What Changes are Needed for Atlanta Falcons Offense?
Firecrackers, Dynamite Tosses, or Implosion?
What Changes Needed on O? (AJC)
As the sun sets on the 2012-13 NFL season, most Falcons fans are still grappling with “what could have been” before divulging and immersing into the off-season. For some, it’s therapeutic to jump right back into what the Birds need to fix, but for others a sabbatical from the Falcons and football in general will be needed. Either way, for 31 teams it will be months and months filled with how to reach the ultimate prize, including our Atlanta Falcons. Last off-season provided plenty of excitement with the former coordinators “finding new jobs” and the hiring of Dirk Koetter, Mike Nolan, and Pat Hill. This off-season may not have as many big changes as 2012, but it looks to be the most important one to date since the arrival of Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff. How do you go about changing and fixing a team that was only 10 yards away from the Super Bowl and was even up 17-0 early in the game? So with that in mind, The Cage offers a preview of what may need to occur on every facet of the Atlanta Falcons football franchise, starting with offense first: firecrackers (small), dynamite tosses (medium), or implosion (major):
Quarterback
Gotta Cut Out the Turnovers (AJC)
Obviously, this one is pretty easy to assess. Matt Ryan has become one of the best quarterbacks in the league, had a record setting year, and was likely in the top 3 of MVP candidates in 2012. The Falcons franchise quarterback has taken his game to a new level, won a playoff game, and came within yards of taking his team to the Super Bowl. He does, however, need to cut down on his turnovers, especially in the playoffs. He had two interceptions vs. Seattle (one was an enormously terrible decision and two turnovers that very well cost the Falcons the game vs. the 49ers. Roddy White slipping wasn’t his fault, but the fumbled snap was just mind-numbing. Ryan is the best chance the Falcons have ever had to win the Super Bowl, but has to cut out the turnovers in the big spots.
The backup QB situation, more specifically how the coaches handle the backup situation, needs an implosion. Dominique Davis looked like the real deal and even a potential starter one day when he was lighting it up in preseason. It was a no-brainer the Falcons would find a way to keep him, but instead of just promoting him to the #2 QB outright, they cut Chris Redman only to bring in washed-up and bounced around journeyman Luke McCown. And why is that exactly? They chose to keep an extra QB on the precious 53 man roster instead of just going with Davis as the backup? A perfect example of the Witness Protection Program that needs to be cast away for eternity. If the kid can play, put him in as the backup…….period. Assessment — Firecrackers
Running Back
Everyone in the world knows it. Does Mike Smith? Michael Turner will go down as arguably the best Falcons running back in franchise history in barely 5 years of service. His value is simply immeasurable in what he’s done for this franchise, the team, and the city. But the NFL is a business and it’s time for the Falcons and Turner to part ways. Some feel that Turner may have even outrun his effectiveness, at least for this new offensive scheme, by a year.
Quizz Must Get More Touches (AJC)
Regardless, the Falcons have to get faster, quicker, and, most importantly, more effective at the running back position in 2013. The offensive line isn’t the best in the league, but they have shown some improvement and can’t be the only culprit in the Falcons lack of a running game. Many feel that Jacquizz Rodgers and, particularly, Jason Snelling were heavily underused last year at the expense of force-feeding Turner in the run game.
It seems the Falcons are set in terms of depth with Snelling and Rodgers, but a new running back needs to be added. There’s not a ton out there worth much in terms of free agent running backs and the needs to look in free agency has been rendered fairly moot with the advent of rookie backs having immediate success. Most think it’s a matter of what round the back will be drafted, but some even feel that Turner might be brought back in some capacity, and if Turner’s on the roster there’s a good chance that Smith will use him. Rodgers and Snelling make this position very stable going forward, but as mentioned earlier, the coaches have to find the best mix to improve the running back position. There are plenty of high impact running backs in the draft and getting one sooner rather than later will likely be more effective. Assessment — Dynamite Toss
Wide Receiver
One of the strongest areas of the Falcons is their receiving force. Julio Jones and Roddy White make up one of the very best receiver tandems in the entire league. They along with Tony Gonzalez have made up an almost unstoppable trio this past year. It will be interesting to what whether Gonzalez will come back or retire and what the Falcons will do if he does retire. Regardless of what happens at the tight end position, Atlanta is set at the top two spots. Roddy will be turning 32 in November, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down.
