Falcons select DE Cliff Matthews in the 7th round
North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson, left, is chased down by South Carolina's Cliff Matthews during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. South Carolina won 7-3. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Name: Cliff Matthews (7th round, 230)
Size: 6-3, 257
College: South Carolina
Position: Defensive end
His production: He played weakside linebacker as a freshman, making nine starts and playing in 12 games. He started all 13 games as a sophomore at defensive end. He started 11 of 13 games as a junior and started all 14 games last season. He finished his career with 15.5 sacks.
The skinny: He was a team captain. He was nicknamed “The Exposer” by coaches for the tendency to expose other’s lack of effort. He was the 21st rated defensive end in the draft by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper. He’s considered a high-energy player, who needs to get stronger in the weight room.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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78 comments Add your comment
DR. FALCON
May 1st, 2011
12:04 am
I AGREE WITH JKA CONCERNING RODGERS! I CAN SEE HIM HIDING BEHIND BIG BLALOCK, AND HARVEY DAHL AND SCOOTING DOWN THE FIELD FOR BEG PLAYS! I TOO WATCHED THE PAC-10 LIVING OUT HERE IN L.A.!
Nique
May 1st, 2011
12:55 am
Really like the idea of bringing in ricardo lockette & mark herzlich as free agents!
S'paw_99
May 1st, 2011
1:02 am
Julio will certainly help us out big time, it should add some pop to our passing game. We had a good passing game last yr, but lacked the big plays, Julio can really help that. Last yr, w/o anybody else, we had to have throw everything to Roddy, now we can have either him or Julio go short & the other one deep. I also like Quizz, he’s gotta a lot of heart & a great receiver out of the backfield.
The main problem I have is Dent. TD has said he’s gonna backup Curtis @ the MLB & be a key ST player. I don’t waste a 3rd round pick on a backup, STeamer. I do like the idea of bringing Herzlich in, we need an OLB.
UGASlobberknocker
May 1st, 2011
5:46 am
Shout out for D Led…a great job on the draft ..before , during, and after..Way to go man, we all appreciate it.
Thunderbird Falcon
May 1st, 2011
7:38 am
I really like the Birds draft. They have cap money to resign the O lineman and pick up D help at end and in the secondary!
Grant or Edwards would both look great, in a Falcons uniform.
Just remember this team has a lot of young talent!
a steal
May 1st, 2011
8:11 am
Cliff played great this year in spite of playing hurt and wearing a shoulder brace. He was unable to work out a lot of 2010. He is a steal.
BigTimeTECHFan
May 1st, 2011
8:29 am
Best draft day ever by the Falcons.
A lot of real good players did not get drafted so F/A signee’s are going to be good for some teams.
RambleOn84
May 1st, 2011
8:33 am
I like the draft overall…
Interesting fact about our other 7th round pick, Andrew Jackson.
Andrew Jackson once faced an assassination attempt on the White House lawn at the age of 68 by a man 38 years his junior.
The man pulled two pistols on him and fired, but both pistols misfired. Jackson, still as ornery as ever, attacked the man with his cane. He did not, however, beat him to death, as popular legend today states.
ET
May 1st, 2011
9:11 am
Hope our AJ has more tools than a cane!
SeenThisB4
May 1st, 2011
9:14 am
The falcan’ts had one of the worse, if not the worst, drafts in the 32-team league. Three years from now, all of their picks will either be playing arena football, canadian football, or be out of football altogether.
falconsrelax
May 1st, 2011
9:20 am
@ too legit to quit I think you should’nt be thinking about offensive fantasies. But you should think about whats going to happen if freeman GETS THE BALL IN A 4TH QUARTER DRIVE. OFfense has always been good. It just didin’t reach expectations this year and for good reason due to injuries. CAN OUR DEFENSE STOP ANYBODY IS THE REAL QUESTION imo. Getting a better offense is just slowly catching up to teams such as GB and Saints who already have a better offense AND DEFENSE. If peterson were the pick it would’ve been perfect due to balance and a defensive impact
Peterson=matt ryan of the defense. Jones has to produce and produce right away
UGASlobberknocker
May 1st, 2011
9:24 am
The Falcons got three players who will contribute immediately in Jones, How is that so terrible? And while I know the Falcons are being criticized for giving too much for Jones. the 27th pick would not have gotten us an impact player. We have enough developing but not stater players already. If the Falcons can get a good pass rusher in free agency I think we are looking good..And likely those picks we gave up next yr will be about #30-32 and #60-64..so they arent that valuable.
