Here’s what it would take for Falcons to get A.J. Green
An NFL rule prevented scouts from watching A.J. Green's workout because the quarterback throwing to him, Justin Roper, lives too far from Athens. Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com
BIRDLAND — My esteemed and most humble colleague, AJC columnist Jeff Schultz, has forwarded an interesting proposition to the Atlanta Falcons’ front office.
With the offense is need of creating more explosive plays, in his column today, he is directing them to pull out the stops to get Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green.
Director of player personnel Les Snead, director of college scouting David Palmer and assistant area scout Anthony Robinson attended Georgia’s Pro Day for the Falcons. But they had to leave because quarterback Justin Roper, who’s from Buford, was determined to live 6.2 miles outside of the radius of the Athens metroplex.
They had the option of watching the workout on the Internet.
Former Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green with his agents Tom Condon (L) and Ben Dogra (R). (D. Orlando Ledbetter/DLedbetter@ajc.com)
General manager Thomas Dimitroff, the two-time Sporting News executive of the year, has been a busy bee in his three drafts with the Falcons.
In 2008, he traded back into the first round to get offensive tackle Sam Baker with the 21st overall pick after selecting quarterback Matt Ryan third overall. Washington traded its first-, third-, and fifth-round selections (No. 21, 84, and 154) to the Falcons for two of Atlanta’s second-round selections and its fourth-round selection (No. 34, 48, and 103).
The 84th pick turned into wide receiver Harry Douglas. The 154th pick became defensive end Kroy Biermann.
In 2009, the Falcons traded with St. Louis, which gave up its fifth- and sixth-round selections (138th and 176th overall, respectively) to Atlanta in exchange for wide receiver Laurent Robinson and Atlanta’s fifth- and sixth-round selections (160th and 196th overall, respectively).
They 138th pick was used on cornerback William Middleton, who is now with Jacksonville. They selected linebacker Spencer Adkins with the 176th pick.
In 2010, the Falcons acquired St. Louis’ fifth round selection (135th overall) in exchange for selections in the fifth (149th overall) and sixth round (189th overall). The Falcons had also acquired Detroit’s sixth round pick, and a conditional seventh round pick for the 2011 draft in the Chris Houston trade.
They moved up to the 135th pick to select cornerback Dominique Franks. They selected safety Shann Schillinger with the 171st pick.
For the upcoming draft, the Cincinnati Bengals (fourth overall) and the Cleveland Browns (sixth) are considered strong possibilities for Green. Carolina, which has the No. 1 overall pick, is likely going defense or quarterback. Denver (second) and Buffalo (third) are not heavily scouting receivers. Arizona, in need of a quarterback, is picking fifth.
So if Green gets past Cincinnati, the Falcons will be on the phone with Mike Holmgren and the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns, who may want to amass picks, traded out of the No. 5 spot in 2009. Under a different regime, they sent the No. 5 pick to the New York Jets (Mark Sanchez) for the 17the pick, a second rounder and three players that were coveted by their former coach Eric Mangini.
Green wouldn’t come cheaply. The Falcons, since players can’t be traded because of the labor situation, would have to yield their No. 1 and No. 2 this year and likely their No. 2 for next year.
Green played 32 games at Georgia, made 166 catches and 2,619 yards and scored 23 touchdowns.
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock directs those wanting to evaluate Green to look at the tape of Georgia’s game against Colorado.
So under this scenario, would you pull the trigger to land A.J. Green?
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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272 comments Add your comment
JohnGT Fan
March 23rd, 2011
4:05 pm
LOL…I think that AJ Green is going to be a very solid WR. Those of you saying he’ll be the best ever…delusional!!!! hilarious. Again, I think he’s going to be very good, and I’d love to see him on the Falcons (this coming from a lifelong GT fan), but be a “Falcons Fan” for a minute…if you honestly can justify giving up all that for AJ Green, then you were probably inspired by your high school principal.
IceFan
March 23rd, 2011
4:05 pm
Definitely not! AJ may end up a Pro Bowl receiver, but there is no way we are giving up a 1st and two 2nd for him. That’s just too much.