Is HD the Answer @ Slot? (AJC)
The other spots are less settled. As much as everyone loves and is pulling for the hometown kid Harry Douglas, a question needs to be asked if he is the answer as the slot receiver. He’s a had a few bright spots here and there, but has definitely not been the boom we all thought after his rookie season. He does catch the ball very well, but rarely gets a ton of yardage after the catch and just hasn’t taken off as many thought. Fans will have nightmares for the next many months replaying “the trip,” where Douglas fell down on a perfect play call with a perfect throw that would have likely seen him walk into the endzone and put the Falcons ahead late.
Drew Davis and Kevin Cone have shown very good talent and should start getting more looks next season and it wouldn’t be the worst thing to take a chance on a receiver later in the draft since they look to have several compensatory picks in this year’s draft. Since Julio and Roddy are so dominant at the top, it’s obviously not going to need much work, but this year should decide whether Douglas is really the answer at slot receiver. Assessment — Firecrackers
Tight End
Clearly this one can’t be assessed until Tony Gonzalez decides whether he’s hanging up his cleats or coming back for one more year. It seems that the longer he waits to decide, the more likely it is for him to come back for one more go. If he was going to retire, wouldn’t we probably have heard it by now? If Gonzalez comes back for another year, the Falcons are definitely set and ready to go with Gonzo leading the way and Michael Palmer and Chase Coffman continuing to develop under him. Palmer and Coffman look to be a part of the TE rotation for some time to come. Palmer is a great blocking tight end with reliable hands and a chain mover and Coffman appears to be getting back the potential he had in college as a vertical threat in the passing game. It’s questionable whether either can take over full-time for Gonzalez, but they offer an excellent, complimentary tight end rotation.
Is Coffman Starter Material? (AJC)
The question really centers around what they will do if Gonzalez does in fact retire. There’s a possibility that the Falcons could try and use both Palmer and Coffman to both try and pick up the slack, but it’s hard to conceive that even both of them combined could match Gonzalez’s almost insane production last season. If they go with just Palmer and Coffman, they would need a lot more help from the likes of Harry Douglas, Drew Davis, Kevin Cone, and all of the running backs.
Another option is to use an early pick in the draft on a tight end, but history has shown that you don’t need to use an early pick to get an excellent tight end (Jimmy Graham – 3rd rd; Aaron Hernandez – 4th rd) and that many taken in the first round haven’t necessarily lived up to their pick status (Jermaine Gresham, Brandon Pettigrew to name a few). With so many holes on the defensive side of the ball, tight end shouldn’t be a priority in the first few picks. The final option is to look into free agency. There’s not a ton available in free agency, but one target to keep an eye on is Jared Cook. Cook is from North Gwinnett High School and played well at South Carolina. He had a good year and could really take off with a quarterback like Matt Ryan. Assessment — Gonzalez Comes Back: Firecrackers; Gonzalez retires – Dynamite Toss
Offensive Line
Where Will Konz End Up? (AJC)
The bane of many fans existence managed to pull itself together pretty well towards the end of the season, especially in the playoffs. They got much better in terms of pass protection, but have a ways to go in terms of run blocking. They aren’t the sole culprit for the lack of running game success, but they are a major reason. Much like the defensive line, it’s a knock against both Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff. How can there be issues every single year at virtually every position on the offensive line year in and year out? The only spot that’s been somewhat stable is left guard with Justin Blalock. Tyson Clabo was seemingly set at right tackle, but had a very sub-par year in 2012. Sam Baker was a pleasant surprise at left tackle, having one of his best years there.
