Weatherspoon helps Falcons fix the right side of the ball
Sean Weatherspoon will have the Falcons' defense headed up next season.
FLOWERY BRANCH — In his never-ending quest to not let you know what he’s really thinking – which just makes him an NFL general manager — Thomas Dimitroff balked at answering a question the other day.
It was a simple one: In his extreme makeover plans, on which side of the ball were the Falcons closer to completion?
Dimitroff started and stopped his answer twice, before finally saying: “I would suggest we’re a tad closer to where we want to be on offense.”
Statistics, actually, would tell you a lot closer.
The Falcons had to take outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on Thursday night.
Injuries in 2009 notwithstanding, when a team finishes 21st in total defense, 28th against the pass, 26th in sacks, 16th in interceptions and 26th in passes defensed, it’s not even a close call.
The pass rush stunk. The coverage stunk. This weekly game of bend-bend-bend-drop-to-your-knees-and-pray-you-don’t-break gets real old after a while.
Opponents had 54 pass plays of 20-plus yards last season. At some point, the question became, “How many of these guys are missing major organs?”
Weatherspoon is not a one-man Mr. Fix-it. But he’s as close as the Falcons’ could have hoped for with the 19th pick. He can play the strong side. He can play the weak side. He can rush the passer. He can hit. He can drop into coverage, an important factor in a division stuffed with athletic tight ends.
“We were in a situation where we needed to build the defense — build depth, increase versatility, eliminate the explosive plays in the passing game,” Dimitroff said after the pick. “In our mind, Sean will help us become more consistent and help us eliminate those explosive plays.”
Now it can be told. Dimitroff locked onto three players in the days leading up to the draft. All on defense. End Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech, end Brandon Graham of Michigan and Weatherspoon. (Florida center Maurkice Pouncey was in the next group.)
Morgan seemed like a long shot. But with a few surprising picks ahead of them — offensive tackle Trent Williams at four to Washington; cornerback Joe Haden at seven to Cleveland; defensive tackle Tyson Alualu at 10 to Jacksonville — Morgan tumbled down. He finally went to Tennessee at 16.
What if both he and Weatherspoon were there at 19?
“We wouldn’t have made our pick in only five minutes,” Dimitroff said. “We would’ve had a much more pointed discussion. It might’ve come down to the last minute. But we really liked Sean. In the end, we felt the linebacker spot would really help our pass defense.”
The Falcons considered dropping down and swapping picks with Denver at 22 or 25, thinking they might still be able to get Weatherspoon there. But they were worried they might lose him.
“He’s the guy we targeted,” Dimitroff said.
Dimitroff’s first draft was going to be offense-heavy, even if Matt Ryan wasn’t the choice. His original plan was to take LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey with the first choice and try to come back with Michigan quarterback Chad Henne with the Falcons’ next pick. Offensive picks would follow.
Last year was all about defense. Seven of the team’s eight selections were on that side of the ball, including the top four who will be back in 2010: defensive tackle Peria Jerry, safety William Moore, cornerback Chris Owens and defensive end Lawrence Sidbury.
This moves the defense’s makeover closer to completion. Injuries voided the rookie seasons of Jerry and Moore. Both will be back. Cornerback Dunta Robinson, a six-year starter in Houston, was signed in free agent.
Under the circumstances — which included injuries to Ryan and running back Michael Turner — it’s a wonder how the Falcons slipped to only 9-7 last season. Weatherspoon will help them move forward again.
Dimitroff was beaming after the pick. The draft is the favorite part of his job. He feels like he has been scouting players since he was 10 years old, when his father was a long-time pro scout.
“It brings me back to my roots in football, down on the field, sniffing the pits,” he said the other day, using an old scouts’ term.
Defense gets the Falcons back to the roots of football. It was a good day at work.
♦
Earlier posts
♦ Draft night (LIVE): Behind the scenes at Falcons’ HQ
♦ Draft day (Part II): Tebow top 15, Morgan to Falcons?
♦ Draft day (Part I): Falcon options; Berry rips Deion; Tebow to Vikes?
♦
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119 comments Add your comment
JSS
April 22nd, 2010
11:05 pm
And they still can’t stop or outscore the Saints!
Spooner
April 22nd, 2010
11:11 pm
Well, I guess that happened to about 30 other ball clubs…
Larvell SugarBear Blanks
April 22nd, 2010
11:12 pm
Jeff,
A little surprised Pouncey was in the second group
PlusSizeModel
April 22nd, 2010
11:15 pm
Do the Falcons not also get that Williams dude back at corner this year too? It’s potentially four impact players they didn’t have last year. Not a bad place to be. Not to mention Harry Douglas returning. 2010 is looking good for sure.
Kane337
April 22nd, 2010
11:16 pm
Brees is on the Madden cover. The Saints will have some bad luck this season. Bet on it.
