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
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
7:47 pm
UB,
I love TD as an administrator. He has done incredible things for the Falcons and I too trust him in an unwavering fashion. CFA Smith is dropping in market value here at TeePee Sports; I need to see a new sense of urgency from him in terms of “coaching” not administering.
Mr. McKay is not the man I want handling cap issues and the stadium deal at the same time. There is history that shows that he can not handle both. Take a good look at the cap situation that he left in Tampa. Take a good look at the bill that Tampa and Hillborough County absorbed for Raymond James Stadium. Yes, the same Ray Jay that the NFL now says “needs upgrades” to be a viable Super Bowl venue again. And it is 14 years old!!
This is the same man that is out there, quietly meeting with groups from Los Angeles, about a shift to LA. AB even admitted he has talked to the group.
So I am to trust in a man that has (and is) using the potential threat of moving my team just because our leaders do no want to invest millions in a play palace that will benefit a select few at the expense of a greater majority.
Nope…know the Tampa story too well. In Rich, I do not trust. Sorry, my brother.
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
7:48 pm
For those that are not in the know…
The “possible” strong arm tacktics of AB and the Falcons.
http://www.foxsportssouth.com/01/29/13/Report-LA-group-courted-Blank-about-Falc/landing_falcons.html?blockID=856211&feedID=4354
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
7:48 pm
Unca, glad you said it, been thinking that myself. I was afraid if I brought it up, everyone would nut up.
From what I read, we are better off than the Saints and Panthers, and at least we have a NFC South banner to who for our troubles. But we can either bite bullet or kick the can, but I am pretty sure we will sign who we want, although I think ABs is gone if we go to a 3/4. If not, we have to keep him around.
JJ
February 5th, 2013
7:51 pm
Unca’Bob,
Nothin but respect for you and your beliefs about OUR falcons. But I do not share your opptimisum (sp, fuk it) about CMS and his influence over his coordinators during games. Were all guessing on how much he injects himself during the 2nd half of every game. Hes the easy target for us and prob unfair but were fans, we blame the coach if we dont win it all\.
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
7:55 pm
Does this sound familiar?
From the Tampa Tribune….May 1, 1996.
“Supporters of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were grasping for options because their best hope – a bill allowing hotel and motel taxes in Hillsborough County to rise by four cents per dollar – was withdrawn Monday under pressure by hoteliers. That failure hit the campaign for a $168 million stadium just days after a different bill imposing a tax on rental cars was given up for dead in the Senate. “
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
7:57 pm
UB, I can not tell a lie.
No. I can not tell make the recommendations in 25 words or less. Heck, it may take me 2500 words.
Unca' Bob
February 5th, 2013
8:01 pm
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
7:47 pm
You have brought a different dog to the fight. I stated Cap issues, and have no bearing on stadium issues. That’s between all y’all Grits that live in Georgia and has no bearing to me.
Unca' Bob
February 5th, 2013
8:04 pm
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
7:57 pm
Sorry I missed it. I have NO typing skills LOL.
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
8:07 pm
UB,
I gotcha, friend. And the only reason I brought the stadium issue back to the fold is that I wanted to show that Rich McKay is the master of “incredible” deals that seem to hurt more than they help.
We will see how the cap situation plays out. Love like the brother and warrior I know you are. And nothing will ever alter that bond between the Peach State TeePee and the Palmetto State Palace….
Unca' Bob
February 5th, 2013
8:09 pm
Cage,
Have a wonderous evening, and above all, be safe. Nytol.
Unca' Bob
February 5th, 2013
8:13 pm
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
8:07 pm
Peace my Brother. Ain’t my money. lol.
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
8:15 pm
Paddy O ,
There isn’t anything to the idea of “letting” Tony G go. It’s a matter of getting past it if he actually decides to retire. The team has already said they’re pursuing him, more or less. But if he wants to go, then what are ya gonna do?
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
8:16 pm
And the two are connected. For those of us that buy those season tickets, if the PSLs come to be (and they will), a lot of people will be forced to surrender the season tickets in favor of the smaller packages or not even attending as many games as we have.
AB says he wants to sell more suites yet the Falcons consistently sell less than half the GA Dome suites right now. And in the 12 years that I have had season tickets since my AR retirement, I have never, never seen them filled. If you can not fill them now, what makes you think that you will at a higher cost to the same demographic.
It is that additional revenue that AB and the Branch are calling for to make the team “competitve”. It is that additional revenue stream that will allow us to go after and acquire the “premium FA talent”.
So yes, my friend, the two are connected..
But back to the “real” discussions….