Center and right guard are definitely in flux and, like Turner, the Falcons must let McClure ride off into the sunset as he will turn 36 in a few weeks. He may want to come back, but his play has definitely slipped as he’s gotten older and represented one of the weakest areas of the OL. It will be interesting to see what the Falcons do with Peter Konz. He was the best center in the draft, but played admirably at right guard only after Garrett Reynolds got hurt. Many believe that Konz should slide over to his natural position of center, adding both youth and beef in front of Matt Ryan. The biggest name to keep an eye on is Lamar Holmes in 2013. If he’s not starting in some capacity this season, than the pick has to be considered a bust. He showed great flashes in preseason and was predictably never heard from again. A thought that Holmes could either take over for Sam Baker at left tackle and have Baker move to right tackle. Another scenario would have Holmes starting at right tackle and move Tyson Clabo inside to guard, adding some much needed beef, muscle, and strength to an overall underwhelming offensive line.
Will Holmes (#76) Be a Starter? (AJC)
A few final scenarios could see Joe Hawley take over at center, thus keeping Konz at right guard and still another, which is a fan favorite’s of The Cage, is to use one of the early picks on the best available guard and plug him in next to Konz. While the offensive line did show some glimpses and did improve, they won’t be mistaken for the best OL in the league anytime soon. While not needing a completely overhaul, some serious decisions will need to be made in 2013 if the Falcons want to reach their ultimate goals in 2013. Assessment — Dynamite Toss
Offensive Coaching / Philosophy
It’s hard to argue with what the Falcons did this year on offense. Matt Ryan not only set career highs for himself, but also broke a handful of franchise records as well. Roddy White and Julio Jones both went over 1,000 yards receiving and Tony Gonzalez was very close. The running game wasn’t always pretty, but Jacquizz Rodgers showed that he will definitely be a part of the Falcons backfield for some time to come. There’s really not much to complain about overall. The only thing that needs fixing is when the Falcons would just go on major cold streaks on offense, be it quarters or even sometimes entire halfs at a time. They picked a bad time to get cold on offense in the playoffs and it nearly cost them the Seattle game (4th quarter) and did cost them the Niners game (no points in second half). Adding some speed in the backfield and shoring up the offensive line should make this offense even more dangerous. Assessment — Firecrackers
The Cage Brothers Turn
1) Quick Pitch — What’s your overall thoughts on the Falcons offense going forward in 2013?
2) What are the most pressing changes the Falcons need to make on offense?
3) What should Matt Ryan work on this off-season?
4) Your feelings about the backup QB spot: should Davis be #2?
5) Running Back: keep Turner, cut Turner but bring him back in a reduced role, draft a running back, or get one in free agency?
6) What round should the Falcons be looking to draft an RB?
7) Wide Receiver: Is Harry Douglas the answer at slot?
8.) Are Kevin Cone and Drew Davis keepers?
9) Should the Falcons take a WR in the draft?
10) What should Atlanta do if Gonzalez does retire: Coffman/Palmer, draft, or free agency?
11) What should the starting OL look like in 2013?
12) Will Holmes get in the lineup? What about Clabo and Baker? Where should Konz start?
13) Should the Falcons take an OL in the draft, if so when?
14) What changes should be made in terms of offensive scheme and / or philosophy?
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603 comments Add your comment
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
6:41 am
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/blog/rob-rang/21617577/nfl-draft-florida-states-manuel-wins-mvp-defenders-win-respect-at-senior-bowl
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
6:44 am
Marko,
Kwame Geathers might be a good pickup in mid rounds. I agree – should have stayed in school for more seasoning and to showcase himself. Maybe it results in him being a bargain pick, I don’t know….
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
7:14 am
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-draft/2013/2/4/3949260/2013-nfl-mock-draft-super-bowl
The comment on Rodgers is amusing…I’m not arguing the “feature back” part.
But how do you prove you’re not “worthy” when all you get is 94 carries, yet you’re good enough to catch 53 passes when you’ve been targeted 59 times (that’s 90%…leading the team)?
Oh nevermind. Quizz wasn’t drafted to be a feature RB anyway. Still, retarded comment…
Quizz averaged 3.9 yards per carry. And that’s horrible. I mean Mike Turner, a REAL feature back averaged…wait…he averaged 3.6 per carry. Ooops.