UGASlobberknocker
May 1st, 2011
9:25 am
3 players above I was referring to Jones Dent and Rogers
RambleOn84
May 1st, 2011
9:26 am
Can you believe some people are dumb enough to live below sea level in a hurricane zone?
Nativebird
May 1st, 2011
9:26 am
Love the Julio move. The rest? ah..not so much. Matthews that far down was good. that’s about it. but, hey, a 13 – 3 team doesnt need a lot. except maybe some speed to keep up with green bay in scoring.
RambleOn84
May 1st, 2011
9:29 am
“Slobberknocker,”
Agreed with your points, except we didn’t have to give up a 2nd rounder next year. Just a first round (likely #25-32) and fourth round (somewhere in the 120s).
Jones will add a lot to the offense…all the haters will shut their mouths when this offense is exploding all over their faces.
SeenThisB4
May 1st, 2011
9:34 am
“xxploding”…LOL. You mean IMPLODING Like in bad snaps from center to QB, dropped passes, fumbled handoffs, loss of yardage on 4th and goals….LOLs1
SawThat1nce
May 1st, 2011
9:42 am
I think the Falcons will have a very good team when they start playing in the next season, that would be 2012.
Dennis
May 1st, 2011
11:16 am
I know I’m late to this particular party, but does Mel Kiper ever get anything right?
Falcons select DE Cliff Matthews in the 7th round | Atlanta Falcons | Orlando
May 1st, 2011
1:22 pm
[...] original post here: Falcons select DE Cliff Matthews in the 7th round | Atlanta Falcons This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged allen-bradford, anthony, anthony-gaitor, [...]
Sly, Slick & Wicked
May 1st, 2011
1:51 pm
This is scary: There is actually “intelligent” rhyme & reasoning with this Falcon’s draft – I can see the pattern developing – I agree with all the picks – like a trained surgeon with a sharp scalpel!
Maybe paid a little much for #1, but I love the “faith” in paying for exactly who you wanted @ whatever cost it took!
“You the Man” – Thomas Dimitroff
Shoplet Select Side | Colin Coryne Paper Folding Machine
May 1st, 2011
5:20 pm
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Scott
May 1st, 2011
9:05 pm
Cliff Matthews ,best overall pick of the draft.
Mystikal
May 1st, 2011
11:29 pm
I know you can’t have it all, but whenever football starts back this is my list of undrafted players I would pull from:
WR Ricardo Lockette, S Joe Lefeged, QB Pat Devlin, WR Deandre Brown,
RB Derrick Locke, TE Zach Pianalto, S Deunta Williams,
CB Kendrick Burney, DE Pierre Allen, WR Terrance Tolliver, LB Mark Herzlich,
RB Noel Devine, TE Schuylar Oordt, C Jake Kirkpatrick, WR Courtney Smith
and maybe take a flyer on Weslye Saunders.
Runnin With The Dawgs
May 2nd, 2011
8:49 am
Any player that can be starting DE for a Steve Spurrier team for two years is fine with me.
PAUL
May 2nd, 2011
4:08 pm
Enter your comments here
PAUL
May 2nd, 2011
4:09 pm
THE DIRTY BIRDS JUST GOT DIRTIER GO FALCONS
Falcon57
May 4th, 2011
11:02 am
You’ve to to love this GM/HC’s thinking. Get a 4.34 220lb 6′3 WR to blaze down field while one of your other picks, a 5′6, 198lb scatback is threatening the short field, not to mention Roddy White going where ever he wants to. Throw in Gonzalaz, Harry Douglas and Kerry Meier and I’d hate to be the defensive cordinator game planning for them.