Rolando McClain, Sean Weatherspoon to visit this week
Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon celebrates after making a tackle against Bowling Green during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in Columbia, Mo. Associated Press
BIRDLAND — While the rest of the world’s attention is on Augusta, it’s linebacker week for the Falcons.
Alabama all-American Rolando McClain is set to visit today.
Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon is set to visit on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Falcons have spent a great deal of time analyzing the linebackers eligible for this draft, which will be held April 22-24. The Falcons currently hold the 19th pick in the first round.
Few are projecting McClain to last until the 19th pick. The Falcons appear to be doing their due diligence. Perhaps, if they like McClain enough they will move up to get him.
Will Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain (25) be clapping it up in the Falcons huddle next season? (Associated Press)
Or if there is a draft run at a particular position, perhaps he slides to them. In 2008, there was a draft run on left tackles and the Falcons moved back into the first round to select Sam Baker.
Weatherspoon has been climbing throughout the offseason workouts after having a sluggish senior season. Most scouts contend his junior year was much better than his senior season.
The problem for the Falcons appears to be the New York Giants sitting quietly at the 15th spot. They visited with Weatherspoon at the combine and Senior Bowl and have slipped into the background.
After releasing Antonio Pierce, they are in the linebacker market, but have been operating stealthy. The Giants have been known to not bring a player in or hold a private workout, while still maintaining a high level of interest.
McClain is 6-foot-3 3/8, 254-pounds and is considered a middle linebacker prospect. He would not seem to be a good fit for the Falcons, who have been pleased with the play of Curtis Lofton.
Unless the Falcons think one of them could slide outside at some point.
Weatherspoon measured 6-1 ¼ and weighed 239 pounds at the combine. He was up over 250 during the season and appeared sluggish at times.
“I think I can come in a 4-3 system and play either in the middle or on the weak side,” Weatherspoon said. “I am pretty versatile in that aspect and I can help teams out in either way.”
The Falcons have also held private workouts with Texas Christian linebackers Daryl Washington and Jerry Hughes. There are also some internet reports that Penn State linebacker Sean Lee has a private workout scheduled with the Falcons.
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117 comments Add your comment
Tdawg
April 5th, 2010
11:16 pm
Brown, Taylor Mays and Dunlap. We need defense.
Corey Brown is the best defensive end in this draft bar none and we most definitely need a DE.
Taylor Mayes can play safety and will get better. I can see him freelancing all over the field raising havoc on opposing offenses.
Carlos Dunlap. An animal. Exactly what a linebacker should be. Lawrence Taylor, Dick Butkus, Ray Lewis, Mike Curtis, Stone Cold. OK OK I know, but he is still an animal. Need I say more.
If by some miracle CJ Spiller should be there to be had then forget the above.
FalconsFan284
April 5th, 2010
11:22 pm
Chris T–There are certainly several of these picks that will not be right. I think Taylor Mays has a really good chance to go in the late First; possibly to Philly. Earl Thomas will almost certainly go sooner then 32 as well. I just projected the best fit based on need.
Tdawg
April 5th, 2010
11:31 pm
I meant Alex Brown, don’t know where I got Corey Brown from. I believed that Alex Brown is our best bet to find a quality DE. Get him and Dunlap and stand back.
FalconsFan284
April 5th, 2010
11:32 pm
TDawg–Derrick Morgan is the most complete DE in this draft and Justin Pierre-Paul has the most poterntial. Your analysis of Taylor Mays is, at best, flawed. You mention four linebackers and a wrestler to compare him to but he is and will be a safety. Also, Carlos Dunlap is one of the most frustrating players in the draft. He is so inconsistent, alla Jamaal Anderson in school, that he may be just too big a risk for the Falcons. Dimitroff has been very careful in selecting good players with a consistent track record early in the draft. His riskiest pick has been Matt Ryan and he was head and shoulders better then any other quarterback in that draft.