Gosh, I guess he didn’t make better use of those 222 carries, which is basically two and a third times as many as Quizz had. Making the decision to roll with him on carries that many more times than Quizz…downright silly. But I digress….
Interesting that Mr. Fairburn has us taking a RB in the first round, and that it’s North Carolina’s Giovanni Bernard.
Here’s a report on him:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1737248/giovani-bernard
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
7:17 am
Bernard is not a guy I’d pick…
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
7:18 am
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/mock-drafts/bucky-brooks/160100
Bucky Brooks = idiot.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
7:21 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgH51Ijtzrg
A little appreciation for the little fella. He’s been scorned a little lately, and it’s off base…
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
7:32 am
Sorry, you can say what you want about how a RB does his thing, but that “slam on the brakes and take a half step back” against the Saints was classic. Why? Because it was Curtis Lofton that he did it to…..
Word!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvSZFZdSObo&NR=1&feature=endscreen
May not be a prototypical feature RB but damn sure was a 5th round steal. We’re lucky to have him. Half of the plays that he made in the above videos would have had Jerious Norwood out with injury…
Wings
February 8th, 2013
8:11 am
Big Ray, I still say Quizz was the most consistent offensive player during the year. And why didn’t we use him more. And how did he prove he couldn’t be a feature back.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
8:20 am
Wings,
He was pretty dang consistent. If Quizz proved he couldn’t be an every down back, then Turner proved that giving him the most carries by a long shot was incredibly stupid. But we wouldn’t want to say that. Might make somebody look bad….
Considering so many of the plays Quizz broke off (and the blocking wasn’t always spectacular or even solid on all of them), I would have given him the ball 125 times at least. Probably more like 150.
Again – targeted 59 times, caught the pass 53 times. And you know so many of those plays were about Ryan looking at his bigger, faster, more popular targets…and then dumping it to Quizz…meaning Quizz was getting the ball well after the defense had penetrated.
Look at some of those running plays (or even some of the pass/toss plays) and see how far behind the line Quizz was…still made it through the defense and got extra yards.
Yes, there was some good blocking. But you look how fast Quizz gets to ANY hole their might be and how many times he made guys miss by changing direction, sometimes several times in one play. Look at those plays and tell me where Turner would have been and what the results would be in those same plays?
Can’t tell me we wouldn’t have been better off putting the ball in the little fella’s hands 30-50 more times than we did.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
8:28 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wkezITd1u8
Randle does not look bad….
D3
February 8th, 2013
8:57 am
Enter your comments here
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
9:19 am
Detroit cut Titus Young for being a black dot.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
9:23 am
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/falcons_plan_favre_stragety_to_drag_tony_gonzalez_back_to_atlanta/12815341
Actually, I think that’s a little insulting. TG is in no way like Brett Favre, who was a prima dona of global proportions and NOT helping his team win.
That said…and I’m not saying I want Tony out of here AT ALL…which members of this “group of players” is gonna give up some millions so we can afford to keep him if he stays?
Big picture guys…big picture…
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
9:26 am
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/5_teams_who_could_be_interested_in_michael_turner/12827140
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
9:31 am
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/atlanta_falcons_top_free_agent_must_haves/12817027
Meh….no FA TE is coming here until/unless TG decides he is gone for good.
Ellerbe is a guy I wouldn’t turn my nose up at, but what would he cost and would he be better in the short and long term than a draft prospect?
Want no parts of any 30 year old FA LBs with recent health issues. So Mr. Smith is out before it even begins.
No point in commenting on the rest of it.
Unca' Bob
February 8th, 2013
9:40 am
Giovani Bernard-
http://atlanticcoastconvos.com/2012/08/21/acc-preseason-top-25-players-of-2012-6-giovani-bernard-north-carolina-unc-tar-heels-larry-fedora/
D3
February 8th, 2013
9:44 am
Great Friday Cage Family! — Finally here……..
marko / Big Ray — Kwame Geathers would be an excellent mid-round pick. He looked as good or, sometimes even better, than John Jenkins at times. He’s a little unpolished and not sure if he could anchor the full load from Day 1, but he’d be an excellent get. A few more Dawgs to look at……..
