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?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
603 comments Add your comment
darrell starks
February 8th, 2013
3:25 pm
Sean Smith age 25
Brent Grimes age 29
Sean Smith 6′3 215pounds
Brent Grimes 5′10 185pounds
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
February 8th, 2013
3:33 pm
D3, is Grimes a free agent ?
If so i would sign Sean before Grimes.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JB Falcon
February 8th, 2013
3:39 pm
It seems to me that Grimes should be thanking the Falcons for taking him in the first place and giving him the opportunity to develope. How many other 5′6″ players were taken from Shippensburg college and had a chance to play in the NFL? We signed him at $10.2 mil, which is the second highest paid WR in the entire NFL. That should never have happened. At least he will have the opportunity to become a free agent with a pro bowl in his resume. He could have signed for a reasonable salary and still be welcome here but after what has transpired he might as well move on.
If he can find a sucker, err.. team that is willing to take a gamble and give him a contract with a gurantee in it, he get get hurt again, which is highly probable, go back to Shippensburg and have enough money to retire on.
Die Hard Falcon
February 8th, 2013
3:58 pm
@BR — I totally agree, coaches shouldn’t be out to win popularity contests, except for doing through success.
D3– Re: Willy MO
WM25 is my favorite Falcon on Defense, he can ballhawk, drop the hammer and could be a star if he could just stay healthy. Grimes is most likely done unless he takes a big paycut, bigger fish to fry than CB and cap room is in short supply
Go Falcons!!!
Matty Bicep
February 8th, 2013
4:23 pm
Like I said, I always like Grimes, if you did’nt, that is fine. Sure, they invited him to camp, but they were not running a charity program, he has to earn his keep I am sure, if he could not play, he would have been gone quick.
He served the Falcons well, but if I were him, outplaying a guy making 10x the money….well, when it came time to pay, he deserved to get every dime he could, they system is not kind to free agents, so when it comes time…I don’t blame them for taking advantage of the system.
Miko, another story, but if Judged every man by what is wife says, I would not have many friends left at all. Like I said, he was my favorite player, the little man showed some guts. I did not like the entire salary deal, but its the system….Hate the game, not the playa…
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
5:06 pm
Somebody ,
As far as I’m concerned, that’s all that need be said. Grimes thrived off of a combination of supreme athletic ability and good instincts.
Take away the athletic ability (most notably, that insane vertical jumping ability) and he’s gonna get toasted by most starting caliber WRs these days.
I’d rather we not sink any more cash into him. I can’t see him coming back as “better than ever before”….nothing personal, but dang….we paid dude $10 mil this season and didn’t get a penny’s worth of it.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
5:07 pm
It’s all about the Benjamins. Grimey gotta go, bro’. Not worth the dough.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
February 8th, 2013
5:34 pm
Yeah Big Ray, without the “vertical jumping ability” he’ll be average at best. I like his undrafted story and all…I think he can be best used to garner more draft picks.
What do you think his FA (market value) worth will be Big Ray, coming off injury and all?
JB Falcon
February 8th, 2013
6:32 pm
Somebody, If Grimes loses his vertical he’s going to be a 5′6″ below average CB trying to defend against 6′5″ Megatron. We know he used to could do it but they say the torn ACL is in his heel. The chances of him coming back healthy is slim and then the probility of him re-injuring the ACL are huge. If I remember correctly he got injured prior to the last game of 2011. He had the entire off-season, plus the play-off gaem, to re-coop and the he re-injured it in the first game of this year.
You gotta know, even if he comes back and signs for a practical contract, he’s going to want a hugh guarantee. We’ll have to wait and see but I’d rather some other team take that gamble and we trade him for some draft picks or a FA. What is he worth? Good question, but I’d like to find out.
Matty Bicep
February 8th, 2013
6:39 pm
I do agree that we should not resign Grimes to any type of big money contract….10 mil for nothing hurt, but that is the nature of the beast, you really cannot tell when somebody might sustain a devastating injury.
But it does show the strength of our system where our big money guy gets hurt and we still make a pretty good run at a SB. I would have to let Grimey (and Miko) walk.