Besides, nobody has repeated as champs since the Patriots did it in 03 and 04.
PlusSizeModel
April 22nd, 2010
11:17 pm
Shoot, make that five on defense: Williams, Weatherspoon, Moore, Robinson, and Jerry.
jaymin
April 22nd, 2010
11:17 pm
i can’t wait to play the Aints again. Drew Brees breaks his leg first game after the madden curse
Kane337
April 22nd, 2010
11:17 pm
PlusSizeModel – Yes the Falcons resigned Brian Williams. He will be back on the team but he is coming off of major knee surgery. Not sure if he will be the starter opposite of Dunta. Grimes and Ownes did well late in the season.
hiramsaint
April 22nd, 2010
11:18 pm
draft night and all you losers can do is talk about the saints. i’ll bet all you falcants fans are closet saint fanatics
waynester
April 22nd, 2010
11:18 pm
It’s a relief to know that we, the fanbase, aren’t clueless seeing as most of us seemed to have zeroed in on the same players as our front office. I had hoped we’d trade down too, but I’m a happy camper tonight.
jaymin
April 22nd, 2010
11:18 pm
so who do we take tomorrow?
was there a chance the falcons were considering bulaga?
Jeff Schultz
April 22nd, 2010
11:18 pm
Larvell — Me too on Pouncey. But Dimitroff told me it was close. Said he had a “handful” of players, which he defined as 3 and finally told me: Weatherspoon-Morgan-Graham.” When I said about Pouncey, he said, “He slipped right through the fingers.” So it was a close fourth. But TD also knew the Steelers were going to take him so it wasn’t even an issue.
Jeff Schultz
April 22nd, 2010
11:19 pm
Jaymin — I would think Falcons will try hard to get into 2nd round — and yes, also think OL will be a focus.
Monger
April 22nd, 2010
11:20 pm
AMAZING PICK…Weatherspoon is a FREAK of an athelete…FAST, STRONG, HARD WORKER, LEADER…AMAZING MOTOR, PLAYS SIDELINE TO SIDELINE…I am Beaming after this pick, as well….with Spoon and the signing of Dunta Robinson, as well as Peria Jerry and William Moore coming back from injurys, our defense will definately be a lot better, a lot faster, and a lot more intimidating to opposing offenses. We have some ballers all over, and Im so excited. We still have 7 more picks to build the offensive line some, get a DE, a good WR, and TE to groom after Tony G leaves. Im excited about SPOON!!!! Great player, and with a line of Spoon, Lofton, and Nicholas, our LB core is set for the next 10 years!!!
tim
April 22nd, 2010
11:21 pm
irony of ironies Tebow the QB and Moreno in the backfield at Denver..imagine that!
congrats Bay Bay, D Morgan, Tebow
April 22nd, 2010
11:21 pm
well this is what we learned tonight: how the mighty have fallen (Notre Dame and UGAY), UGAY j e a l o u s over Derrick Morgan, Bay Bay Thomas and Tim Tebow all going in the first round and lastly, someone from the UGAY football team will land in jail tonight and consequently kicked off the team Friday unless of course he is first string…have a good night everyone including the Athens Outhouse Inbreds
jaymin
April 22nd, 2010
11:22 pm
i’m hoping they draft a good TE tomorrow to groom cause tony’s gone after this year.
Also, any chance we take a DE like a Greg Hardy or Corey Wooton?
All the guys with character issues are falling especially those from Florida. ie brandon spikes and carlos dunlap
Old Dog 1
April 22nd, 2010
11:27 pm
Seems like we are building to win our division first. We gotta get the players to stop the Saints and go from there. I like the pick!!!!!
Kane337
April 22nd, 2010
11:30 pm
Tim, the Broncos also got GT’s Demaryius Thomas.
Reid Adair
April 22nd, 2010
11:30 pm
Sean Weatherspoon is a fantastic addition. The defense improved immediately. Some folks started getting excited about Derrick Morgan, but I didn’t see any way he would still be on the board at No. 19.
Welcome, Sean.
And, Jeff? Thanks for the great work tonight.
Billy O
April 22nd, 2010
11:31 pm
Hey jaymin…..I wouldn’t count Tony out after this year. He has never been in the playoffs. If we make them this year and don’t win the SB, he may just want to come back for one more chance. Just a thought……
Harmon Wages
April 22nd, 2010
11:36 pm
I cannot believe we didn’t take Bulaga,OT. I thought he would be off the board by our turn. Matt Ryan needs an OT for now and the future. I hope Weatherspoon works out,the defense needs help, I agree.
Dawgforlife
April 22nd, 2010
11:39 pm
congrats, Bay Bay Morgan….a tech fan I see congradulations on your 8th and 9th first round draft picks since the draft began in 1937. For the record, UGA has had 13 in the last 12 years..including 2 oursevles in last years draft and higher picks to boot….see you in Athens…30-24…8 of 9….60-39 all time
IceColdATLien
April 22nd, 2010
11:46 pm
TD, again, makes the appropriate pick… fits a big team need while still getting one of the “best players available” with serious upside at the same time. Couldn’t ask for more from the 19th pick!