Jim
March 23rd, 2011
4:05 pm
Julio Jones can be acquired for less and will be a FAR better pro than AJ. A complete player
MaxxFalcon
March 23rd, 2011
4:16 pm
I understand not wanting to give up that much for AJ Green, but anyone who thinks he will be a bust or is not a good player clearly is a moron
Sebastian
March 23rd, 2011
4:41 pm
NO WAY should the falcons trade up to get him and have to give up a 1 and two 2’s. Julio Jones would be a better fit for this offense anyway because he is a bigger body and a better blocker not to mention a faster player.
mgdawg
March 23rd, 2011
4:47 pm
You say it is too big of a price, but the falcons have been wasting picks for many years now. Outside of matt ryan and roddy white (who it took a few years to turn into a star) what else have the falcons done in the draft, especially in the earlier rounds. I wouldn’t give up two first round picks, but one first round and two second rounds, and really all you are giving up is two second rounds because the trade cancels out the first rounds, is well worth it for a guy if there is no doubt in your mind he will be a star, and that is what I feel about green.
Saying that, the falcons aren’t going to do it.
PMC
March 23rd, 2011
4:48 pm
people aren’t going to like it, but they basically have the same type of receiver as Julio Jones in Michael Jenkins.
Good to great blocker, hard worker, decent speed, average hands…. goes for vast stretches in games without doing anything of consequence.
Scott Case
March 23rd, 2011
4:54 pm
He’s too scrawny to play in the NFL. Injury risk.. Take Julio Jones instead.
Stuck in Kentucky
March 23rd, 2011
4:58 pm
Faster than you could say Wunderlick!!! He is a game changer, teams will have to spend extra time just game planning for him. Giving up a 1, 2 and next yrs 2 or 1 even is a small price for an impact guy like this. Also, you make your team special by your 3-5 picks. How many great players come out of those rounds? 1’s & 2’s are a lot of politics and you spend a lot of money that is wasted if they dont pan out. 3-5 dont cost as much and when you strike gold you look like a genius, like TD.
nhe
March 23rd, 2011
4:58 pm
Swap picks with Cleveland and throw in Michael Turner – done deal. Then draft Green and go get free agent DeAngelo Williams. Snelling can do a better Turner impression than Turner………….there you have it!…….no 2nd rd 2011 picks or 2012 picks need to be parted with!
Stuck in Kentucky
March 23rd, 2011
5:00 pm
MPDawg you are on the money!!!
Stuck in Kentucky
March 23rd, 2011
5:01 pm
Cant trade players right now due to lockout
Stuck in Kentucky
March 23rd, 2011
5:05 pm
Did ya’ll not read the article, look at what TD does with picks and look at the picks he has made. Hell give’em our 2 round for the next 3 yrs, we dont us it and AJ should be in his 2 pro bowl by then or Roddy in his what 4th in a row.
AJ WILL BE THE BEST RECEIVER IN THE LEAGUE
March 23rd, 2011
5:14 pm
anyone who thinks julio will be better than aj needs to watch some college football. Aj has some of the best hands of anyone in the last 20 years. Julio is bigger and faster but the main job for a wide receiver is to catch the ball. Julio had some problems doing that in college. He will be a good pro i think. But AJ will be a great one!!!!!!!
robert
March 23rd, 2011
5:20 pm
as a summervile resident, a summerville high school grad, a uga fan, and a falcons fan there is nothing i would want more
Andrew
March 23rd, 2011
5:45 pm
Can you clarify–in the column preferably–why the executives had to leave because a quarterback was from 6.2 miles outside of Athens?
CalvinJohnsonAllDay
March 23rd, 2011
5:56 pm
A.J. Green is overrated. Its time to get Megatron.
Valdosta Cat
March 23rd, 2011
5:59 pm
Those of you who claim that it’d be too big of a risk to give up so much for Green, consider this…..He already has a “proven” track record as it relates to his ability to be the absolute best (IMO) @ his position in both the high school and collegiate level. There is only one level left. If I were a betting man (and I’m not) my money would be on Green to eventually become one of the best if not THE best in the NFL. Lofty logic but quite possible I think…. just sayin.
NewVegas Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
6:04 pm
It wouldn’t be as bad as trading away all our picks like New Orleans did for Ricky Williams, so yes, let’s go for it!!
NewVegas Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
6:05 pm
Valdosta Cat….I’ll place that bet down at the Mandalay Bay for you tonight….catching a little side action on it too…..lol
ryan
March 23rd, 2011
6:09 pm
We need to hold off and get Calvin Johnson when he’s a free agent.