Matty Bicep
February 8th, 2013
6:46 pm
I remember he was hurt at the end of 10, but was it the same thing? I thought it was a knee, although one could have had something to do with the other. But it is my understanding when and achilles goes, it goes, it is not a nagging type of thing.
JB Falcon
February 8th, 2013
7:12 pm
MB, I don’t know if it was the same injury. He may come back and play lights out but, like you said, we did well without him so I just don’t feel comfortable taking the risk. Then again, I’m not a gambling type of person.
Ken Strickland
February 8th, 2013
9:10 pm
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1521265-2013-nfl-draft-prospects-who-were-born-to-play-for-the-atlanta-falcons
CAGERS-Please tell me what you think of these draft picks.
Matty Bicep
February 8th, 2013
9:48 pm
Agreed Jb……dominique had the same surgery and was never the same. I would be surprised if he can play at the probowl level ever again.
Big Ray
February 8th, 2013
9:59 pm
Somebody ,
Hard to say. His instincts won’t be gone. He may have his recovery speed still. But we’ve seen how long it can take to truly get back to 100% after an injury like that. We’ve seen it with just knee injuries (not that any season-ending injury is insignificant, mind you).
IF he’s healthy and still has some of that uber-athletic ability left…he could be worth 5-6 mil per year. I seriously doubt he gets more than that, but what do I know? Problem is that he had a pro bowl caliber season…once…and it was 2 years ago.
Birdman
February 8th, 2013
11:26 pm
This is the Year !!
As one of our own “” The Time is Now ‘ No more Rise Up …..The Birds Have Rose
Matt Ryan … In Five years has done more ” produced more ” Achieved more ….than ANY other QB the Falcons have EVER had………In franchise HISTORY/….!!
Tony G …. Will be back for one more try at the Ring and a good by The way a real Star should be given…. Plus he will have in his head that we were so close and this could be the season
Falcons will Sign Moore & Grimes
Falcons will use first round pick on LB or Pass Rusher or as I said play it safe “since there pick is late in the First round and see what emerges in the 2nd to maybe make a deal and a move
2nd year with the OC- DC and they will give us the best team we have seen yet !!
Mike Smith ..Will have his first Super Bowl .!!!!!
THIS IS THE YEAR !!!!!!!
marko
February 9th, 2013
6:14 am
We’ve spent several picks on offensive linemen over the last few years. Even though we haven’t spent a first rounder on a lineman since Baker, the numbers are still there. a lot of Good mid round picks have gone for linemen. If none of them can play , Thomas has some explaining to do. Somebody needs to step up , and get the job done. I’ll be very disappointed if we feel that a high draft pick is needed this year on the offensive line.
Running back is a position we haven’t invested nearly as heavily in, nor should we. Too many teams are getting solid production from late round picks or even free agents for that matter. if their scouts can dig these guys up, why can’t ours?
A running back that I’d suggested we consider was Christine Michael of Texas A&M. He carried a third to fourth. that means that the Falcons would likely have to invest their third round pick to secure his services. Even though we have our full compliment of picks this year, our success has doomed us to picking at the end of each and every stinking round. so if somebody carries a projected third or fourth round grade that’d be a three for us but only a four for those hapless losers in Kansas City. At any rate , I’d prefer us going defense with all our first and second day picks. I don’t want to pay that much for a running back.
Anyway for me it’s goodbye Christine Michael and hello Kenjon Barner. Kenjon’s a star in Oregon’s flying circus. ( wouldn’t it be great to see an Alabama Oregon Matchup?) He’s A little on the smallish side. 5’9 188 pounds, but extremely fastish, 4.39 forty. At first I’d gone with the thought that we needed a big back to replace Turner, but it occurred to me that Turner was a staple in Malarkey’s offense. If anybody missed the memo, Mike doesn’t work here anymore.
