-hit OL roster: baker, blaylock, mcclure, dahl, clabo, svitek, romberg, newberry, reynolds.
Assuming we carry 9 OL on our active roster.
Unca' Bob
June 22nd, 2009
7:41 am
Just to throw a little more fuel on the fire.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, Harry Douglas, is no stranger to doubters—he’s never been considered a top-shelf receiver—he’s no Roddy White or Randy Moss.
He’s often heard that he’s too short (5′11″), too light (171 lbs), too skinny or too slow (4.5 forty) to be an elite receiver.
As a senior coming out of Jonesboro High School in Jonesboro, Ga, he wasn’t highly-touted, but he was respectable and garnered the attention of such high profile schools as Georgia, Pittsburgh, and Missouri.
He decided on the University of Louisville and set out to prove that he was a better than average player with some serious pro potential to be had for the team that took a gamble on him.
His career at Louisville started off slowly, but by the time he left he was considered one of the best on his team and in the Big East, garnering first-team honors and loads of respect.
Douglas found his way back to his home state of Georgia via a third-round draft selection by the Atlanta Falcons in 2008 and immediately became a possible candidate for the second wide-receiver slot on the team.
Michael Jenkins would eventually win out but Douglas took his opportunities where he found them and made quite an impression on the team in limited play.
By season’s end he had 23 catches for 320 yards and a touchdown.
Now, entering into his second full-season, he will have the chance to possibly break free and make a name for himself in an Atlanta offense that looks to be potent in 2009.
How?
Well, for one, the presence of Tony Gonzalez is sure to attract some worthy attention as he is likely to get the lions share of Ryan’s short-to-intermediate passes—particularly when he isn’t acting as a blocker for Michael Turner.
However, when there is a pass play, look for Douglas to line up in the slot alongside Gonzalez and cause some mismatches with the opposing defenses.
He will find ample lanes to run through with defenses concentrating on a)Michael Turner and b) Tony Gonzalez. When they do, they will miss the bolt that will be Harry Douglas flying 15-20 yards up the field for the big catch.
He may only be 5′11″ and weigh a paltry 171 lbs, but he is deceptively quick and can be counted on to make big plays down field when given the chance—last season, with limited targets (39), he managed to make five catches of 20 or more yards.
Further, Douglas is good enough to work his way into the coveted number two slot if he continues to play as well as he did last season—Michael Jenkins doesn’t have a stranglehold on the position, despite performing well last season, and could find himself pushed if he reverts to his 2007 self.
Either way, the Falcons will continue to find ways to get Douglas into the game—he was often in on special teams plays last year and performed well.
All Douglas needs is opportunity. The talent is there—for anyone who believes his size will get him into trouble, tell that to the defenders who have had a hard time bringing him down once he has the ball in his hands.
At the end of the day, it may seem like a long shot that Harry Douglas will be anything more than a passing thought, but it won’t be the first time Douglas has had to prove the doubters wrong.
Look for him to open some eyes and close some mouths this coming season.
Ken Strickland
June 22nd, 2009
12:14 pm
Fellow BIRDCAGERS, have you noticed the differences in the opinions of sports writers that take the time to assess the Falcons and those who just sit behind their desks and render their opinions? The Falcons now have the potential to be the most well balanced and potent OFF in the NFL. It doesnot take an expert to figure that out. Just look at the Probowl talent we have at the skill positions.
The true experts are able to look at the overall talent we’ve accumulated on the DEF side of the ball and see the Falcons as a serious Superbowl contender. Just compare the overall talent of the players that are vying to replace the departed starters from last yrs bottom dwelling DEF.
DT-Both TLewis and PJerry are superior to former DT GJackson in every aspect except size and experience.
OLB-Even after 11yrs in the NFL, OLB MPeterson is still considered quicker, faster and more physical than KBrooking. There’s no doubt OLB SNicholas is a much better fit for Smitty’s DEF than former OLB MBoley, who’s overall lack of performance caused him to be benched. SNicholas is also much quicker, faster and more versatile than CWire, the OLB that replaced MBoley.
CB-Departed CB DFoxworth was known more for his experience and excellent techinque than his speed and quickness. All of the frontrunners vying to replace him are known for their speed, quickness and/or aggressiveness(CJackson, BGrimes, COwens, VHutchins and WMiddleton).
All of the frontrunners vying for the starting SS slot, TDeCoud, AHarris, JFudge and WMoore, offer superior quickness, speed, and versatility over departed SS LMalloy.
This yrs Atlanta Falcons DEF most likely not be among the NFL’s best DEF’s, but I’d venture to say we will be the NFL’s quickest, fastest and most versatile.