Falcons’ question No. 1: Should Michael Turner be kept? (UPDATED)

First

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I am a big fan of Turner but I just don’t think he has gotten it done lately. He seems to have no push until he gets past the line. That is the only time he can run anybody over. As soon as he hits the line he just falls. I say go for the younger and faster Rodgers and Snelling combo. Snelling does nothing but produce.

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Roster management is the key. Looking at New England, New Orleans and the Packers, you see very little weaknesses. The Falcons have to many.Appears they didn’t trust Mark Richt. If you’re gonna mortgage the farm, they should of taken AJ.

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Wrong question #1. It should be should we keep Jeff Shultz. Answer: no. Trade him for a dog and let #7 hang the dog.

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Turner runs better once he gathers a good start…the screen would be great for him and he might burst for longer runs.

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JB: What? Can’t you comment on the Falcons without taking shots at UGA. Wow! Get a life.

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turner gets his yards against crap teams that give up. against average and playoff teams, he stinks. so how is that any good? any one of our rbs could have had major yards against jax and tb.

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@ Trojan. Where is JB’s comment do you see a blow to UGA? Way to jump to conclusions.

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Keep Turner. Fix the offensive line and get Ovie back in the lineup. TD should try to find a speed back (not Rogers) who can take at least. a third of the snaps. With the proper rest, Turner still has plenty in the tank.

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I think the run game is only as good as the blocking the line is giving
him,I say keep him get a good center,top natch guard i think will syvatec can get by one more year with alittle help at times and see what they all can do(new oc,ryan ,turner).I really believe our game had become stagnant with mm calling plays

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See ya, MT. The screen pass, nor any other pass to the RB, is an option the opposing defense has to worry about when MT is in the game. I would think this makes our offense much easier to defend.

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You need a bigger, fatter OL regardless. 5M is a good deal, but if you still plan to be run-first, you’re better off finding two more RBs (free agency and the draft) because Turner wears down and had proven that he can’t be counted on in January.

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JC. Agreed. When Turner is in the game the Defense never has to worry about him catching a pass. It is definitely a rare occurrence.

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Rather than pay MT 5 million – Let’s just grab TJ Duckett for the league minimum. Same running back, really.

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I think this is an easy decision: let Turner go. He is getting old, has lost a step and injuries are beginning to creep in. He has never been an effective receiver or pass blocker. Divide the touches between Snelling and Rodgers (both are better than turner catching the ball). Draft a running back late in the draft to compete for a job…

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I have been a proponent of packaging Roddy White and Michael Turner for years now. My exact comments in last year’s offseason was to sign Snelling and then trade Turner. Snelling is much more of a threat coming out of the backfield on screens, flares, or circle routes. Turner does not always fall forward and rarely makes the first tackler miss. And while yes….Turner rushed for over 1300 yards, remember; Turner has not gotten that production…the O-line’s run-blocking against weaker opponents got that production. He was completely incapabable of breaking out against defenses without LARGE holes being opened up. He has no maneuverability and does not break tackles. Snelling, behind the same line for a full season would have a more productive season in the pass game and run game.

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He had his run and now it’s time for him to go. The Falcons still need a big back but it would be better if they had one in the 220-225 lb range. Someone who can get to the line quicker and make cuts when needed.

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MIghtyQuinn – That’s the best post on here! I completely agree, don’t dump him just to dump him let’s recoup some draft picks via trade. I trust Snelling alot more than I do Turner at this juncture. Hopefully the new OC will get Quizz his touches. Go Falcons!!

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and Harry Douglas to me seems a bigger threat than Mr. “let me get no seperation from the defender before the ball is thrown and therefore get no YAC” White.

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That’s a tough one Schultzie- I say trade him for a 3rd and 5th round picks. Use the money saved towards repairing the Falcons Offensive line. Use one of your picks in the draft on a RB and go to a committee of running backs in Rodgers, Snelling, Smith, and the guy you drafted. We all know they are a dime a dozen otherwise Matt Forte would be a lot richer right now. But solid offensive line players are not as common.