Paddy
March 23rd, 2011
6:23 pm
the teacher……guess you would pass on Greene because of the wonderlic test? My guess you would like to take Jonas Saulk or Werner VonBraun!
Paddy
March 23rd, 2011
6:25 pm
nhe….NFL teams can’t trade players because of the experation of the CBA.
BC
March 23rd, 2011
6:59 pm
No !
No clue
March 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
Why don’t we just give up our whole draft for him. TD doesn’t have a clue anyway. Name the last two years great pick by TD.
falcons fan
March 23rd, 2011
7:22 pm
no…they need someone else on the front d-line and can get titus young or another good/dependable rec.
DLed is Trippin'
March 23rd, 2011
7:30 pm
Pass-Pass, Puff-Puff!!! There is NO WR that is worth moving up that many spots to acquire in the first round. The Falcons better make those scouts earn their money by finding a diamond in the rough at some small school.
drmondo
March 23rd, 2011
7:39 pm
Let’s look at this rationally. Most WRs take 3 years to develop, even the great ones (like Roddy). A low wonderlick score doesn’t mean the guy can’t learn, it means he’ll learn slowly. So, AJ will probably take 4 years to truly show his ability. Rookie contracts are for 4-5 years. We can get a veteran WR for less than 2 1st round picks and a 2nd round and they’ll be ready to perform in their first year with the team (2nd if coming from a completely different system and if they’re slow learners also). With this in mind, is it worth trading 3 top picks for a player who will just be hitting his stride when his contract runs out (a contract that will probably be on par with the top 15 WRs already playing)? No.
The team should be thinking that “their time” is the next two years. Get some solid-to-great FA or trade for players who can contribute fully right away. Sign a DE or pass rushing OLB, a deep threat WR. Use your draft picks to shore up depth with players who can step up in 2-3 years. Use the draft to get your Norwood replacement without breaking the bank with a Reggie Bush-like contract.
chem
March 23rd, 2011
7:41 pm
Remember the Matt Ryan vs. Glenn Dorsey debate? Most people wanted the DT Dorsey… It’s hard to find a WR with Green’s talent that’s not a huge diva. He’s worth a few picks. Imagine how much better Roddy White could be. That would be a scary good offense with Green and White on the field.
SAC
March 23rd, 2011
7:49 pm
No way! There are other receivers you can draft to get. If anything you can draft up to get Julio Jones and that might not be as prohibitive a price as getting Green.
The Hard Truth
March 23rd, 2011
7:58 pm
ok here’s my 2 cents on this. First off, what ever the idiots names are that said things like “Jones is a faster player than Green” or “Julio is a more complete player” should go hide under a rock because you just embarrassed yourself in front a national audience. Secondly, UGA’s QB is only average at best, and not even close to that last season. Not to mention the fact that he’s from a run first offense, so his stats( which I could care less about honestly) don’t tell the whole story. He has the best hands of any WR in this draft class, and in my opinion the best of any WR since Megatron was drafted. Now also take into account our last few 1st & 2nd rounders. Wasn’t alot of impact from those guys this season, excluding Matty Ice of course, and yet we still managed to rack up 13 wins this past season. So would i give up this years and next years 2nd round pick( Remember in this proposed deal we don’t lose a first rounder we get a higher one) for Green….Absolutely without question. The way i see it, It’s not much different from the TG trade. I mean is one extra pick this year gonna make or break us? Not in my eyes. But if this trade were to happen, TD would definetely have to work his magic in the rest of the draft AND in FA to plug some holes. But a player like AJ only comes around every 4-5 yrs and even then you probably have no shot at drafting them, so if the opportunity is there, I say ‘HELL YEAH, DO IT!”. That’s just my 2 cents though.
