The Bird Cage

Football’s Officially Over…………for Now

Dark Clouds of No Football Here Again

 The dark clouds have taken their place once again, and the collective groan you heard around 10 pm Sunday night was the realization that football is no more for a while. For many of us football junkies, this can be a time to become melancholy and even despondent for some: no more high school football, no more college football Saturdays, no more NFL, and not even any more fantasy football. It’s in the books for another year, and won’t re-emerge until September (215 days to be exact, but hey, no one’s counting). Even though the clouds of No Football have hovered in, it is also a time of renewal on a new season. After the parade on Bourbon Street passes and the ticker tape is swept up, all 32 teams are officially back in the hunt once more. Don’t fret football addicts, the Scouting Combine is only 2 weeks away, Free Agency soon follows, and the Draft is a mere 2 months in the …

Continue reading Can the Falcons Learn from the Super Bowl Champs? »

Pay ‘em or Pack ‘em – BFinn Edition

Can BFinn Come Back One More Time? (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Brian Finneran has long been a fan favorite for many Falcon fans throughout the years for his gritty play, excellent hustle, and usually good hands. A special teams ace, Finneran proved not only be a big and tall reliable receiver, but also willing to return punts or be the first one down on kickoff coverage. Finneran has fought back several times from seemingly devastating injuries to rejoin the Falcons roster each time, but therein lies the problem: his injury history and susceptibility to hitting the training table. Finneran has been a Falcon for the last nine years and has earned the Ironman award for continually battling back against knee injuries thought to be the final straw in a solid career as a Falcon. This one will likely be a tough one as fans will have to argue their hearts, with BFinn being a fan favorite, against their heads, #86 is 34 coming off several …

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Mid-Week Questions

The off-season is in limbo of sorts as fans wait for the grand finale of the NFL season this Sunday and most of the 2010 talk won’t hit full stride for the other 30 teams until after the Super Bowl has been played. There are some rumblings about potential free agents, trades, the collective bargaining issue, and of course the draft. But in general, the pace won’t accelerate to at least a week after the Super Bowl Champion has been crowned. There are a few items to ponder on our Falcons as the week rolls on……

Julius Peppers in Red and Black – Good or Bad Idea?

Continuing on a question that has picked up some steam after ESPN reported Julius Peppers likely will not return to Carolina, and Jeff Schultz wrote an article proclaiming the Falcons need to pull the trigger on signing Peppers, the question is worth pondering. Julius Peppers was franchised by the Carolina Panthers for the 2009 season and signed his tender for whopping $16.7 million a year. …

Continue reading Peppers and Gonzo »

On or Off the Falcons Radar?

Anyway Arenas (5'9) Could be a Falcon? (Bill Starling)

The Senior Bowl was fun to watch and provided a good glimpse at a number of players that may can make an impact for teams when the draft rolls around in April. Teams and fans alike will be looking for the obvious picks in the first round, but as the past has shown, drafting a player in the first round is anything but a lock, and many of the best players come later than the first round. The Falcons have a number of needs to address when the 2010 NFL Draft arrives. Some of the positions need immediate attention (OLB and CB) and some will need addressing very soon (TE and OL).

One of the most enjoyable things for fans to do as the off-season hits is to discuss what their biggest needs are to improve for the new season. Some of the needs are obvious, but its extremely interesting to see how often fans disagree on what the most pressing needs are, and for the Falcons, there’s even more scrutiny …

Continue reading Senior Bowl Review – Risers and Fallers »

Another Defense Heavy Draft?

'Spoon to the ATL? (SW's Pick)

Thomas Dimitroff did what most experts and fans alike thought he would when he went heavy on the defensive side of the ball in the 2009 NFL Draft. However, many may not have thought he would spend 7 out of 8 draft picks on defense. Some may have considered last year’s draft a bust, when both 1st round pick Peria Jerry and 2nd round pick William Moore went down with season-ending injuries. Injuries certainly can’t be helped, but Dimitroff had to know that both were big injury risks and the gamble came up short when the two went down for the year. Jerry was playing well when he got injured in the second game, but Moore is still a complete unknown in the NFL.