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If you package the Turner and White in a trade, you could really scoop up some picks from a team desperate for help.

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You get rid of him only if you want to do the same thing the Falcons did the year after they went to the Super Bowl. That year the Falcons cut Cornelius Bennett, their leading tackler, allowed Chuck Smith, their best pass rusher, to go to tha Panthers, and lost Jamal Anderson, who after holding out during camp, blew out a knee. I still can’t believe a veteran like Eugene Robinson was out, on the eve of the SB, at the best little w….h….in New Orleans.

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I think Turner has it figured out. Avoid contact by falling down at the line of scrimmage whenever possible. (prolongs the career)

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@ Jfreak13713……

Couldn’t agree more….other than some of those you’d be willing to swap him for.

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Turner is a tip toe running softy, get rid of him.. he shows up in meaningless games and is meaningless in the big ones.

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Jarrett I’m no football guru but if the RB has to run over people starting at the line of scrimmage then the offensive line is probably more of the problem than the RB. 5 million dollars is not exactly an outlandish amount of money to pay a guy who has put up the numbers Michael Turner has over the last 3 or 4 years. If this O-line can be as physical as it has been in the past Turner can still get the job done. I love having Julio Jones but how in the hell you get this guy and don’t even have your O-line solidified is the mistake of an inexperienced, impatient GM IMO.Turner produces for his paycheck now the problem lies in these high priced free agents that think in their minds they are very good but actually are very average. I don’t want to mention any names Dunta Robinson but these guys know who they are Ray Edwards. The way things are looking right now the Michael Turners and the Tony Gonzalezs and the John Abrahams are not gonna be around if and when this team finally makes significant forward progress in the playoffs. Heck if Smitty comes out next season looking crazy and studdering his way thru the season like he did this one a new Head Coach will be the next order of the day. So who knows anymore with this team. The Falcons are like that pretty girl in school who asks you for your number then never calls….a tease. By the time she comes around and is ready to produce there is a new pretty girl in town and her name rhymes with Pam Hewton.

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hey bob, that back was not from ole piss, Jerious Norwood MISS STATE

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If we can turn him into a first round pick somehow then let him go. We might be able to get an impact player for the o or d-line with the pick. Cut losses early rather than late.

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lanier — I’ve heard worse, seriously.

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30 year old RB’s dont get turned into 1st round picks. 3rd at best.

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He isn’t going to garner a 1st rounder. He isn’t “scared of contact”. The poster that said that is completely delusional. He runs into the pile because backs are taught to get low and get what they can in a pile. It isn’t Madden football. Turner doesn’t move as well as he used to, but check out his YPC, and his runs over 20+ compared to the rest of the backs in the league. Are you sure we can get the same production with a 5th rounder like some are saying? Are you willing to make that gamble instead of paying a pretty average NFL salary? The grass isn’t always greener. He’s got one year left. Why take the risk?

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I believe this was Turner’s last season as a Falcon, though I am not sure what the cap impact of cutting him will be. Snelling, Rodgers, and a back to be named later would be fine. I like Turner, but the carries have really slowed him down the past couple of years. I also think we have to look into trading Roddy White. He had way too many critical dropped passes last season, but his value is still way up as a playmaker. I am sure I am in the minority here, but I think we can find a suitable replacement for White, and we may even have the person on the roster already. Obviously, the fans don’t know what Dirk Diggler is going to see when he watches film. He may think Roddy and Turner are both too importent to let go of.

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Its about time someone suggested this. Turner may have been the 3rd leading rusher in the NFL this year, but I swear I’ve never seen a guy stuffed repeatedly for no gain or a loss, especially when a drive is on the line. Snelling is just as effective, a better blocker, gives way more effort, and costs substantially less. Schultz is on the money with this.

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Let’s see now. Must be the flavor of the day. We needed OL / DL / Secondary earlier this week, and now we’re needing RB. Last Week it was the OC / DC. According to what I’m seeing, how did the Falcons win any games? Turner, or no Turner, And let’s see. What is GB and NO doing today? I think we compare to them okay today…. Nothin from Nothin leaves nothin. Fix the lines. Coaches are good to me. I approved this message.