dirtyo11
March 23rd, 2011
8:01 pm
@the teacher….why are guys like you always hating on athletics…you all alwyas stating that athletics are dumb, criminals, should of stayed in college. I bet if you HAD the talent to play sports instead of being a hating fan I bet you would of went to the pro and thought about college later. ATHLETICS ARE HUMANS ALSO, THEY MAKE MISTAKES JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. I KNOW SOME TEACHERS THAT’S DUMB AS A BOX OF ROCKS, CRIMINALS, AND HAS DONE SOME DUMB THINGS IN THEIR LIFE. THESE KIDS ARE STILL KIDS..THEY GOING TO MAKE A FEW MISTAKES….WHAT ABOUT THE TEACHERS THAT HAVE SEX WITH THEIR STUDENTS
Zach
March 23rd, 2011
8:25 pm
I keep hearing that we should trade for Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. The logical part of me wants to do that. The Georgia Bulldog fan wants to take AJ. But the fact of the matter is that we cant trade for either of those wide recievers, Fitzgerald or Johnson, because of the CBA being expired and such. We can however, trade up to get Green
LakeDawg
March 23rd, 2011
8:26 pm
Tough call. Green could be one of those once in a lifetime players that makes a HUGE difference. However, I wouldn’t do it. Falcons have too many holes to fill and they can still get a good receiver down the line. Durham would be a steal in a later round. Great hands and showed surprisingly good speed at the pro day workout.
Zach
March 23rd, 2011
8:26 pm
Oh, and for people asking for veteran receivers, tell me how that worked out with Randy Moss and the Vikings…
To dumb not to be true...
March 23rd, 2011
8:44 pm
6.2 miles to far….are you sure the NFL was running this Pro Day and not the NCAA or even more probably the Georgia High School Association?
dawg
March 23rd, 2011
8:51 pm
the teacher….I never thought you had to have PhD to catch a football. Maybe we should only draft anyone who had at least one degree. Glad you’re not our GM…
It's true!
March 23rd, 2011
8:54 pm
AJ is the best receiver to come out of college since Calvin. The two things he does best are get open and catch the ball. Nobody else is even close to doing those things as well as he does. The Falcons need to go get him if they can. They’ll regret it if they don’t. He is a difference maker!
Dawg A
March 23rd, 2011
9:09 pm
Must admit I have never heard the words humble and esteemed in the same sentence with Schultz……… that said DO WHATEVER IT TAKES to get A.J. Green!!!!
DrJ
March 23rd, 2011
9:18 pm
Did I hear Dimitroff laugh? No way he is giving up a 1 & 2, even without a 2 next year. AJ did great at the college level, but I don’t think he has the body to stay healthy in the big league, especially with the required blocking. Then there is the character issue. Too many red flags. Calvin would be much better.
SeenThisB4
March 23rd, 2011
9:30 pm
Come on falcan’ts, make the trade, he’s going to be a bust, so go all out and give up 2 #1s, and 2 #2s for him!
Olik
March 23rd, 2011
10:17 pm
Wait a second, I thought we just got WAXED in the playoffs because our defense couldn’t get off the field. Use our first two picks to get AJ? That still doesn’t change the fact that we have literally no player other than Abe who can get at a quarterback. We need a stud DE out of this draft, and I’m not seeing any with a third round grade.
If you lose the second round pick this year, it’s a bad deal. I’d be fine if we could trade future year picks, late round picks, or player. But if that isn’t possible, we’re killing ourselves if we get only one pick in the first 90. No.
JB
March 23rd, 2011
10:23 pm
If Falcons trade up to 6th pick and use it for a wide receiver instead of a dominant offensive or defensive lineman, they are FOOLS.
Problem Solver
March 23rd, 2011
10:29 pm
If we trade up to six, I’d rather take Bowers.
bill
March 23rd, 2011
10:51 pm
hell no!
chickenman
March 23rd, 2011
11:27 pm
He is worth trading up for… ELITE playmaker.. he is a deep threat player… WE DONT HAVE THAT IN THE ATL
joseph
March 23rd, 2011
11:37 pm
they would be crazy not to they would have the best passing game in the nfl and it would open up more holes for the run game. green is the final peice to the offensive puzzle then can focus on the defense
Richard Waterfall
March 23rd, 2011
11:50 pm
NO – Too expensive.
cwltank
March 23rd, 2011
11:56 pm
Jenkins and the 1st and 4th round should get it done round this year should. He want be picked before the 10th pick.
Rikus
March 24th, 2011
1:03 am
“Green wouldn’t come cheaply. The Falcons, since players can’t be traded because of the labor situation, would have to yield their No. 1 and No. 2 this year and likely their No. 2 for next year.”
Wrong!! During a lockout, future draft picks can NOT be traded! This is because the 2012 draft has not been approved yet. So you can only trade picks in the *current* draft, not players or future picks.
Given these restrictions, I don’t see any way that the Falcons can trade into the Top-10 picks, during a lockout. Thanks for getting our hopes up though…