JSS
April 22nd, 2010
11:48 pm
@Billy O…
“He has never been to the playoffs?”
Man, where are you getting your info? 1997, 2003 and 2006
SKYROCK
April 22nd, 2010
11:50 pm
I love it when the saints fans talk trash about last year and both times the game with our FALCONS could have gone either way, even as beat up as we were, we competed until the last second. I’ll take our healthy Falcons over your healthy aints any day of the week!!! Aints better hope for more Falcon injuries…. WELCOME SPOON!!!
IceColdATLien
April 22nd, 2010
11:51 pm
By the way, Tebow in top 25 is preposterous. He’s the Tyler Hansbrough of the NFL draft: great college player that won’t have a chance to break into starting role for several years… if ever. At least he’s in the AFC, so we won’t have to hear/see his ridiculous proselytizing too often anymore. He’s probably ecstatic that playing in Mile High (or whatever they call it these days) so he can be as close as possible to heaven… what a loser.
The Ghost of Norm Van Brocklin
April 22nd, 2010
11:52 pm
I’d rather have had another tight-end for the QB to use, but then, the current coach is doing better than I did back at good ol’ Fulton County Stadium.
Hey, Mr. Russian-Named GM, you did run a background check on this guy didn’t you? Checking, among other things, for (1) Pancake house mistresses; (2) Vick dog-fight rings; and, (3) College Town Bars in Georgia?
dan
April 22nd, 2010
11:54 pm
Great Pick. I knew Graham and Pierre-Thomas would be gone, so Witherspoon was a great pick. It gives us depth at LB and will help us in the passing game.
Tommy Nobis
April 22nd, 2010
11:54 pm
Takes more than just a linebacker to make a team. I should know.
Buck N. Kincaid
April 22nd, 2010
11:56 pm
Everytime I hear “Dimitroff” it reminds me of Vodka and I have to take a drink. Maybe this means I am disabled and I should get a bailout from our lovely government. Yeah.
Air Zaza
April 22nd, 2010
11:57 pm
SPOON!!!!!
Monger
April 23rd, 2010
12:01 am
Now that we’ve got Spoon and Dunta to sure up the D, I say we get a DE with one of the two 3rd round picks and a WR with the other. Then an OL with our 4th. I think that would be the best way to go. We could look at TE in the 5th, and still find a gem. I really want to get Brandon Lafell in the 3rd, Jeff, what do you think about LaFell teaming up with Roddy, Jenkins, and Harry Douglass?? I think he would be a great WR for our offensive scheme, he is big, can block well, and is a big target with great hands…I think he would be an excellent target for Ryan, am I right Jeff??
Monger
April 23rd, 2010
12:02 am
SPOON IS THE MAN!!!!!!!!! SPOOOOOOONNNNNNN!!!!!!!
AlternateReality
April 23rd, 2010
12:05 am
Hey Ghost of Norm, remember when Dan Reeves drafted a TE 2 years in a row?
Kane337
April 23rd, 2010
12:07 am
I think we are going OL with both of our 3rd round picks. If we somehow move up to the 2nd round I think they look at DE.
Navigator
April 23rd, 2010
12:08 am
Moreno must really feel strange with players in the huddle from Florida and GTech. Actually he doesn’t, because only college fans care about that stuff. When you go to the pros, it’s about winning not college allegiances. It’s too bad many of our Falcons fans don’t understand that.
Stephen
April 23rd, 2010
12:08 am
I was hoping we would get Taylor Mayes. Might as well had kept Demarrio Williams instead of letting him go. Seems like Weatherspoon is just another version of him IMO
Monger
April 23rd, 2010
12:13 am
Let’s get BRANDON LAFELL IN THE 3RD!!!! Then with our other 3rd rounder we get either a DE or OL, whichever has the better player for us…. Carlos Dunlap wont make it past the first half of the 2nd round, but if Dimitroff moves up, I really like Dunlap, but he’s not a hard worker, good character guy, so Dimitroff wont draft him. I like Greg Hardy, but he’s in the Dunlap mold, so he wont get picked either by TD. I also like Corey Wooten at DE, who TD could get in the 3rd. As far as OL, I really like John Jerry from Ole Miss- He’s Peria Jerry’s Brother, and a BEAST at 6-6 328!! The only other OL in like in the 3rd is Matt Tennant-C from Boston College, He’s the 2nd best C in the draft after Pouncey and Matt Ryan’s Former C at BC, could be a huge steal…SO my Ideal draft for tomorrow would be…
1st 3rd round pick- Brandon LaFell WR, LSU
2nd 3rd round pick- Either John Jerry, G Ole Miss or Matt Tennant, C Boston College
If the draft went like this after getting Spoon in the 1st I would be so EXCITED for 2010 to start!!!