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I think it depends on Koetter’s system. Snelling has proven he can handle a lot of carries. Rogers needs more carries. And, if Koetter really does plan to use screens more, then Snelling and Rogers will be better at that than Turner will.

I like Turner. He’s a good guy, hard worker, talented player. But, if sacrificing him would help upgrade the O-line, then maybe that’s the way to go.

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mike turner doesn’t run north and south. he thinks he’s a scatback. he’s out of shape.if he loses weight and rededicate himself to winning, maybe.if he carried the ball 20 or more one game, the next game he’s out of it because he’s never got in shape.

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Let DK make the decision…But as for me I would love a younger ,faster, mobile runner like Richardson.
Trade White!

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I see no reason to keep Turner.
The birds will be fine without him.
I respect what the guy has done in the ATL , however how many carries = no gain, 1 yard gain, 1 yard loss??
The Falcons need to get more explosive at the position. Quizz is not a every down back yet.
It’d be very nice to see Matt Forte wearing a Falcons jersey next year!!!

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I see no reason to keep Turner.
The birds will be fine without him.
I respect what the guy has done in the ATL , however how many carries = no gain, 1 yard gain, 1 yard loss??
The Falcons need to get more explosive at the position. Quizz is not a every down back yet.
It’d be very nice to see Matt Forte wearing a Falcons jersey next year!!!

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75 I see no reason to post three time

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I say cut Turner. Way too many times, he’s been stopped either for no gain or for a loss. He’s too freaking big and we’re too dependent on the run for that to happen. You look at other running backs in the league and you see a bunch of them who run with anger, run with the mentality that no one is going to deny them That ain’t there with Turner. He takes the handoff, tiptoes to the line, and unless there’s a gaping hole, he’s stuffed. He’s padded his numbers against the scrubs of the league, but when he’s needed to help “balance” our attack, he’s AWOL. Cut him, sign someone who’s wants to inflict some pain on anyone who tries to tackle them.

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The main question is this:

Can he catch the ball out of the backfield? IF the answer to that is no, then we need to get another back or use Snell & Quizz more. I say this because when Turner’s in the game that’s one less thing the defense has to worry about making them more aggressive. I don’t know if it was Mularkey NOT WANTING to throw the ball to him or if it is that Turner can’t catch or if our OL can’t block in space for screens. If the answer is he can’t catch the ball then we have to get a 3 down back imho. Productivity isn’t a question for him…it’s is he productive against good teams? Again is that a function of the OL or of Turner? The coaches will have to make that determination.

Another question to ask is…if we aren’t going to have a “power based” running attack, do we need to keep Ovie when Snelling can fill the dual-purpose back for far less money?

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two*

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Forte, Lynch, and Hillis are all free agents so there’s three.

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I would have named Ray Rice and Foster but I doubt they leave their respective teams as both are playoff contenders.

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If Ovie is coming back at full strength then we can survive with a Snelling and Quizz comittee.

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IMO if the falcons roll with quiz and snelling at RB next season, we won’t have to trade up to get montee ball well be picking in the top ten

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Michael Turner occupies TWO rooster spots: his spot and Ovie Mughelli’s spot. Let him go; cut him; trade him; do anything to get him off the rooster. With him goes Ovie Mughelli.

The Falcons don’t need either of these two dinosaurs. So Michael Turner’s departure means two roster spots are freed up for more cap money to have better players at running back and elsewhere.

We have not won any big games with him and his blocking assistant, and in the big games his yardage is almost always less than 50 yards total. Do you really want the same offense as last year which FAILED? Why would you want to keep a running back who requires an assistant to run ahead of him every time he runs the ball. The Falcons need running backs who can score touchdowns not those that block.

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Boy, just came back from a meeting and see I was attacked for Attacking Richt and UGA. I believe my comment was a compliment…… Thanks Jarrett for watching my back…..Geez.