FalconsFan284
April 5th, 2010
11:35 pm
T– Alex Brown is too old to be a Falcon. He is 31 and, though consistent, he doesn’t match where this team is going. Maybe if he had been released four years ago he would have been a good fit. I just don’t take everything I see on the Falcoholic as gospel. Sorry Dave, I didn’t mean it.
chris taylor
April 5th, 2010
11:44 pm
Understood FF284. Damn Tdawg, had me wondering who the hell Corey Brown was. I was looking up his combine #’s etc. trying to figure out how come i haven’t heard of this guy. lol. I think Biermann can produce as much pressure as Alex Brown sack/hurry wise, some more snaps will improve Kroy in the run game. Abraham will need a replacement in a few years. Given the time needed to groom a quality DE, I say take the heir apparent Graham now. Lofton will be that star at ILB just watch, Dunlap is just not good enough in coverage to play OLB. Maybe they would consider moving Lofton outside if they acquire McClain.
chris taylor
April 6th, 2010
12:01 am
I guess one question i have is that if we take a DE in the 1st and don’t move up into the 2nd can we still get a “quality” LB in the 3rd?
FalconsFan284
April 6th, 2010
12:06 am
Chris–Keep the name AJ Ebbs in mind. He could be our guy in the third and be an outstanding value. He is a real player and worthy of our attention. I would love to see the Falcons trade back into the Sencond and take one of the kids from TCU. If not then Ebbs is a great pick and we can still land Matt Tennant with our compensatory pick.
FalconsFan284
April 6th, 2010
12:17 am
My fault, the name is AJ Edds. I also think Navarro Browman is going to fall to the Third.
Big Ray
April 6th, 2010
1:00 am
FalconsFan284,
You could be right. If we don’t get our OLB in the first round, third round prospects are where it’s at. If that’s the case, I can only hope that Bowman drops that far. If he doesn’t we could be looking at Lee instead. I’m still not sure about Edds. Don’t know enough about him, but I’m sure TD and the crew do!
chris taylor
April 6th, 2010
1:01 am
Thanks for the info FF284, by the way are also FF271 on falcohlic? Alex Brown is visiting with the Saints tomorrow. That might be a veteran acquisition we’ll come to regret passing on. Either way signing Brown would probably count out Brandon Graham who I am just enamored with. Anybody else see him man-handle Brian Bulaga?
Steve
April 6th, 2010
1:11 am
If we could trade up and only lose maybe a third or fourth rounder to get McClain I would be ecstatic. He is an absolute force.
I would love to sit still and get Spoon, but if we trade up we better not give more than a 6th rounder in the exchange.
Both of these are assuming we swap first rounders with the teams. Sad that I had to state that, but so many folks would be saying we could never get McLain for a thrid round pick.
Oh, and as for the Mock draft on page 1 .. no way Spoon goes before McClain. Absolutely no way.
Steve
April 6th, 2010
1:21 am
Oh, and yes I understand the mock was need based, but McClain could easily slide to OLB in a 4-3 scheme or possibly be weak side in 3-4. The talent difference between those two should outweigh the need. In other words, even if I needed an OLB if McClain was available and Spoon, I still take McClain unless I was looking for a weakside LB/SS .. then Spoon might be the choice.
FalconsFan284
April 6th, 2010
3:02 am
I am FalconsFan721 on the Falcoholic.
Steve–I have Spoon going to the Giants because he is a better fit for them then McClain. McClain will be a good linebacker for whichever team he lands on but Spoon will be special. He is a quicker Brian Cushing type. If you look at his Junior year, when he had some defensive talent around him, the kid blew up the opposition. If he had come out last year he would have been taken before all of the USC guys. He was injured as a Senior and his team was much worse but he still managed to do things I can’t believe.
Also, there is no possible way that the Falcons can move up in this draft without sacrificing a first rounder in next years draft. Our Third Round pick just doesn’t have a lot of value and we cannot trade the compensatory.
Michael
April 6th, 2010
9:27 am
DOL & Birdland Pundits……What do you think of my AF 2010 draft selections?
1. Sean Weatherspoon – WLB – Missouri
*. Jerry Hughes – DE – Texas Christian
3. Matt Tennant – OG/C – Boston College
3. James Graham – TE – Miami
4. Linval Joseph – DT – East Carolina
5. Jared Veldheer OG/T – Hillsdale
5. Andre Roberts – WR – Citadel
6. Jason Starks – RB – Buffalo
6. Chris Bell – WR – Norfolk State
These seem to make sense to me, and definitely fulfill needs!
Please weigh in guys, and let me know what you think?
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