We’ve entered the age of Dirk, and one things already perfectly clear, compared to Malarkey, he’s a wild and crazy guy. perhaps he feels that he already has serviceable pluggers in Jason Snelling, And a hopefully healthy Bradie Ewing. We really don’t have a lightning in bottle back like Kenjon. Some have suggested we sign Michael Bush. though I like the idea, I fear the price tag. I’m convinced that for the modest cost of a forth round pick we could acquire pretty much the same skill set. Kenjon has also been used as a punt and kick off returner. by the way, he’s produced touchdowns in both capacities.
Is that enough to read yet? Have a great day ya’ll. I’ll check in on you guys this evening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qPtBYCLsL0
D3
February 9th, 2013
2:17 pm
Beautiful Saturday Cage!
So here’s a very interesting question for all of you………..
I’ve let it be known that my first choice for our pick is big boy DT: safe, anchor, biggest area of need, deep class, and could improve all other areas. John Jenkins, Jesse Williams, and Jonathan Hankins are my picks in that order. I like Kawaan Short, but I just can’t get past his smaller weight and think he could thrive in a 3-4, which I just can’t imagine us not doing at this point with all our issues on defense. Jenkins will likely be gone. But it’s a good bet that either Williams or Hankins will be there. But, this is where it gets interesting…………
Say that all three of them are gone and we’re left with the following choices:
1) Getting possibly the 6th or 7th best DT a guy like Kawaan Short
2) Reaching for a terrible pick like Eifert and Ertz, at TE just because Gonzo retired
3) Going with a guy like Barrett Jones or Travis Frederick at OG. Even though I really like Frederick, there’s going to be a bad pick in there somewhere (which would mean that Clabo obviously is staying at RT, so where does Holmes go?). Not to mention that offense is wasn’t the biggest problem.
4) Reach for an extremely weak DE class, just because. A guy like Okafor that has Ray Edwards written all over him.
……or……….
(I know this may sound like blasphemy, but……)
If Eddie Lacy is sitting there as the best back in the draft, should we pass on him just because we need defense?
There are a few big boys in there deeper in the draft, like Brandon Williams and Kwame Geathers. Not to mention a few FA’s like Sammie Lee Hill and others.
Just sayin………….
D3
February 9th, 2013
2:18 pm
Don’t see this happening, but if Ogletree falls to us, I can’t say I could pass on him either. Check out who they compare him to…………
COMPARES TO: Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Atlanta Falcons — If Ogletree can play with a little more control, he can equal the production of the Falcons’ star and perhaps even surpass him. Frankly, there isn’t a more exciting linebacker prospect in the 2013 draft. But make no mistake about it, the missed tackles are an issue, which if not corrected, give Ogletree some Aaron Curry-like bust potential as well.
Just dayum. Imagine two Spoons on defense.
Big Ray
February 9th, 2013
2:42 pm
D3 ,
To answer your second post – I vote to not pass on a guy like Ogletree. He’s that damn talented. Nolan can do God only knows what with that guy. And next to Weatherspoon?
To your first post –
I’d have a hard time criticizing TD and the gang if all three of our top 3-4 NT prospects are gone…and they nabbed Travis Frederick or Barrett Jones. However, I’ve seen what our staff does with prospects. Mike Johnson and Garrett Reynolds both seem to be playing positions they’re not suited for, but what do I know…
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/garrett-reynolds?id=71453
http://boards.atlantafalcons.com/topic/3891648-mike-johnson-scouting-report-sporting-news/
In both cases, nobody is talking about putting these guys where they happen to be playing NOW. In both cases, athleticism is an issue….
Here’s a report on Frederick.
http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2013tfrederick.php
And one on Jones.
http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2013bjones.php
The guy I’d take? Barrett Jones. Why? Well, we can’t seem to get away from all this cross-training, so we may as well snag a guy who can play several positions (all of them well, apparently).
Read the scouting report. Then recall who Jones has practiced against (every ‘Bama draft pick from the last 2-3 years) and played against (SEC competition).
The guy I’d take? Definitely Barrett Jones. You can’t have too many good offensive linemen. You just can’t.
More on this in a bit….
Big Ray
February 9th, 2013
2:48 pm
Why is my comment awaiting moderation?