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I think we need to look at the overall effect of a running back like Turner. True, his primary job is running the ball, but he is also involved in protecting Ryan by pass blocking. He is pretty good at doing that. I don’t know that Rogers would be as good if he was our featured back. If Snelling was that good, they would have already traded Turner for someone else. He has filled in well for Turner when he was hurt, but they did not leave him as the starter when Turner was healthy again.

I just don’t want to get back to the era like when we had Warrick Dunn as our featured back. He was a decent runner but his pass blocking consisted of diving at the feet of the blitzing linebackers and safeties. Brian Urlacher jump over him once and almost knocked the number off of Vick on a blitz. We have to look at the overall effect of having someone Turner’s size, speed and running ability.

Whatever we do, we have to shore up the offensive line to protect the quarterback, replace Peria Jerry on the defensive line and come up with some serious schemes for the secondary. If managment believes that Burner’s salary is keeping us from getting good people on the line, they have to make the call. Just let’s not be shortsighted.

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AlpharettaGuy…..Agree about the OL. And it’s true with UGA….If Murray had a OL and a running game, He would be unreal.

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Actually, Arthur, just make Smitty your greeter in the falcons sweet(you are going to can him next season anyway), tell his offensive coach hire it was a big mistake and hire some real coaches

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Me Too……………Probably right.

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Speaking of Ovie, isn’t he the highest-paid FB in the league by far? Good guy, good player, but is that the best use of dollars? Just asking.

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GTT it is the worst use of dollars.

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I just remember Smith in preseason & he had energy & moves. Sometimes a guy just needs a shot. Antone, you hear me? Work hard, son, your time is coming…
Put Smith w/ a vet & throw Snelling in the mix & you have a nice RB committee, which is a better approach than the feature back.

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Sign Carl Nicks to play right guard and watch how the running game changes. Regardless of who carries the ball it will be better.

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Watch the New Orleans backs and how hard (and quickly) they hit the hole. Then watching Turner (aka “The Dancing Bear”). Nuff said.

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@ Me Too. We didn’t always run with Ovie on the field. He usually has 1 or 2 TD’s because we would pass to him at the goal line. I think he is a great fullback who has done nothing but good things for us. The Fullback never gets enough credit they deserve.

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4 receiver sets tells the defense you are throwing the ball. Just because everyone knows what you plan to do does not mean you can’t get it done with the right personnel.

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I believe that we should trade MT. The draft picks are needed and we can attempt to patch up the O-line. I think that MT would be a great pick up for the Jets.. Rex Ryan would like his running style and Shone Greene gets injured too often.

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I hear ya. I wish he was the next coming of Barry Sanders but I doubt he’ll get the shot with us. He would still be the 3rd string if Turner is gone.

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MT has lost his burst. Tries to juke at the line instead of taking his 3. Still is effective, but they need to renegotiate his deal due to his reduced role.

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The problem has been that the OC incrementally moves to the pass as the year proceeds. That gets worse in the playoffs. There are no screens to take some of the heat off Turner and the line. Nothing to slow down the rush. Then there is the question of the quality and toughness of the O line.
Turner is actually pretty quick to the hole when there is one. That’s why he gets his share of medium to long gains. The idea that we will win with Ryan’s arm is an odd assessment from what should be professionals. Sitting at home the difference between him, Brees, Stafford and Rogers is clear.

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If they would mix a few screens in we wouldn’t be talking about this. It’s the entire reason for so many tackles for losses. Screens will stop the bull rushes, take pressure of the O line, and allow them to create better running lanes. Turner is still quick to the hole when there is one.

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It depends on who you replace him with. Snelling is not a starter, he is a decent back up with good hands and plays hard. Does not have the footwork or burst of speed.

Rodgers is the real question, because he has shown real potential in every phase.

Keep Turner, for one year, reduce his carries, include Rodgers and Snelling, and assume the new passing scheme will help everybody.

But above all else – focus on the line(s).