Abry Jones — Very highly rated coming out of high school. Got somewhat lost in the 4-3 to 3-4 transition, but would be a perfect guy to groom as a 5 technique. 6′3, around 310 lbs.
Cornelius Washington — kind of came out of nowhere and can get to the passer, maybe as an OLB standup. He was a beast, but overshadowed by Jarvis Jones somewhat.
Shawn Williams — Not sure where he’s slotted to go, but would be a perfect complimentary piece to add at safety and it was him that called out the UGA defense and they finally got their s–t together.
D3
February 8th, 2013
9:48 am
Big Ray — Ellerbe was a stud at UGA, but I’m afraid A) the Ravens will do whatever it takes to keep him since Ray Lewis is leaving, and B) He probably will cost an arm and a leg. Between Spoon, Dent, and Nicholas at ILB, I think we’ll be OK. Don’t sleep on Pat Schiller either. Guy looked pretty good in preseason. I agree with you, I just don’t really see us looking at any big FA’s, maybe a couple of bargains and such. I hope that if Gonzo leaves, that Jared Cook could / would be the exception.
The official story from ProFootballTalk is that all other 31 teams passed on Titus Young.
D3
February 8th, 2013
9:52 am
I’m sensing a little Jimmy Mora in this Jim Harbaugh guy…….
“A penalty is a penalty no matter when it occurs in a game,” Harbaugh said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. Hmmmmm, seems like something like that happened to us in the NFC Championship game, right?
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/07/jim-harbaugh-a-penalty-is-a-penalty-on-the-first-play-or-the-last-play/
Matty Bicep
February 8th, 2013
9:59 am
Good analogy with the Jimmys…..It will be interesting to see how JH stands the test of time, or if there is a mutiny not too far down the road.
Die Hard Falcon
February 8th, 2013
10:55 am
Happy Friday Cage! (Weekend never comes quick enough)
I am ready to get to April, draft time can’t come quick enough, plus living in NE Iowa, I got winter blues and am ready to stop freezing my toukus off.
The more I see of Stepfan Taylor the more I feel like he won’t be there in round 2 for us, which stinks, b/c with all the holes we have to fill, I don’t see us getting him if he’s not there at the bottom of the 2nd. We must take a defensive pick in round 1, preferrably a NT, and I just think we’d do better to stay where we’re at in round 2 unless someone is going to swap w/ us for a low round pick, I really don’t see the value of moving up until round 3 or 4 when the price usually isn’t so great.
That being said, I think that Randle would be a great pick for us if he’s there and really I just want us to be true to the board and take the best player available approach in the first 3 rounds to get us impact players hopefully from the jump, the only exception I guess is that NT is a priority to me assuming that we’re switching to a 3-4 as I hope we are.
Go Falcons!!!
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
February 8th, 2013
10:59 am
Hello Cagers.
JukeQuizz Rodgers has definitely been a pleasant surprise…and IMO, a steal, being we draft him in the 5th round. But, IMHO, he’s not a feature (every down) or 300 carry RB. Complimentary, change of pace back is what I think he is. He is most impressive out in space, where he can utilize his quickness and deceptive power to brake arm tackles. Quizz is a utility player that every team should have, not to mentioned his work ethic (character). One of the things I’m impressed with about him, he is very receptive to coaching. He was not known for his blocking coming out of the collegiate ranks…but he has picked up the scheme…and become, IMO, the best blocking back on the team.
Quizz is a keeper. I have not read here in the cage about the possibilty that Snelling might be cut? Who’s to say we couldn’t pick up a Chris Ivory…and a Stepfan Taylor in the draft to complete the backfield? Gives me chills just thinking about the possibilities…
D3
February 8th, 2013
11:30 am
So I see we’re getting good and rolling on draft stuff. I’ve tried to wait a good bit and stretch it out some, but it’s just too darn intriguing ins’t it?