Anyway, finishing up on Barrett Jones vs. Travis Frederick:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1632207/barrett-jones
That’s all you need to know right there.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1665144/travis-frederick
The issue with Frederick is his susceptibility to gap shooters. We already have that problem. Does this mean he won’t be a good player in the NFL? No. It just means that we need as much talent/technique/versaility as we can get. Frederick won’t have what it takes to be a key cog in a ZBS system.
Jones will.
On to the next thing.
JB Falcon
February 9th, 2013
2:52 pm
Hmmm, if Lacy falls to us. If we can’t get Jenkins, Williams or Hankins? Ogletree? Don’t you have anything easier???? I’ll take Kawaan. Can’t build a house with a weak foundation.
Big Ray
February 9th, 2013
3:01 pm
So Jenkins, Hankins, Williams, and Ogletree aren’t on the board.
If Kawann Short is there, you have to think hard about this.
Short may not be a 3-4 guy. But he’s a VERY GOOD DT. Remember, we only have one shot at this. The other option is to trade down (and up at the same time) into the 2nd round. There is enough talent to where we could trade out of the first round and get two 2nd round picks, both of which are significantly higher than where we are slotted to pick at the moment (right near the bottom of the 2nd).
Risky, and only certain teams are going to want to move into the bottom of the first round. It’s not the same what with the new rookie wage scale, so I’m not sure how to gauge such a move.
Back to Kawann Short – the more I watch him, the more I think he’s underrated. The guy can flat-out play, even if he’s not an SEC product.
It may not be a popular pick or thought…but Short is a player, period. If the “big 3″ DTs aren’t there and Short is …you have to consider him very strongly. Who knows? With his speed and penetration capabilities, he could very well play DE in a 3-4. Putting him next to a space-eater could be magic.
Eddie Lacy – also a tough call. I think the guy is very much for real. He’s more athletic than a pure power runner…easily so. He runs a 4.5, but lets see how the combine goes. Might be a bit faster than that. The only other issue is his nagging injury history. He’s not had a bad injury history, but he’s not been clean in this area either.
Considering the other RBs that we could nab in the 2nd or 3rd rounds, I’d probably be able to pass on Lacy in the 1st round, even as good as he is.
Barrett Jones or Kawann Short? Different story.
Pat Yastinkas
February 9th, 2013
4:22 pm
Me and my buddy DOL are really hitting it hard in the journalism department. I’m writing about the Saints new hire Rob Ryan, while floggin’ the dolphin and Ledbetter is all about Cam Newton coming back home to visit his old high school.
Wow, this is superb work!
Screen Pass
February 9th, 2013
4:50 pm
“Say that all three of them are gone and we’re left with the following choices:” – D3
Is this a “I’m way too excited about the upcoming draft” question or a “just starting a convo” question? I haven’t and won’t get too much into the draft until the Combine gets some solid numbers up to work with but from a purely “philosopy” perspective one can make some choices. A BPA or “Value” drafter will take whatever fits into those parameters…taking the 8th/ 12th best DT instead of the 1st – 3rd of an offensive position won’t really fly in most cases there. That is pure needs drafting and the people that keep supporting the defense only position might be making a big mistake in the bigger picture. I would trade back before ever thinking about the TEs, and it depends on which OL guys are available. An OG in the 1st isn’t the best value but at 30th pick that is lessoned a great bit and if certain guys are there then that trigger would need to be pulled. The ALA guys are the only guys so far I would take in the first currently but that is without giving them the full “draft crucible” yet. The UNC and Tenn guys are a no way unless they are still around the 5th/ 6th round…they looked terrible on 1st sniff.
Lacy is still a maybe, right now I would rather trade back for added value and get RB’s later on.
Screen Pass
February 9th, 2013
4:51 pm
BM check
JB Falcon
February 9th, 2013
5:44 pm
Pat Yas, you and radio are indeed prime reporters. Love the way you are able to find links to other writer’s ideas and articles and bless them Aint’s. Maybe you should upgrade a little from radio since no one reads his stuff anyway.
falcon21
February 9th, 2013
6:46 pm
Cam Newton, are you kidding me. What is up with Dol? There has to be something to write about the Falcons. Big Ray or SP called him Radio and now I cannot seriously listen to him on sports radio without laughing!