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It’s hard to average a lot of yard per carry when the other team’s d line is in the backfield off the snap. Not sure its MT’s fault. Seems to be he has not seen much blocking to his benefit. His yard have been his effort.
There have been games when the line play was awful.

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Turner is sssslllllllooooooooowwwwwww!!!!!!
Let him go. Get another back that is younger and quicker.

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Mike doesn’t fumble and when you give him a hole he is very productive. Fix the O-line and you increase productivity in the running and passing game. Problem solved, next discussion???

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lacks mobility, can’t make the corner, over weight….let him go now.

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I would dump him. I appreciate what he’s done for ATL but he is, to me, visibly slowing down and we have too many other needs. Honestly, I’m fine with RB by committee. Spread it around, I think Snelling is very versatile and am looking forward to the screen game coming to ATL! I know none of these guys are Roger Craig but there’s so many possilibities unexplored by Mularkey. Still don’t know whether that we by his choice of Smitty’s.

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He goes down SO EASILY for a guy of his size; the first guy to put a pinkie below his knee gets the tackle.

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There it goes again. Matt Ryan is not the problem. You people drive me crazy.

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A few things,

At $5 million he’s worth it. Rodgers isn’t going to be an elite RB in the NFL. He will become a weapon on screen passes. Snelling didn’t impress me last year. We need to look for a young RB possibly in the 2nd or 3rd round that will be able to replace Turner in a couple of years. We have other needs beside a RB. Did you watch our OL or DL?

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No…..I know someone will show me the stats but the fact is that Atlanta needs a featured RB with speed and agility (i.e. New Orleans). He is slow but powerful runner. At the very least Atlanta needs to compliment his power with lateral speed on the corners.

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Michael Turner is slow getting to the line. Add to it that he sets up very deep and you make linemen have to hold blocks longer than sometimes is possible.

To his credit Turner gets a lot of yards but I wonder what someone like Peterson would have done in the same situation.

To answer the question, I would not mind having Turner back in a lesser role and for less money. That said, assuming he would not take less money, it might be time to let him go and find someone cheaper who can add to the “running back by committee” that you suggest the Falcons may be headed towards.

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Bosher is fine, he got progressively better as the year went on. I never saw a bigger back who tip toed to the line and went down so easily. Would be great if we could pry some picks away from another team. I’m fine with trading Roddy, too. He’s a head case again now that Julio is here. Give Harry a bigger role!

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Okay Jeff, if you are reading what I am reading you have your answer. I’ll go a step further and say if they keep him (Turner) they are nuts. He kills us in crunch time!

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I agree with everyone saying the o-line bears alot of the responsibility for the lack of run production. That’s obvious. O-line has to improve. They probably will give Turner 1 more year but I say now is the time to try and trade him before his decline is more obvious and we get nothing for him. NE never holds on to their players too long. I feel very comfortable with Rodgers and Snelling and Ovie will be back (sorely missed him!). They probably would never trade Roddy, but they should seriously look at that, too. We could get alot for him now as well. We have depth at receiver although I say dump Kerry Meier and Weems. Should’ve kept Finn around. I’m still bitter about that. But the Falcons never do drastic stuff like these roster moves. It’s always same old, same old.

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Lets be clear. He would have 1000 yards, Vick would have 1000 yards, and we would be 6-10.

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Too Tough. That running back Koetter had in Jacksonville had 1600 yards and no passing game.

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Why is everyone tap dancing around the main achilles heel?

Can win with a CHOKE

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If we are planning to run more screens, then letting Turner go would make sense, wouldn’t it? After all, he’s already shown he has problems catching passes when they are thrown to him. Jaquizz Rodgers would be the prime back in Koetter’s offensive scheme one would think.

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Flacco is still in the playoffs

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Keep Turner one more year.

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I think Snelling could give you Turner type numbers. Move Turner and let Snelling & Rodgers carry the rock.

The problems is really at DE and DB on defense. And it goes hand in hand too. When Abraham & others don’t get pressure on Brees,A.Rodgers,whomever at QB then they get burned by the pass. To make matters worse you’ve got Dunta & others about 10 yards off the receivers. Its a recipe for disaster and the results show it !