Denver fan
April 23rd, 2010
12:13 am
The problem as I see it is that we have Moreno who can’t hold on to the ball, Tebow who can’t pass the ball, and Thomas who can’t seem to catch fourth down passes. Not a lot to be excited about.
Sean Weatherspoon - MeMiM
April 23rd, 2010
12:14 am
[...] of the inevitable for the Atlanta Falcons. Show. Weatherspoon attended Jasper High School in JasperSean Weatherspoon – Sean WeatherspoonI wrote recently that Sean Weatherspoon was beginning to feel like in the [...]
drkn78
April 23rd, 2010
12:15 am
Spoon will be a great addition to the Falcons defense and make an immediate impact. He was always around the ball during his time at Mizzou and was the leader of that D. Hopefully Willy Mo will be healthy for the 1st time in two years, and if he is, you all will have a very good playmaker at safety who can make plays on the football as well as being a solid tackler. Congrats Spoon! M-I-Z!
waynester
April 23rd, 2010
12:15 am
I don’t see how we get into round 2 without giving up a current starter or next year’s 2nd and something to sweeten the deal. NE and DEN have lots of extra picks after their 1st rd moves but they’ll make us pay bigtime…
Ghost
fear not–we can get an awesome TE in the 4th
Harmon W
we’ll get help for the O-line tomorrow, hopefully the OC from Baylor or BC
Take DE te’o Nesheim at our 3rd comp and we’re cookin’ with grease!
Monger
April 23rd, 2010
12:16 am
Edit: John Jerry is actually an OT, but he can also play G, which is something TD really likes- versatility in players!!! LETS GO!!!!!!!
Whopper Dawg
April 23rd, 2010
12:16 am
Spoon is a good, solid, maybe very good pick. That is just what TD needed to start with after last year’s disaster of a draft. Jeff, your column make your colleague look like he is covering another team. The three targeted players by TD were never selected as a pick by Ledbetter.
mark wilson
April 23rd, 2010
12:19 am
spoon is the right pick…..now take tennant,curran,shipley,moeki te,jeff owens, aj jefferson, andre roberts……..
Monger
April 23rd, 2010
12:22 am
Stephen-You are wrong about Spoon, in comparing him to Demorrio Williams. If you were to make a comparison, I think he’s closer to Derrick Johnson or Thomas Davis. A COMPLETE LB…with great sideline to sideline speed, amazing football intangibles, and he can blitz/edge rush with the best of them-shooting through gaps, and can match up well with WRs and TEs, and can lay the wood over the middle. He Bench pressed 225 lbs 34 times at the combine!!! Thats great for an Offensive Lineman or Defensive Tackle, for a 239 lb. LB that is off the charts good….so NO he is MUCH better than Demmorrio Williams…
Me
April 23rd, 2010
12:24 am
Tim Tebow 1st round pick 25. All the doggies were claiming he wouldn’t even be a second round pick. Certainly NEVER a 1st rounder. But here’s the REAL kicker…Not just 1 but 3 teams wanted him. Obviously Denver, also Buffalo was poised to take him and Minnesota was so disappionted he wasn’t there that they just passed completely on Clausen and McCoy and completely traded out of the first round. Let’s see…Florida was “finished” when Spurrier left but then even the Zooker came in and took 2 out of 3 from the Dawgs. Then Urban Meyer’s “gimmick” offense was never gonna win in the SEC but then he won 2 SEC and 2 Nat Championships. Wrong again. Then Meyer was off to his “dream job” at Notre Dame. Uh, wrong. Then recruiting was gonna get destroyed because Meyer retired for about 12 hours or so but then he went out and signed the #1 class in the nation. Uh…wrong again. And then he was just lying to all of those recruits and was gonna quit right after signing day except he happened to come back and coached thru a very productive spring……..So I just HAVE to ask…are you doggies EVER right?????
Air Zaza
April 23rd, 2010
12:28 am
Sean Weatherspoon is a beast, no offense to other guys but he’s an impact player who can win rookie DPOY and make the Pro Bowl. Without a question, he is a coup type of pick. Best defensive pick the Falcons made in years.
draft T
April 23rd, 2010
12:29 am
A terrible pick by the falcons—they didn’t need a no name OLB—plenty of more positions more important had gaps. What are they smoking in the falcons mgt offices?
Mack
April 23rd, 2010
1:14 am
Atlantafalcons.com message board sucks. If there is anything going on related to the Falcons, the site shuts down, pitiful
Lame Pick
April 23rd, 2010
1:20 am
Agreed draft T. We just spent a ton of money on big bust risk at a position of minor importance. Last time I checked the Denver Broncos gave up 3 picks to get back in the first. If Dimitroff was more worried about losing this loser “Spoon” then getting 3 low round draft picks in return then maybe the mad Russian should find a different line of work. Any way you slice it, Dimitroff either didn’t know or passed on the offer which raises more than serious questions about his abilities and mental faculties. This draft grade is an F already.