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
8:16 pm
Good night to you and yours, my brother. God Bless.
SeminoleWarrior
February 5th, 2013
8:20 pm
Big Ray / Paddy O
While I love TG88 (especially October), it is time for the Falcons to move on. And the sooner they realize that, the better off they will be.
Is the front office still under the impression that we can win it all now? Really? With the defensive meltdowns we had in two playoff games, the inability to adjust our “schemes”, and no sense of a killer/finisher instinct, the best that the FO and CFA Smtih can do is “plead” with TG88 to come back?
OMG…..help me someone please to see this light of day. ok?
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
8:21 pm
SW, the new stadium will have about half the suites in order to bid the prices up, they realize that there is not enough demand to fill them, so they will cut the supply to drive the prices up….It will have much more club seating to generate PSL dollars.
Unca' Bob
February 5th, 2013
8:21 pm
Fate is a fickle, fill in the blank. Should I ever have the option to select some one to cover my back, rest assured, your name is fresh fresh on my lips. I’m out and mean it.
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
8:25 pm
Yea, we were on flag away from going to the Sb…..Fate is fickle, and Karma is a @@tch. Ask Jim H about pass interference.
JB Falcon
February 5th, 2013
8:32 pm
Tony G, Tony G, Tony G!!! This ain’t really me, it’s my impatience, but I do not understand why he doesen’t make his intentions known so that the Falcons can plan accordingly. He is a multi millionaire and has a multi million dollar business on the side. He is healthy as a horse, has a beautiful wife and family, and says he loves to play football and go out as a winner. Is he going to tell his grandkids “Yeah, I sniffed a chance to play in the big one but I quit.”?
I know ya’ll are discussing other things but as I try to think how everything will play out I keep coming back to this. If he cares about this team and if he wants to go out a winner, then he should be a winner and step up to the plate and prove that he is the best there ever was.
The equation is impossible to figure out if there is an unknown factor. In my day it was called “Sh!t or get off the pot.” I thought he was, or represent himself as, a team player. The longer he takes the more I am beginning to think BS!! Goodbye or Not Tony?
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
8:32 pm
SW ,
I’ll miss Tony, but growth is painful. That’s all I can really say about that. We have used him to great effect, but I fear that we simply will not grow because we favor using a crutch over actually healing the leg….because we can’t see that the leg needs to be heeled. Just me talking though.
By the way, I am down with nabbing a DT in the 1st round, but I can’t see doing that with a LB. The only LBs I’d take in the first round will be long gone by the time we make our selection, I do believe. Even then, can’t see doing it unless we’re going to shore up the interior of the DL via FA. And I don’t mean some bandaid FA, I mean a solid guy who can start.
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
8:34 pm
JB ,
Tony might be biding his time…it’s HIS life after all. He may be trying to decide would he still have that burn if he didn’t play one more season, or would he feel totally at peace with it? He probably does want to give it another go after being so close…but he might want to see how the Falcons go about shoring things up, making that next move, taking the last step.
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
8:36 pm
MB ,
I’m fine with platooning at RB, “thunder and lightning” sounds fine to me, but we gotta find the lightning, thunder is easier to get.
That said, if going for an all-around kinda guy, Stepfan Taylor is my first choice.
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
8:41 pm
Current Dome has 203 suites, (plust 4 “super suites”)….New Dome will have 120 Suites, and 10,000 club suites. I can’t get a count on current club seating,but I think it is around 2500. The is one of the primary drivers of this entire thing.
Arno
February 5th, 2013
8:43 pm
14) What changes should be made in terms of offensive scheme and / or philosophy? Speaking very broadly…
Is it a tweak or a reboot? A stupid blow to the head penalty, a wasteful injury to Abe, a muffed snap, a slip instead of a run into the end zone, a non-call for holding– if just one of these things did not happen – just one – then we would have been there. It might suggest all we need now is a tweak, and we will be there next year.
No. The fact that these little things made the Falcons come up short proves that we are operating with a tiny margin for error. Not good. Tweaks will only lead to a different set of stupid mishaps that will be our undoing in the future.
We need to be bold and prudent about personnel, made more challenging because of the finances. But the biggest area of need? And it won’t cost a thing. Coaching. The philosophy of making a statement with a lead has to REBOOT. Obviously it didn’t impress Seattle and SF. And it won’t work with Cam and Brees in the NFC South. Forget about getting that early lead. The mindset should be point production for 4 quarters, always increasing the lead. Smith’s record of wins is great, but the sluggish way we tend to close out games short-changes the potential aggressiveness of this offense. Let the guys have fun. Yes, I want to see a first rank RB to take the heat off of Ryan. But what I want to see MORE is an aggressive coaching attitude to go with it. Simply put, I want to see more smiles from our O as they do their thing the whole game long.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
February 5th, 2013
8:45 pm
While discussing cap space for our beloved birds…we probably should see how we stack up with the rest of the NFC South foes, and their cap space.