I think Matt Ryan is a problem too. He misfires on routes too many times. The receiver runs an out and he throws a crossing pattern. And he also panics when flushed out of the pocket. His throws are not on the money consistently like Brees,E.Manning,Rodgers,etc. He should be progressing after 5 years in the league but he hasn’t.

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His YPC this season inflated by a few long runs, especially that big one in the last game. He certainly seemed to have many more runs this season than in previous years that resulted less than nothing, nothing, or very little. Much of that is due to subpar line play, to be sure, but he seems to have taken the first steps into the land of the washed up.

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My personnal opinion. I use to like turner when he first came here. He ran harder and hit the hole harder. It seems like the last couple of seasons Turner has been running the ball as if he is scared to get hit or hit somebody. Turner is 240 plus pounds and I have never seen him try to run somebody. I have seen Rogers try and he is the smallest guy on the field. I am no longer a fan of turner. He is to stiff, slow and he needs to loose about 15 to 20 pounds to be effective again. I think a slimmer turner would be better suited for the team and him. I would rather see snelling get a shot at the starting tailback position for a lot less money. I also think that we need to persue a tightend. A more atheletic tightend. I like gonzalez but he is also stiff and slow. If Green Bay decides to release or cut their tie with Jermichael Finely I would love to have him on our team

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Falcons’ question No. 1: Should Matt Ryan be kept?

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I like Turner, but we need a more mult-dimensial back like a Marshawn Lynch type. Too easy to identify what the Falcons will do when Turner is in the game. Snelling does nothing but produce when given the opportunity. We need to sacrifice Turner for the money to upgrade the D-line and O-Line. Use Snelling, Rodgers, Smith and draft pick or free agent to make up the carries. If you have a good O-line any NFL back of any substance can make yardage. We need a huge upgrade at DT to push the pocket.

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I think that Turner leaves yards on the field, so to speak. He can’t make anyone miss and can’t change directions. He’s like a steering a battleship. I would rather see Snelling get more carries. He’s as big and is shiftier than Turner and a better receiver. As a Northern Illinois grad, I love Turner, but I think we could get more yards out of another back.

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Turner loves running up the backs of his OL or so it seems. The few times he runs outside he gets 20 yards…

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Not even a question on Ryan. You see how hard it is to find a quarterback in this league, you get someone you can win with, you keep him even if he isnt the best in the league. Does not mean you can’t draft his replacement in a year, but no way you dump him and start over without a high first round pick to work with. This team needs tweaks people. A couple 4th down conversions this year and its a totally different season. You dont blow up the whole team for a couple failed conversions. The changes made to staff and the subsequent scheme changes should move us forward, of course with some personnel changes but not wholesale.

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I hope that I am not duplicating anyone, but I would not shed a tear if Turner left. Yes, the man can boost his stats when it doesn’t count, but if you need 6 inches for a first, he acts as if he has never seen a football! He showed us this “ut-oh, which way should I go now” move 4 times this year in critical situations and failed miserably each time. That is not what a $5mil RB does. I’ll take the cap space and take my chances…

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Cam Newton in one year is a better qb than Matt Ryan. Sad.

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I like Turner, but I would definitely consider loosing him in order to save money and put it towards the o-line.

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Dang, the DA Barners are invading us

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I remember when Turner went down a few years back and Snelling had like 175 yards and 2 tds in his first start !

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You can get by without a workhorse running back if you have an elite passing game. If the Falcons intend to transition to being a completely pass-first team, it probably makes sense to cut Turner and build the running game around Rodgers and Snelling, who are better receivers. But I’m not entirely convinced they can pull that off, especially since they struggled this year when they threw the ball more. Transitioning to pass-first would be a pretty dramatic change from the ball-control, time of possession team they have been throughout Mike Smith’s tenure.

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Wait a minute… I’ve read some of these comments and if you think anyone could have done a better job as running back to get a 1st and one up the middle with 1200 lbs of muscle saying no, you can’t blame a Brahma Bull like Turner.You blame the play call or the offensive line.