JB Falcon
February 9th, 2013
7:18 pm
21, you actually listen to DOL?
I’ve watched some of his film on Atlantafalcons.com and he sounds exactly like me in the sixth grade when I HAD to give an oral book report. Scared as hell and couldn’t read my own writing!
marko
February 9th, 2013
7:30 pm
Greetings, long day. When I with you last, I suggested that we consider letting Snelling serve as our fulltime big back. I like the idea of using Quiz as our feature back. The mans not little he just aint tall that’s all. I also suggested that we should consider drafting Oregon’s Kenjon Barner to return punts, kickoffs and to spell Quiz from time to time. I don’t think my ideas generated much enthusiasm. Nonetheless, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
D3, I was born in Montgomery, and I love all things Crimson, but though I concede that Lacy’s a great back, and easily deserving a first round selection, we have much bigger issues on the D side. Another thing to consider is the Chance Warmack factor. Chance is considered a top ten selection. how often do you see a guard drafted that high? Lacy’s good, but it’s not like he didn’t have a little help.
marko
February 9th, 2013
7:45 pm
For years we paid Brent Grimes the NFL equivalent of chump change for work above and beyond the call of duty. Last year we gave him ten million for sitting on his suddenly affluent fanny. It’s a strange world isn’t it. Anyway I don’t begrudge him a penny. Grimes, McClure and Turner have all earned respect. I wish they could stay young forever. That’s not the way it works though. Where ever they go I sincerely wish them all the very best.
falcon21
February 9th, 2013
7:51 pm
JB, I listen but now I can’t stop laughing, thanks to the Radio comment. Anyway, you sound like me, when I had to read in front of the class, I always thought I was gonna passout before I was finished.
marko
February 9th, 2013
8:06 pm
Smitty and Thomas came to town as a team. for the most part I think that they’ve always been pretty much on the same page. The main exception seems to be on the defensive line. I’m not sure They ever had a firm grasp of what they were trying to accomplish. If they did, it didn’t work out so good did it? In New England, Thomas drafted for a thirty four. I think he instinctively understands the defense better, and that he’ll do a better job of supplying warm bodies to man it. Nolan did a pretty good job with the parts he was given, but you can only hide your weaknesses for so long. We’re weak in the middle , and we’ve got to get that fixed.
falcon21
February 9th, 2013
8:07 pm
marko, I will agree with you on Turner and McClure, they deserve it but with Grimes I’m not so sure. He had one really good season but still got beat often. His great plays stand out but people forget the times he got beat and the easy int’s he dropped.
D3
February 9th, 2013
8:16 pm
marko — I actually like your Kenjon Barner suggestion. I took a look at him and like him a lot. The only problem I see is that he’s not as complimentary to Quizz and Snelling as I’d like. Really, if we didn’t have Quizz, I’d be all for it. I took a look at Jonathan Franklin today and that dude put up some serious numbers himself. I think between Joseph Randle, Stepfan Taylor, and maybe Jonathan Franklin, we can get a great back for our system.
marko
February 9th, 2013
8:20 pm
falcon21, Where did Grimes play? Shipsburg or something like that. I’ll always have a soft spot for underdogs. Did you notice that I’m not lobbying to keep him?
falcon21
February 9th, 2013
8:26 pm
marko, I was not attacking your comment in anyway, I just gave you my opinion. It’s cool. And yes I caught that.
JB Falcon
February 9th, 2013
8:34 pm
Marko, I gotta go with D3 on on Kenjon Barner . I watched his video and he just ain’t all that. S Taylor of J Randle are more of what we need.
21, I almost didn’t graduate because I didn’t give an oral report In English. I picked out the thinest book in the library which happened to be about DNA. This was 1967. I read it and tried to explain it to the class and they actually paid attention. Got an A.