Joe
April 23rd, 2010
1:26 am
Did any UGA players get drafted in the 1st round???????? Noooooooooo lol.
gcs
April 23rd, 2010
1:32 am
Too small.
…
DZ
April 23rd, 2010
1:34 am
Air Zaza:
Thanks for the good laugh!
The Grinch
April 23rd, 2010
1:46 am
Solid pick. Well done. If we can get an offensive playmaker (McCluster would be nice) and an o-lineman on day two, I’ll be happy.
The Grinch
April 23rd, 2010
1:52 am
Y’all, with the addition of Robinson and the return of Williams, between them and Owens/Grimes we’ve got solid CB’s. The return of Moore to go with DeCoud gives us a solid safety tandem. The return of Jerry gives us an improved d-line. Spoon gives us a backer who can cover Shockey/Witten/etc. This defense will be solid. Now we need OL and a WR/RB and we’ll be in business.
GT3O
April 23rd, 2010
2:06 am
Welcome Spoon! Glad to have you at the landing!
Congrats to Bay-Bay and Morgan!
How many Dawgs went in the first round again?
kelvin davis
April 23rd, 2010
2:58 am
Ok so now we have Sean Weatherspoon, I’m excited about what him along with the other additions and the players coming back from injury will do to help our defense. Remember our defense was playing pretty solid until everyone started to get hurt. Now tomorrow lets get Wide Receiver Brandon Lafell and Center Matt Tennant. Something good is going on for us Falcon fans. Lets keep it up
Big Ray
April 23rd, 2010
3:56 am
Saints fans now have two names to worry about this coming season. Dunta Robinson and Sean Weatherspoon.
While Drew “I should be doing hair commercials for me” Brees is running away from Weatherspoon, he’ll be throwing interceptions to Robinson. The real Robinson.
Not Patrick “how did I get into the first round, oh because the Saints are idiots” Robinson.
The Saints lost Scott Fujita and passed on Sergio Kindle. Loomis is an idiot (thank God) and they’ll regret it as Gonzalez kills them in the flats.
Jen
April 23rd, 2010
4:07 am
Joe
April 23rd, 2010
1:26 am
Did any UGA players get drafted in the 1st round???????? Noooooooooo lol.
—————————————————————————————
That just means GT lost 2 great players!!!! Yessssssssssssss lol
Here’s a question for you, GT ever had a player go #1 over all?…..UGA did last year and another 1st rounder too.
LMAO, UGA beat GT with Joe Cox!!!! hahahahahahaha!!!!.
james
April 23rd, 2010
4:38 am
JSS: go jump off a cliff we were neck and neck with your team.. if losing to the bucs and barely getting past the rams is yalls idea of elite then yall can have it! good luck with the madden cover curse lol
Pluto
April 23rd, 2010
4:54 am
Missouri Football . Terror of the Land.
Guess there were no Pipe Hitters from the SEC that was in his “League”.
reubenhouston
April 23rd, 2010
6:20 am
Jealous? LOLOLOL Morgan still has cleat marks from being trampled by Ealey and King during GT’s spectacular flameout loss. Hey thanks to Bey bey for his hands of stone routine during the last drive. 30-24 motherf-cker. Eat it and die.
reubenhouston
April 23rd, 2010
6:22 am
Once again we beat your loser azz with our “inferior” players. That says volumes more about you being losers than 2 first rounders making you great. Or mayhap CPJ is an over-rated douchebag as a coach. Ya I like that, let’s go with that.
russ n
April 23rd, 2010
6:23 am
great first pick ! / keep up the good work tomorrow
DC Dirty Bird
April 23rd, 2010
6:25 am
Hey Jeff, when is the article about our 2nd and 3rd round possibilities coming out? Lame Pick, you bring up an interesting point about the possibilities of trading down to acquire more picks. Question is, would Green Bay, Cincy and NWE all have passed on him. You’d have to be 100% sure to make the deal down to 24. Risk versus reward…….
Samuel
April 23rd, 2010
7:13 am
Don’t forget falcons fans, we still have more picks. Also free agency and some possible trade bait.
Too Easy
April 23rd, 2010
7:25 am
Since uga doesn’t lose any first rounders, they should have a great chance of getting back to Shreveport
O'Neill
April 23rd, 2010
7:48 am
I watched Witherspoon play several games over the past few seasons and I believe the Falcons really got themselves a player!. In the 3rd round if they don’t move up to round 2. I they will pick up a solid D End and/or O line depth.