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“Does anyone think Alex Smith is more talented than Matt Ryan? Not on your life. He’s in the championship now. Build a line around him, create a scheme to maximize the talents and you will feel differently about Ryan. He is not a Brees or Rodgers, but he can win a Superbowl in the right scheme.”

This is true. There are probably 20 starting QBs in this league, maybe more, who are capable of winning a Super Bowl on the right team. But the 49ers have better players than Alex Smith at nearly every other position on the team. That’s how you win with a less-than-elite QB. The Falcons have to do something similar if they want to make a playoff run with Ryan, in my opinion. Easier said than done to find multiple top-tier players at other positions, like the 49ers have in Davis, Staley, Justin Smith, Willis, Bowman, etc.

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From what I’ve seen so far I am not a big fan of J Rodgers. What was his avg yards per carry this season? What did he do to deserve this promotion?

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As weird as this sounds, 5 mill per year is not alot for a very good RB. And he wasn’t running behind the greatest line either. I say keep him – we’ve got bigger problems to fix.

And I’m definitely not sure how Snelling and Rodgers hold out over 16+ games. They may be done after 8-10 tough games. Right now, I like them better backing up “The Truck” Turner.

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Wow….surprised at the lack of love for number 33.lol He’s still a good back. Can he lose a few lbs? Definitely….but I dont think we should part ways with Turner just yet. One more year at least.

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Why are you doing this, it creates tension of course they should keep Turner! The Falcons are about to play it!!!!!! They were only a few more players and a good draft away. Now they are blowing up the whole thing! The Saints are going hard for the 2013 SUPER BOWL and Charlotte is just a few good Free Agents and a good Draft away. I don’t understand some fans just seem to want to sling the ball all over the field thinking that is exciting. But you have to be able to run the ball and play great defense. Rodgers is NO Sproles and that Offensive line has no PRO BOWLERS or mean nasty guys.

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There’s a lot more good qbs that are currently backups. Matt Flynn & Tyler Yates come to mind. Remember Aaron Rodgers sitting on the bench 3 years behind Brett Favre & Matt Schaub sitting behind Vick ?

Matt Ryan has flaws not attributed to the O-Line,receivers,etc. Flaws like throwing the wrong route receivers run,can’t make a play after being flushed out of pocket,throws the ball where receivers have to stop to catch it instead of catch & run for a td. These are problems Brees,Rodgers,Rivers,Flacco,E.Manning,etc. don’t have.

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Sir Real: Wow….surprised at the lack of love for number 33.lol He’s still a good back. Can he lose a few lbs? Definitely….but I dont think we should part ways with Turner just yet. One more year at least.

It’s not due lack of love shown toward the guy, but, as the article attempts to frame the problem ,of having to make the tough decision of sacrificing a veteran RB in order to make the team better.

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Turner just isn’t special anymore. Pretty much any average NFL back can produce comparable numbers if he gets the ball 300 times. Plus, he has no ability in the passing game. I think they need to get an impact back. Not sure where the FA market is going to be at, as far as RBs go this year, but if anyone significant is made available, they should pursue him. Do what they have to do, as far as Turner goes.

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I think this year showed us all that Ovie is the star of our running game. Not only is he an excellent blocker, he has great hands and vision. Turner ran well behind Ovie, but so could Snelling/Quiz/Smith. If you weren’t paying attention to special teams, let me remind you that Smith is Fast and Tough. This the NFL, not MLB; you don’t get paid for what you did, but for what you’ll do. Look at Indy this year. Dallas Clark, arguably the 2nd best TE in the last decade, was clearly losing a step in the blocking department. Everyone knew if he was in it was a pass play, bring your LB down to cover him up, problem solved. It will be the same with Turner. He’s great at running through Gaping holes, but has no other real skills. He’s a good pass blocker, but he’s nothing special. He has no hands, can’t turn the corner unless he gets lucky on a Toss against a blitzing DB, and can’t make a cut when the play breaks apart. He does have value to our team, but only as trade bait. I wish him the best, but what’s best for the Falcons is to part ways now. Give Snell another 1 year contract to see if he can do it, but he’ll probably be in the 5 Mil range as well. Forte, Lynch, Hillis are all out of our league, but you really have to develop RBs in this league sue to shelf life issues. RISE UP!!