I saw the name Alec Ogletree come up in an earlier conversation. Make no mistake about it, dude is going to be a stud. For those of you non-UGA guys, he was converted from a safety to an ILB, but probably could play OLB too. Dude is a stud. I would love to have him stay in red and black and join Spoon on the inside of a 3-4 or even as an OLB in a 4-3. Talk about a guy that can cover any and all those TEs running around our secondary.
However………
As mentioned many times, it won’t matter if we resurrect Dick Butkus to his original form with the DT group we have. Not only is this DT class one of the deepest of all the positions in the entire draft, but it’s a huge need. Without jumping headfirst into research just yet, the true OG class looks pretty darn weak. Of course TD and Smitty will likely draft an OT or TE and move them inside to OG in their infinite wisdom “cross-training” scheme (so dumb).
Just even more of an additional incentive is the fact that it’s a very safe pick. I’ve seen more than enough mocks saying we’ll take one of these two cupcakes Ertz or Eifert. Sorry, but neither one of these dudes not only scream bust and not-special, but they don’t even seem like first round worthy picks. Ask the Bengals or Lions if they’re happy with their 1st round TE’s.
For me, it’s as follows:
1) John Jenkins
2) Jesse Williams
3) John Hankins
4) Kawaan Short — even though not positive he could man an NT in a 3-4.
Just makes too much sense. TD will likely draft an obscure kicker from Scotland in the first round instead.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
11:32 am
Ken ,
It will be interesting to see what happens with the TE position. Clearly, all roads begin with Tony G and what he decides to do. I sorta get the feeling that the front office will give him what he wants if he wants to stay.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
11:39 am
D3 ,
Yep…it was a joke, but if there is such a thing as a sure “black dot”, Titus Young is it…
On Ellerbe – that was my thinking as well.
Who knows, we might get to steal Geathers…
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
11:42 am
Quizz is a keeper. I have not read here in the cage about the possibilty that Snelling might be cut? Who’s to say we couldn’t pick up a Chris Ivory…and a Stepfan Taylor in the draft to complete the backfield? Gives me chills just thinking about the possibilities
Snelling is generally not mentioned as a guy to cut, but I did bring up the point a day or two ago that with Brady Ewing coming back from injury and Mike Cox being around, Snelling can’t really hang a hat on being the backup FB any longer.
He still fits as a sizeable RB who can pound it a little bit, but he doesn’t generally push the pile all that much .
If Chris Ivory can be had for a 7th round pick, then it may be worth looking at with some seriousness.
I’m all for drafting Stepfan Taylor…or failing that, Joseph Randle. But other names could come up.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
11:44 am
MB ,
My guess is that Jim Harbaugh’s style is all well and good as long as the team is winning. If times get tough…it will likely wear on folks.
So we’ll see how long this lasts….
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
11:45 am
In the meantime, if you want to laugh at Jim Harbaugh and a couple other folks, here ya go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zce-QT7MGSE
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
February 8th, 2013
11:47 am
Well Noted Big Ray.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:03 pm
http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2013/2/6/3962374/the-falcons-should-renegotiate-stephen-nicholas-contract
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:08 pm
Somebody ,
I owe you an apology. I was an A-hole to you.
By the way, I am quitting my job and applying to be Matt Ryan’s groundskeeper and head of property security (kidding, but I’m sure I come across that way more than folks will say).
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
February 8th, 2013
12:16 pm
Big Ray, it’s all good Brother. I’ll meet you halfway with an olive branch.
Die Hard Falcon
February 8th, 2013
12:22 pm
Lil’ Jimmy Harbaugh is an emotional crybaby.
I find John so much more likeable, and even though many aren’t totally “in love” w/ Mike Smith, I will say that I like the even-keeled approach, staying positive and in control is important.
Go Falcons!!!
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:28 pm
I’ll meet you halfway with an olive branch.
Oh, so it’s a stick-fight, eh?