Gen Neyland
April 23rd, 2010
8:10 am
Many first rounders had to swing by to see Tom Shane before they landed in the Big Apple. Not Suh and Berry. Most down to earth early picks among the top draftees. BTW, Berry committed but one penalty in his 3 years playing at the college level, a pass interference flag in his Freshman year… My wife got his autograph after a Peach Filet practice in Decatur last year. Berry was the last guy off the practice field ( not counting the two guys that broke curfew and were crabbing and rolling 100 yard intervals). After he signed our Tennessee Media Guide he told my wife ‘Thank You’. Character. The guy also helped the equipment mgrs shine and clean helmets on Friday’s before some home games. Did he have to..? No, but he did. This guy is the total package both on and off the field and I’ll wager he’ll not embarrass the Chiefs, his family or himself during his pro career. Dang, to be selfish I wish we had him for another year…
Who really cares about college ball here
April 23rd, 2010
8:12 am
You UGA vs GT people are nothing short of annoying. Go do your dirt on the UGA and GT blogs, this is the Falcons blogs, numb nuts…..
Who really cares about college ball here
April 23rd, 2010
8:14 am
Why golly gosh, thanks Gen.
Falcons blog, you clown. Go North and West for the Chiefs.
Gen Neyland
April 23rd, 2010
8:22 am
Who really cares… : what you think..?
Bo Diddley
April 23rd, 2010
8:36 am
Just the other day, GT fans and UGA fans (admirably) were united in anger over some questionable reporting about GT running back Dwyer. Today, you guys are back at each other’s throats. Gotta love football in the South!!
rico43
April 23rd, 2010
8:38 am
Excuse me, can someone direct me to the NFL draft message board? I got sick of this college p***ing contest during recruiting.
PMC
April 23rd, 2010
8:55 am
yeah it would be nice to add Brandon Lafell or Carlton Mitchell if we can in the 3rd. Or Dorin Dickerson at TE and then Matt Tennant someone like that.
I think there are going to be DT’s that we can take for qualtity depth probably through the 5th.
Falkor
April 23rd, 2010
8:56 am
Last time the Falcons had 2 LB’s this good playing next to each other was Cornelius Bennett and The Hammer in 1998, how did we do that year?
Dan
April 23rd, 2010
9:01 am
Why am I bothered by taking a defender from the Big XII (not named Suh)???
magr2f
April 23rd, 2010
9:25 am
As a Mizzou fan, you guys are going to love Spoon. He’s not only a very good linebacker, he’s a hard worker, great teammate, and a good person off the field. Spoon also had a knack for coming up with timely interceptions, sacks or tackles for loss. Hope Atlanta has a great season.
magr2f
April 23rd, 2010
9:26 am
Oh and please get his name right! It’s WEATHERSPOON, not Witherspoon.
Jeff Schultz
April 23rd, 2010
9:28 am
Thanks Reid.
Jeff Schultz
April 23rd, 2010
9:29 am
Harmon Wages — Bulaga’s interesting. I’m not going to claim to be an expert but I started looking at mocks and ratings four months ago and Bulaga was ALL over the board. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on him, although I don’t know that there’s a specific knock on him.
Colorado bulldog
April 23rd, 2010
9:32 am
Falcons did good. Got who he wanted. I trust Thomas D as a evaluator of skill. In 2008 he smoked everyone with his draft getting 4 starters (maybe 5 if Biermann starts at LDE next fall). Last year was an incomplete with injuries to the the top 2 picks. I expected they walk away with some good picks in the remaining rounds.
vafalconfan
April 23rd, 2010
9:42 am
Let’s hope Weatherspoon plays as good as he talks..We left Sergio Kindle on the board. Not really understanding that one.
willdave
April 23rd, 2010
9:46 am
Hey, no need for second-guessing here. The Falcons got one of the players they had targeted for the first round and didn’t have to trade up to get him. Weatherspoon was a solid pick.
Welcome to Atlanta, Spoon.
PMC
April 23rd, 2010
10:02 am
I liked Bulaga too…. but we needed Spoon. Linebacker has been a serious issue since that disasterous year when they brought in Hurtwell. Brooking’s last few decent years got wasted inside. Now they are building around CuLO. Spoon at Will, CuLo at Mike and Peterson at Sam to start with. This is sound and scheme fit. He should help curtail the short in and out routes and hopefully wreak havoc and create some turnovers. It may well mean that they can do more with Decoud too who has proven he can time a blitz VERY well.
That 3rd round compensatory is looking great right now.
Welcome to Atlanta Spoon. Glad to have you sir. Get ready for 75,000 strong screaming SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!
Sid
April 23rd, 2010
10:06 am
I think we take two from NO this year………..! Can’t wait to see this defense healthy……!! Excellent pick, about what I expected, I look forward to seeing if we can get a position on the 2nd round and who we might get. It would be fun to know all the goings on of all the teams trying to get that 33rd pick………….including the Birds!