Dimitroff saw some redemption in the latter part of the class when several players stepped up big, particularly at the end of the year. Chris Owens finally got a chance to start at cornerback and had a pretty outstanding year considering the amount of time he …

Continue reading Senior Bowl Targets – Defense »

The Falcons May Have their Eyes on These Seniors

Even though the Big Game is still left, all the rest of the 30 remaining teams have officially cranked up the off-season and one of the first major points of research for the coaches, general managers, and front office personnel is the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama this week. The process is a pretty long one, extending almost three months, but the amount of talent that will need to be scouted by the people in charge will seem like they’re already behind. Front office personnel will be in overdrive from now until the NFL Draft in April. So many questions have to be answered as the Draft approaches including performance, work ethic, character, study habits, skill sets, and how they fit into schemes to name just a few.

Thomas Dimitroff and staff will be armed with a definite number of five draft picks (2nd rounder for Tony Gonzalez and 7th rounder for Tye Hill), but most estimates have projected for the Falcons to pick up an …

Continue reading Senior Bowl Targets – Offense »

Sign ‘em or Send ‘em? – Dahl Edition

Will Dahl Be Back? (atlantafalcons.com)

One of the biggest question marks as the Falcons head into the off-season and specifically into free agency is what to do with the right side of the offensive line. Both guard Harvey Dahl and tackle Tyson Clabo are due to become free agents as March approaches, but the labor deal at issue right now will make them restricted free agents if no new collective bargaining agreement is reached. The issue is murky at best right now, but from listening to all the pundits and analysts, there will likely be no new deal. This will make the 2010 season an uncapped year, but will have ramifications for many players like Dahl and Clabo who have not played 6 years in the NFL. Currently, players have to play a minimum of 4 years to become eligible for free agency, but with no new deal on the horizon, 2010 will mandate that players now play 6. So right now, Dahl, Clabo, and even Norwood will be restricted free …

Continue reading Will the Falcons Keep Dahl? »

Lessons to Learn from the Jets, Saints, Vikings, and Colts?

Will the Falcons Protect Ryan Like Manning?

 Taking a small break from examining the Falcons potential free agents and whether to sign ‘em or send ‘em, thought it might be intriguing to take a look at the teams playing in the conference championships and what the Birds can learn from their successful runs this year, and overall franchise. Obviously, these teams are probably built differently and asking the Falcons to throw the ball like the Colts might be a stretch, or playing the 3-4 defense like the Jets would likely be out of reach as well. The idea is to examine some certain philosophies, schemes, and systems that might benefit the Falcons as they attempt to build a long-run winner that can not just make the playoffs, but reach the ultimate game as the Saints, Colts, Vikings, and Jets have this Sunday.

New York Jets

Jets Weren't Afraid to Snag Edwards (nj.com)

The Falcons were the last team to beat the Jets …

Continue reading Can the Falcons Learn from the Championship Four? »

Pay ‘em or Pack ‘em? – Booker Edition

Was Booker a One Year Rental? (Curtis Compton/AJC)

One of the biggest and first jolts of news to come out of the 2009 Atlanta Falcons Training Camp was the news that Harry Douglas went down with an ACL injury and was quickly lost for the year. Some may have overlooked Douglas and the explosive dynamic he brought to the offense with returning Pro Bowlers Roddy White and Michael Turner, and the addition of Future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Granted, the 2008 schedule was really weak (particularly in hindisight), but Harry Douglas had a big year for a rookie working in the slot (320 yards receiving, 1 TD; 69 yards rushing, 1 TD; 226 punt return yards, 1 TD). Douglas made it impossible for defenses to key on White on the perimeter and stack the box in order to stop Michael Turner. #83 was able to stretch the field and really open holes for both Turner and White. Enter Marty Booker.

Marty Booker as a Falcon

Booker Deserve Another Shot? …

Continue reading Should the Falcons Keep Booker? »

Save ‘em or Send ‘em – Norwood Edition

Is Norwood Done in the ATL? (Curtis Compton/AJC)

One of the biggest and most lethal playmakers in recent Falcons history may be on the verge of moving on to another city and team in 2010. Jerious Norwood has been one of the fastest players in the NFL since he’s been in an Atlanta Falcons uniform. Every time #32 would touch the ball, fans and opponents alike knew he could take it to the house in an instant. His lightning quick speed, agility, and elusiveness has made him one of the biggest home run threats in the league. However, “threat” would be a good description as Norwood has also been a very large well of untapped potential. Since he was drafted in the third round in 2006, three different coaching staffs vowed to get him more involved and figure out ways to produce more touches, but his rushing yardage has significantly decreased every year (stats below) and he was never able to go over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving …

Continue reading Is Norwood Done in Atlanta? »