Panthers: Signing Deangelo Williams to a 43 million Dollar contract in 2011 leaves them sucking air for cap space as well *they are projected to have a little over 8 mill in cap space
Saints: Saints are up sh!t creek as well. They are over (above) the cap, 15 mill…and will be forced to make, what I think, more drastic measures (cuts) than us (Falcons) to get cap space. One of the high profile players they may have to part with, is Bushrod (among others), but, *they are projected to have 14.7 mill in cap space.
Bucs: Last, but certainly not least. Don’t know how they are generating so much cap space after going on a shopping spree before the 2012 season. *They currently have 30 million in cap space…and projected to have 31.3 million after the dust settles. If this Team can ever get it together…the world (just the NFL) will be their oyster. Think their GM is Mark Dominik? If he’s not known across the leauge…stay tuned, he will be.
The Falcons: As so many have stated on this new blog, a salary cap tsunami, with many calualties to follow, is inevitable. Our resident Meterologist SW, has forecasted this brewing storm long before others caught wind of it.
The Falcons are currently a leauge low $425,000, with a *Projected 4.9 million when everything shakes out…and I believe these numbers are with Tony G. off the books. Even with the Panthers, Saints, crippled by the cap, they still are in better shape than we are, What the? is going on?
The reason, IMO, to compare the divisions spending power, is crucial with us competing in the division. If we can’t continue to compete in our own backyard, win the division, or get a playoff birth…a SuperBowl title is definitely out the question. IMHO.
JB Falcon
February 5th, 2013
8:51 pm
BR, I’m just venting about TG. If he wants his history to match the size of his head, he needs to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Otherwise, he will go down in history as a good TE who quit.
On your side, if I was him and had his money, and his wife, I would probably already have quit.
Only thing is, it would be a lot easier to figure out our future movements if he would make up his mind. At this point I say we should go ahead and assume he is quitting and act accordingly. If he finally decides to come back? Sorry Tony, find another team. He is, after all, good for maybe another year. We should move on.
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
8:54 pm
The latest Walterfootball mock is horrible. Don’t like ANY of our picks, where they are slotted.
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
8:58 pm
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/70823/updated-2013-salary-cap-space
The impossible to tell is who can be re-structured, and how much can be saved by doing so. There are just a lot more moving parts than we can ever speculate.
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
9:01 pm
Yea BR, if we can find another J Norwood in the draft, a guy who can get outside in the later rounds. I think a lot of our running problems were our inability to even threaten the perimeter.
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
9:04 pm
I don’t know enough about the kid from Stanford to have an opinion. I saw some U tube stuff….I’ll say this, if Lattimere is there in the 4th round anywhere close, look for TD to trade some of those 7th rounders to move up He just loves those injured discounts.
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
9:06 pm
IDK, I am not too hard on TD….They man was open for the winning TD to get us to the SB….It is probably pretty hard to sleep.
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
9:07 pm
TG, not TD
Ken Strickland
February 5th, 2013
9:09 pm
After thinking about it for a while, I might be wrong about moving Clabo inside to RG. It might be a lot easier for him to utilize his size and strength inside against slower DTs than it is for him to block quicker, faster & usually more athletic DEs.
I honestly believe Clabo would be a better option at RG than any of our last 3 or 4 options. I also believe Holmes would end up being a better RT than Clabo given the snaps and time. One thing is certain, DEFs won’t be able to overload the right side of this OL and get pressure on Ryan like they did last yr.
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
9:12 pm
JB ,
I’m okay with moving on without him.
Just trying to see it from his view (but I’m neither a world-class athlete, nor a future hall of famer, and could never make millions of dollars in my profession without committing a horrendous amount of major crimes, so there ya go).
Matty Bicep
February 5th, 2013
9:15 pm
TG will make bank as a TV analysis, so the money is a even less and issue than you would think. It is about the ring, I truly believe that.
D3
February 5th, 2013
9:15 pm
JB — I know man, you make a great point. I think everyone involved wants to give Tony plenty of space and time, but how long do you need? I mean we’re going on 3 weeks, and many to most players that are retiring or returning have made their points known by now. I’m good either way, but as crazy as it sounds, I’m on the side of SW. I think it’s time to move on. Jared Cook would be a perfect substitute, and as much as we all loved Tony, he could no longer exactly stretch the field. Hell, I can’t even believe we can afford him at this juncture.