D3
February 8th, 2013
12:28 pm
Seeing a lot of people liking Mike Gillislee @ RB. Just not feeling it. I’ll admit that I didn’t play VERY close attention to him when I saw a handful of Florida games this past season, but I just never got the feeling that he was all that and a bag of chips. I might be wrong, but I’m still going with high production, namely Stepfan Taylor and Joseph Randle as my two fav RBs at the moment. I also like the kid Ellington out of Clemson, but not sure he offers us that much more than Quizz or Antone Smith do. SW would know Ellington well since he’s @ Clemson in the ACC.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:32 pm
Die-hard Falcon ,
Very true. I liked Jim Harbaugh’s boldness, but it’s also clear that the man is somewhat crazy. He can come unglued pretty easily. He IS smart. Creative, even. But then again, his play-calling was exposed a few times against Baltimore. It was interesting to see some of the pundits call him out on that during and after the game.
Mike Smith is indeed quite even-keeled and I’m sure the players appreciate that. I do want to see him grow out of the “tightness” he can exhibit during games, especially in the second half. His players will like him even more than that.
In the end, none of us fans have to love the guy (though some do, unabashedly LOL). The team needs to.
You can bet Tom Coughlin doesn’t give a damn, neither does Bill Belichick.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:32 pm
…about the fans that is.
D3
February 8th, 2013
12:35 pm
http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/atlanta-falcons/2013/feb/07/polian-rates-grimes-moore-top-tier-free-agents/
Sorry, but goodbye Grimes, couldn’t afford you even if we wanted.
Seems as though we’ll be in a pretty good spot with Baker because their are a ton of “top tier” tackles ready to become UFA’s.
I find it particularly peculiar that he lists Lawrence Sidbury as a mid-tier player, especially since know one has ever heard from or seen him since he was drafted. I really hope they don’t eFF it up on Sidbury and keep him for the 3-4.
Moore’s a no-brainer, IMO. Pay him his money. Drafted him, developed him, he became a Pro Bowler that will only get better with better front 7 play. Just gotta stay healthy.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:41 pm
D3 ,
I would really like to see Antone Smith get some serious action. Or just effin’ cut him. If he can’t do enough to get more than a few snaps in an entire regular season, then how does he do enough to stay on the squad? Special Teams, maybe?
I actually am no big fan of his, but I hate these “lingering” situations. Use ‘em or cut ‘em, if you ask me. I’m not saying every team’s 3rd or 4th string RB should play regularly…there’s a reason why these guys are 3rd or 4th string. But I’d just as soon see another name in the mix after all this time.
I’m kinda with you on Gillislee. Watched some footage of him…he can play, but I don’t think he’s better than the other guys you mentioned. Still…I wouldn’t say he would be a wasted pick…long as he’s not taken too early. However, I don’t want the Falcons to be the ones to snag him. Read the below if you haven’t already, and see why:
Scouting reports:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=89581&draftyear=2013&genpos=RB
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1664327/mike-gillislee
What I get from that is dude might be a fumble hazard. A slight build, spin moves, not a very physical runner, not looking for contact…
Quizz has no issues with any of the above. So your analysis seems spot-on to me…
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:44 pm
D3,
Yeah, posted that earlier..saw that article. Totally agreed on Moore/Grimes. Totally.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:48 pm
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1737645/joseph-randle
Words/phrases like “acceleration”, “outstanding vision”, “falling forward”, “productive as rusher and receiver”….nothing but good news to me.
In a way, I’m just preparing myself for watching Stepfan Taylor come off the board well before we pick.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
12:50 pm
Or am I? I might like Randle as much as Taylor. Maybe more. We shall see.
D3
February 8th, 2013
1:03 pm
BR — I admit that I’m not very objective at all when it comes to scouting. D3 Sports United is all about the production. That certainly doesn’t always mean that just because a guy was productive in college that it will translate into the NFL (see Tebow) and vice versa, but I think when you combine skill and pure production on a big stage, most of the times it’s hard to argue against it. Same goes for Taylor. I haven’t’ watched film on either of these guys, but their college production is just insane, regardless of what conference they’re in. Worked out pretty well for my boys Torrey Smith and Demarco Murray.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
February 8th, 2013
1:23 pm
I’m with you on Grimes D3.