TheManMike
April 23rd, 2010
10:09 am
Sean Weatherspoon was a most excellent pick…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyafsfciih8
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
April 23rd, 2010
10:19 am
anybody know how many picks Kiper got right last night , I noticed he looked kind of sick a couple of times
WISE
April 23rd, 2010
10:30 am
omg this is not a UGA blog so pleas shut up…and you wonder why every other schools fan find you so annoying but anyway i think it was a good pick
Walker, Texas Ranger
April 23rd, 2010
10:33 am
Everbody left Sergio on the board.
PAPOOH
April 23rd, 2010
10:50 am
ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS THE WHOLE LEAGUE BETTER WATCH OUT NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE’RE COMING AND NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO STOP US!!!!!!!
3.Matt Tennant C/B.C Ryans’ old center from college
3.Daniel Te”O-Nesheim DE/WAS
4.Eric Decker WR/MINN
5.Tony Washington OT/Abilene Christian
5.Ed Dickson TE/ORE
6.Garrett Lindholm K/Tarleton ST
6.Earl Mitchell DT/ARZ
hopefully that’s how the rest of the draft pan out or something similar…. GOO FALCONS!!!
TheManMike
April 23rd, 2010
10:50 am
Haha, I watched the draft last night, and for some reason I did not catch that kiss by Pouncey. Found a replay of it on YouTube – You can definitely tell it was a cheek shot, just both aimed for the wrong cheek. It is funny though, I literally laughed out loud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhHZoPyJo44
PAPOOH
April 23rd, 2010
10:52 am
Who dat, YEA WHO IS THAT, THAT THE FALCONS GONNA BEAT DOWN….EVERYBODY!!
Edgar
April 23rd, 2010
10:55 am
Dimitroff got the man he wanted. I’m sure some of the coaching staff fell in love with McClain but Dimitroff is a practical man. He knows from his longtime tenure as a scout, (Don’t let his age fool you. This guy has been around awhile.), who will be at his doorstep when his pick comes up. You could tell last night when the selection was made the war room was happier for him than they were about the pick. Tonight will give us a true picture of why Mr. Blank hired him as a GM. He wants a pick in the second round so he has to put on his Trader Thomas hat to get us there. I’m glad he’s OUR General Manager.
Falconaddict
April 23rd, 2010
10:57 am
Would anyone else like to see some 3-4 looks now? Man, Lofton and Peterson inside with Spoon and Abe on the edges would have to scare a QB. Lewis and Walker at the nose, Jerry and Babs as 3-4 ends with JA in the mix (and starting until Babs gets back), Sidbury and Biermann working in at OLB and Nicholas at ILB. Could be very interesting.
ATL Observer
April 23rd, 2010
11:03 am
Good, practical pick. Weatherspoon is a helluva athlete. Kindle is OK, but falling. Only wish there was a 2nd round pick, you could probably get him there! Other than that suggestion, critics of this pick don’t seem to have much of an idea of what would have made a better pick.
ugaalum2004
April 23rd, 2010
11:05 am
Me,
Be honest, did you really think Tebow would go that high in the draft? I mean even the draft experts didn’t think that. But it makes sense in a way. Denver hasn’t had a good QB since Elway. That team is built on defense and the running game. Kyle Orton is a manager at QB and is a temporary solution. At worst, McDaniel’s figures Tebow can learn to manage the game like Orton while being a running threat and selling jerseys. Plus he can just hand the ball off to Knowshon Moreno; he makes most QB’s look good
Draft, day 2: Falcons need linemen (and 'Spoon via YouTube) | Jeff Schultz
April 23rd, 2010
11:17 am
[...] Falcons have filled one significant hole on their defense with the drafting of Sean Weatherspoon. Today, they can fill another. They don’t have a second-round pick, so to get a real impact [...]
crabapplejoe
April 23rd, 2010
11:19 am
Should have taken Bulaga at 19…can’t believe he was there. SI had him going #5 overall. He owned Morgan in the Orange Bowl.
Edgar
April 23rd, 2010
11:22 am
This gives our defense a player I believe will be a starter on opening day. I’m curious to see our next pick. The OL could use some depth but the secondary continues to be a weak point. I know the Robinson FA signing added some clout but he can’t cover the whole secondary. I know the draft is loaded this year with DBs and I know of a couple of possible “shut down” corners will be available if a trade can be made to get us a pick in the 2nd round. There is a load of talented LBs in this draft too. One more in the 6th or possibly the seventh will give us a crop of starters for at least 3 more seasons. I’m looking for a trade to be made to get us that 2nd round pick. With two picks in the 3rd and 5th rounds to work with we should see it happen.
Ryan
April 23rd, 2010
11:26 am
TRADE NORWOOD FOR A 2ND ROUND PICK!!!!
dangerousdan88.5
April 23rd, 2010
12:15 pm
The Falcons got ripped againts the Saints TWICE– just ask Troy Aikman. Brees is great but defense won the Superbowl for N.O. I like the Weatherspoon pick. I think I would’ve picked the big tackble IF our LB corp was solid, but it wasn’t. A healthy Falcons team could very well take it all.