I guess that’s why I participate in the cage. You guys are like family to me.
marko
February 9th, 2013
8:38 pm
D3 still out there. You’re a warrior man. I only saw Quiz as our change of pace back. I’ve come to feel that he’s tougher than I gave him credit for being. Dirk has a proven history of getting production out of smaller backs. (Drew-Jones) I also feel our kickoff And punt returns are due for an upgrade. That said, nobodies going to run very far until we manage to keep the bad guys out of our back field.
falcon21
February 9th, 2013
8:46 pm
Nobodies going to run very far until we manage to keep the bad guys out of our back field. marco. That, I agree with totally, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad.
falcon21
February 9th, 2013
8:47 pm
marko, my bad!
falcon21
February 9th, 2013
8:50 pm
JB, I never got an “A” in anything other than math or PE.
marko
February 9th, 2013
8:58 pm
D3, JB I’m not completely stubborn. 80% max, I’ll do my homework. I did that much for Big Ray, and I think he’s right about Small being under rated. The Big Ten is good for one thing, Offensive linemen, Small ate them for breakfast. Sometimes big things really do come in Small packages. Conceding that, I’ll be surprised if Dimitroff sits on his hands for 30 picks.
marko
February 9th, 2013
9:05 pm
falcon 21, trust me, Ive been called a lot worse than that. No problem. It’s been a long day, and I’m bushed. thought provoking stuff one and all. Later.
Big Ray
February 9th, 2013
11:05 pm
Marko ,
Who the devil is Small, and why am I backing him?
Big Ray
February 9th, 2013
11:08 pm
Yeah, it was me that called DOL “Radio.”
Sorry, but he is darn awful in front of the camera. The problem is, he ain’t actin’….
Big Ray
February 9th, 2013
11:10 pm
SP ,
I was all defense until I watched the SB. If the right pieces are available, we may want to go offense in the first round. I say again – Barrett Jones…will make you THINK.
However, we may go defense in the first round and then offense in the second…and possibly the third…
We shall see.
Paddy O
February 10th, 2013
12:07 am
sad to say this, but I’m hoping we draft nose tackle huge DT Rd 1; LB Rd 2; then perhaps a RB – are any of the guys you folks are scouting likely to be around in Rd 3? If not, then I’d probably draft a S in Rd 3; Rd 4 is where I’d really prefer a RB. Rd 5, LB again; Rd 6, another huge DT; Rd 7, CB depth. If we had too, we could play 2013 with Snelling, Quiz and Turner. RB is not key at all – although it would be nice to have a super fast guy to return kicks, who could also leap the pile ala Sweetness.
Screen Pass
February 10th, 2013
7:04 am
“SP ,
I was all defense until I watched the SB. If the right pieces are available, we may want to go offense in the first round. I say again – Barrett Jones…will make you THINK.
However, we may go defense in the first round and then offense in the second…and possibly the third…
We shall see.” – BR
No doubt, I agree it is a little too early to make a hard stance on anything yet. You have your head in the right place as always, where value and player quality meet need at the intersection of WHO is available will be the best answer instead of a generality. After the combine we should get a better line on the who’s, needs after FA signings. I don’t think the O-line guys I’ve seen slated for round one are all of that, the ALA guys are prolly 1st round quality in general tho. I just don’t think it is realistic Warmack falls to 30, the other 2 have a much better chance of being available. I think all 3 are good in run but sorta meh in pass protection, something to consider for sure. I liked the Steen guy best for his overall combo of run and pass blocking but I don’t know if he’s coming out or not.
marko
February 10th, 2013
7:19 am
For a playoff team, the Falcons aren’t in terrible shape cap wise. We’re pretty much cap neutral at this point. We could be a hell of a lot worse. Take the Jets…….Please. Despite the fact that we’re financially fairly stable, I can’t help but envy the Colts. a playoff team with a future super star at quarterback,and nearly 40 million in cap space to boot. Jeez I really hate those guys.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/21676714/jets-cowboys-among-many-teams-in-sticky-cap-quandaries