BR — Good points on Gonzo. Honestly, I think his decision will affect what they do, or maybe it won’t, trying to guess what TD will do is like trying to guess which sAINT fan is the worst, it’s impossible. I was pretty taken aback at the dire situation we’re in with the cap. I’m sure TD will get it worked out, but I’m thinking cutting Turner, Babs, Abe, Jerry, and Mike Johnson at a minimum. Hate to lose abe, but saving 6 million on him in a year we really need it will just have to happen. We may can get away with cutting only Turner, Babs, and Jerry, but you’re talking no Grimes, no free agents, and will struggle to get Gonzo back (if he wants to) and re-up our own FA’s we want to keep (Moore, Baker, Owens, Sidbury).
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
9:17 pm
MB ,
No doubt. Our best runs to the outside involved end-arounds with Julio. Those got sniffed out a little too often.
I hope TD is done gambling with the injury discount folks. I really like the guy, but the Peria Jerry pick is STILL haunting us. We should be talking about adding a complement, not finding a first rate guy. Our best DT…arguably…was a guy most of us thought TD shouldn’t have snagged as early as the 3rd round…
Stepfan Taylor has some serious skills. That said, I do understand your preference for proven NFL production. I’d take Taylor if he’s available at the right spot. Might even move up to get him if it doesn’t cost too much. I think it’s important because the cap situation likely makes it difficult for us to pick up anybody of note without trading a draft pick for them.
7th rounder for Ivory? I’d probably be okay with that. But I’d want Turner out of here first. For all that, let Snelling go too. Keep Bradie Ewing and Mike Cox at FB, I reckon. That eliminates this perceived need to keep Snelling around as a possible backup FB who can play RB as well.
D3
February 5th, 2013
9:19 pm
It might suggest all we need now is a tweak, and we will be there next year.
No. The fact that these little things made the Falcons come up short proves that we are operating with a tiny margin for error. Not good. Tweaks will only lead to a different set of stupid mishaps that will be our undoing in the future. — Arno
Superb point! I think we can probably tweak a little more on offense, but defense needs a full-scale implosion, save the secondary. SF was able to go down 17 points ON THE ROAD and find a way to come back and win. Meanwhile, we’re up 17 at home and find a way to lose.
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
9:19 pm
The cap issues make the draft that much more important. Have to make some very good picks this year.
It also highlights the coaching/development situation as well.
Must draft good players, then must coach/develop them well in order to get early contributions and immediate impact (though obviously not out of all of them right away).
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
9:24 pm
D3 ,
Yeah. It’s not an easy thing. Gonzo has been quite productive. But this past season proved we have issues that need to be dealt with and another year of Gonzo simply won’t fix that. We may endure some painful adjustment to the offense early on in the season as well, and we won’t likely recall this part of the conversation while it’s happening either, LOL.
But it has to happen. I’d roll with Coffman/Palmer at TE…probably won’t have the money to sign Jared Cook, and I don’t think the Falcons are even thinking about that anyway.
I agree with all the cuts you mentioned.
Mike Johnson has been a huge disappointment to me. Came from a dominant ground game in the SEC, ends up being a crappy ass RT for us. I mean, yuck. First, what’s he doing at RT, second…why does he seem so useless? Can’t figure it out, but a new OL coach didn’t change anything, so out he should go…
PhillipKeith Manley needs to get a serious look. Very serious.
Big Ray
February 5th, 2013
9:30 pm
Blog Monster.
Must have wanted a late snack…
D3
February 5th, 2013
9:35 pm
SOMEBODY — It’s a trip man. I sat down today and plugged in all of the numbers that DOL provided and 7 players (Ryan, Roddy, Dunta, Turner, Abe, Blalock, Clabo) make up roughly 50% of our cap. Maybe that’s similar to other teams, but it’s hard to believe. We also have over 6 mill in dead money, mainly 4.65 from Ray Edward’s sorry @ss. That’s a lot of money in an already cash-strapped off-season.
The bad thing is, there’s only a handful of players that makes sense cutting, which include Turner, Babs, Abe, Jerry, and a few others. Biermann’s making starter money, so he should be starting @ OLB permanently in 2013 or be cut.
The most popular choices for cutting: DRob, Clabo, Nicholas, etc. we would have to eat millions just to cut them. It just wouldn’t make financial sense to cut some of these guys because you’re spending a ton of money “just to let them go” and then you create yet another hole. The ones I mentioned above, the savings would off-set the money we still owe them (Turner – 2.5m, save 6.4m; Abe – 1.5m, save almost 5m; Jerry – 1m, save 1 mill; Babs owe him 0; save 5 mill).