Courtesy of webMD:
What Can Cause Achilles Tendon Injuries?
An Achilles tendon injury might be caused by:
Overuse
Stepping up your level of physical activity too quickly
Not stretching enough before exercise
Wearing high heels, which increases the stress on the tendon
Problems with the feet. An Achilles tendon injury can result from flat feet, also known as fallen arches or overpronation. In this condition, the impact of a step causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons.
Muscles or tendons in the leg that are too tight
All the above causes are plausible for grimes except one, the wearing of high heels. Unless he’s masquerading around in Miko’s high heels, day in, and day out, looking in the mirror, admiring himself with the extra elevation…then Houston, I think we might have a problem. But I’d like to think, the high heel senario falls out of the plausible column.
The achillies injury aint know joke! ACL/MCL’s are both serious, and sometimes career ending injuries…but IMO, tearing, or rupturing the achillies, are tougher to comeback from. Grimes cover skills rely so much on his elevation, IMO, more so than a corner who may be 6 feet in height. Therefore, he (Grimes) is putting more strain on the tendon than most cornerbacks, that being the case? not predicting injury, I’m just saying the likelyhood of reinjury is a real possibility.
IMO, the risk is not worth the reward.
D3
February 8th, 2013
1:49 pm
SOMEBODY — Very well put. I just don’t think it’s worth the risk either. I didn’t think the franchise tag made any sense whatsoever either. $10 mill down the drain. There’s a reason that teams can’t afford 3 starting caliber CBs for too long, because it just isn’t feasible. We were 10 yards away from the Super Bowl without him the entire season.
Some want us to cut DRob and re-sign Grimes. I just think that’s ludicrous swapping out a solid corner for one coming back after an achilles heel injury and will likely demand a ton anyway (Miko will get her payday! That $10 mill’s already long gone
). Are we over-paying DRob? Absolutely. But sometimes you just have to live with the mistakes you got and learn from them (DRob’s contract) instead of making the same ones or worse ones in the future (cutting DRob, creating dead money, too big risk on Grimes).
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
February 8th, 2013
2:20 pm
I hear Ya on DRob D3.
When TD makes a move in the draft, or signs a FA, he’s thinking 1, 2 3 years in the future. It raised my eyebrows a bit when word got out he’s scouting Wide Receivers, if true…don’t be buying any Roddy White jerseys in the next couple of years.
Matty Bicep
February 8th, 2013
2:40 pm
I do not have a problem with Grimes wanting, or getting his pay day. He performed a pro bowl CB at UDFA money, He got screwed by the system, so I don’t fault him being a little bitter and going after every dime when he had the opportunity. Now, his wife did not do him any PR favors, but it is his wife, and geez, we know how they can be.
But, my biggest concern in addition to re injuring his achilles is how will it affect his performance, for his entire game is his ability to elevate, and if he only gets back to 95% of his leaping ability….I just don’t know if that is good enough. He can’t “make up” for is ability to jump, for that is how he “makes up” for being too short.
It is a cruel world, so you have to let him go unless you can get him cheap, but the guy was my absolute favorite Falcons from 08-11, he made some plays, but you gotta let him walk, I think the odds of him making a 100% recovery of his freakish ability is a longshot, but I am glad he got his cash, he served us well before he got hurt.
D3
February 8th, 2013
3:17 pm
Yeah, poor, poor, pitiful Grimes and his $10.2 million dollars. We should call UNICEF for he and Miko
darrell starks
February 8th, 2013
3:20 pm
No way you bring back Grimes, Sean Smith is 10times better than Grimes not only that he more physical and much younger and bigger plus he fit Mike Nolan System.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
D3
February 8th, 2013
3:24 pm
darrell — You know I could definitely go with that. Problem is, that we’d have to eat a lot of dough just to cut ol’ DRob. Grimes? Fughetaboutit!