Manny
April 23rd, 2010
1:05 pm
I would have wanted to see the Falcons trade down. We have no 2nd round pick! And what the Falcons really need isn’t a LB. We really need a DT. We need a big, bulky DT with good feet and explosive abilities. We could have traded down and picked up Terrence Cody.
He’s a huge run stopper that will plug up the holes. And he’s a 1st-to-mid 2nd round pick, too! There simply will be no good DTs in the 3rd round. And we don’t need another RB or WRs.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
April 23rd, 2010
2:06 pm
I don’t see the Falcons moving up in the draft unless they go for Carlos Dunlap….. somewhat of an attitude and risk problem with his off and on behavior. Falcons passed on a top 10 talent in Dez Bryant and I think that they will regret that. Bryant got a bad rap because he didn’t kiss up to the NCAA royalty …. he never broke any laws and was never accused of immorality by females in a bar or any thing like that. Also, he is an Academic All American. Falcons could have improved their “O” 50 % overnight by drafting him. They blew it.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
April 23rd, 2010
2:07 pm
How can we say that the Falcons had a good draft last year when their top two picks never played?
hiramsaint
April 23rd, 2010
2:29 pm
big ray — you are actually a saints fan aren’t you?
Breesus
April 23rd, 2010
4:05 pm
How are Falcons fans talking smack about the Saints? I will remind you again, since the signing of Drew Brees in 06 the Saints are 7-1 against Atlanta. You draft an outside linebacker and now you are going to sweep in 2010? What a bunch of clowns!!!!
You whine about injuries for the Falcons like they were only relegated to your team. The Saints had 10+ players go on injured reserve in 2010, look it up, and had multiple other injuries to key players that left them short handed through out the year. That didn’t stop them from going 13-0!!! The Saints showed all year long that they were the best in the NFL. Injuries are excuses, the Saints were the better team last year, DEAL WITH IT!!! As long as Breesus is wearing black and gold you better get used to looking up at N.O. from the flat of your backs!!!!
You have been weighed. You have been measured… And you most definitely have been found wanting, hahahahaha. Talk crap when you get your own Lombardi, until then, be quiet about the Saints please.
Saint Sal
April 23rd, 2010
5:54 pm
The Saints win the division easily and will be in the Super Bowl once again–they will be better in 2010 than 09–book it!
shane
April 23rd, 2010
6:48 pm
How many Dawgs went in the first round again?
None they are all coming back LOL
Brandon Lafell - MeMiM
April 24th, 2010
12:01 am
[...] a sixth, and three seventh round picks left–seems like there should have been some package that coBrandon Lafell – Damian Williams and Brandon LaFell went in the middle of the third round. With two 5th round [...]
Brandon Lafell | Ifdny
April 24th, 2010
12:05 am
[...] 200, Jr. 7.Golden Tate Notre Dame- 511195, Jr. 8.Mark Dell Michigan St.-62196, Jr. 9.Eric Decker MinBrandon Lafell – Brandon LaFell LSU-63, 209, Sr. 5.Mardy Gilyard Cincinnati- 60185, Sr. 6.Dezmon Briscoe Kansas- [...]
Brandon Lafell - Ardub
April 24th, 2010
12:06 am
[...] 200, Jr. 7.Golden Tate Notre Dame- 511195, Jr. 8.Mark Dell Michigan St.-62196, Jr. 9.Eric Decker MinBrandon Lafell – Brandon LaFell LSU-63, 209, Sr. 5.Mardy Gilyard Cincinnati- 60185, Sr. 6.Dezmon Briscoe Kansas- [...]
Brandon Lafell
April 24th, 2010
12:16 am
[...] [...]
Falcons' additions will get them back in playoffs | Jeff Schultz
April 24th, 2010
6:46 pm
[...] ♦ Weatherspoon helps Falcons fix the right side of the ball [...]
cwltank
April 25th, 2010
7:51 pm
Spon a great pick, 1st rounders start. The we have too more great picks, the OL & WR are both solid picks. I believe the receiver fro Kansas will receive alot of playing time. He has great hands and as far as his speed he is transitioning from a QB. He weighs 222, so if he drops to 210 he will be 1 second faster.
cwltank
April 25th, 2010
7:54 pm
The Falcons out played the Saints in that second game. Bad calls by officials gave theSaints the advantage. You all watched the game.
Blank says Falcons are playoff team again (and maybe more) | Jeff Schultz
July 29th, 2010
1:28 pm
[...] could be seen as a step back — says something about long sought-after stability. Offseason additions to the defense (Dunta Robinson, Sean Weatherspoon), a slimmer running back (Michael Turner) and a quarterback [...]