It’s crazy. And there’s so much disinformation out there that it’s impossible to understand what’s true and what’s not.
If I were to bet, I think that Arno’s theory wasn’t very far off. TD knew he had a lot vets nearing the end and geared it up as good as he could for one last stretch run before he had to do major changes. If you think about it, we really haven’t had any big cap casualties the way other teams have in years. Jamaal Anderson and Michael Jenkins are really the only ones I can remember.
Time to pay the piper!
JB Falcon
February 5th, 2013
9:39 pm
BR. you made that sandwich too tempting for the BM.
D3
February 5th, 2013
9:39 pm
BR — Post is out. This is what I was saying to SW earlier. Right now is when we really get screwed by Smitty’s WPP. All these vets are likely to come off our roster (Abe, Babs, Turner, McClure, Gonzo) and who the hell do we have waiting, ready to go?
By the way, do some of you now think TD may have known what he was doing with Lofton Imagine if we had another 5-6 mill to account for, for an LB that’s not that money’s worth better than what Dent offers
D3
February 5th, 2013
9:49 pm
Big Ray — Ultimately, I think you’re right, but I think we could get him on some type of 5 year deal worth around $25 mill or so. I mean, the league’s very best TE’s make around $7 million a year and he’s surely not among the league’s elite, but rather has potential. He’s about the only free agent I would care about. I think a Palmer / Coffman combo probably could be OK, especially if Coffman finds his Mizzou college form and we add a dynamic RB in the draft, but I really think that Cook could take our game to the next level and if we cut like I think we will / should, we could fit him in.
JB Falcon
February 5th, 2013
9:50 pm
D3, 9:35. Don’t be surprised if TD & Co finally use that potential I mentioned earlier. We’re loaded with potential, when if not used, is wasted money. I don’t see anyone in our organization, who got to where they are, by being wasteful. We have some bills to pay but I’m we didn’t know that when we F’ed up earlier.
Time for the potential to produce!
D3
February 5th, 2013
10:54 pm
Last one for the night, but by may VERY amateur calculations from above, the following would clear us almost $20 million in cap space………
Turner – save $6.4 mill
Abe – save $6.75 mill
Babs – save $5.2 mill
Jerry – save $1 mill
Franks – save $682k
And evidently TD found some loophole that whereby we cut Kerry Meier and Shann Schillinger and they cleared waivers, he was somehow able to put them on injured reserve or some mess.
Goodbye both;
Meier – $606k
Schillinger – $616k
It will be tough losing Abe and Babs especially, but this year was the year to justify keeping this defense as a unit (and arguably its biggest leaders) together and they were weak on the DL and were awful in the playoffs.
Having this space would allow us to keep our own FA’s (Baker, Moore, Owens, Sidbury (must keep if letting Abe go)), maybe go for a few bargains in FA, sign our own draft picks, and maybe even squeeze Gonzo back in, even though I think that ship has sailed too.
This would smooth our transition to a 3-4, force our young guys into action (sorry Smitty, you’re control is gone), and force us to go almost exclusively defensive front 7 in the draft (save an RB), and get this defense right once and for all.
And for any of you still holding out hope on a Grimes return, faghedaboutit! Unless you want to cut DRob, waste 4 million to save 5 million and try to get a player coming off a foot injury at CB to replace a solid, maybe not All-Pro, CB. Sorry, not worth the risk, IMO. Was our secondary the main issue anyway?
Finally, as Unca’ Bob says………Nytol!
D3
February 5th, 2013
10:59 pm
Really gone, but thought this was interesting……..
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/05/saints-will-interview-grantham-then-ryan/
Us UGA fans better hope it’s not Grantham because we’ll be headed back to mediocrity pretty darn quick. Either would be a good pick, to be honest.
leeroyo
February 5th, 2013
11:01 pm
Just saying, that NFC championship game midway thru the second quarter when the camera showed our bench, we didn’t have enough oxygen mask to go around to everybody that need one. make whatever changes you wont, just make sure they are in football shape and teaching them how to tackle wouldn’t hurt either
Dan
February 6th, 2013
12:18 am
TE Go with Titans Jared Cook 6/5 248pds 25yrs of age or draft Tyler Eifert,
At Guard go with Free Agent Louis Vasquez 6-5 335pds from the Chargers 25yrs of age or draft either Larry Warford Guard KY 6-3 333pds
RB draft LeVeon Bell Michigan State 6-2 weithg 238pds