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Snelling could run it just as well as Turner. He just needs 25 carries in a game to show he can be a 100 yard back.

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bob January 19th, 2012 8:23 am
Just the same thing they said about the running back they had from Old Miss. that they never worked into the offense. Turner’s been good but is too slow.
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Norwood got hurt too easily, Yes, I would also have liked to seen him get more touches but he spent a lot of time injured.

Turner’s not that slow, he ran a 4.49 40 yard dash coming out of college. Adrian Peterson ran a 4.40 at his combine. Just for a comparison Roddy White ran a 4.45, Jullio ran a 4.39. Has Turner lost some speed…….yeah probably but not that much.

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time to move on from Turner. I feel we need an RB that has too more versatile with speed, good catching ability, and vision such as an Arian Foster, etc. but if we do keep Turner then I put him as an 3rd down back.

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Forget AJ! JJ had more TD’s than him, and that’s with missing 3 games. We traded for the right WR.

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@ Sid

Has Turner lost some speed…….yeah probably but not that much.

Turner’s still has some speed, but he has no vision. He can’t see the hole, make a hole or even hit the one he has fast enough to be effective like like his first year here. My biggest thing with Turner is, as one poster pointed out, is that he’s like a battleship trying to turn. HE CAN’T. He gets going in one direction and won’t (more than likely, CAN’T) change direction for a positive gain.

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R U Crazy? Get rid of the burner, how about git rid of Ryan?

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duronimo January 19th, 2012 10:19 am
If they would mix a few screens in we wouldn’t be talking about this. It’s the entire reason for so many tackles for losses. Screens will stop the bull rushes, take pressure of the O line, and allow them to create better running lanes. Turner is still quick to the hole when there is one.
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Turner got some of his best runs when he would shake outside. Unfortunately Mularkey had never heard of a screen pass. Turner needed a few steps to get motoring but he seems to lack vision to cut to the hole. Too many times (previous years too) I have seen him just run his helmet into one of our O line’s butt and go down. But if he gets thru the hole he can turn those burners on.

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Love everything about the guy. But with our other needs, not $5M Love.

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Statick January 19th, 2012 11:40 am
@ Sid

Has Turner lost some speed…….yeah probably but not that much.

Turner’s still has some speed, but he has no vision. He can’t see the hole, make a hole or even hit the one he has fast enough to be effective like like his first year here. My biggest thing with Turner is, as one poster pointed out, is that he’s like a battleship trying to turn. HE CAN’T. He gets going in one direction and won’t (more than likely, CAN’T) change direction for a positive gain.
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Yep, I have been lamenting his vision or lack of since he got here. I do think he can make the sharp cut physically (seriously, we’ve all seen it….hmmm, blue moon seems to fit here), he just doesn’t seem to feel it or see it.

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NO.

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Saint Hater

January 19th, 2012
11:27 am
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Great handle……!! Can only imagine the avatar…..!!

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Just remember, if the line don’t block, the runner don’t run. We need a better OC play caller. I don’t know for the life of me if you have one yard to go, you have to bunch all the guys togather, spread them out and make every body play earnest.

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I can’t wait to see the genius offense from our 32 ranked new OC Koetter. It will probably be worse… If a team knows you are running a screen then you will likely lose between 5 & 10 yards…Screens have to be a surprise play to work.

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No back can gain yds if the OL can’t block. Even A Petrerson couln’dt run behind the Falcons line against a good team. The OL has been a problem for more than this year. Keep Turner.

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There is nothing wrong with Turner. They (O-line) have not been opening the hole for Mike to run through. There is something wrong with the O-line. When an O-line can’t get 4th and inches 5 times in 5 tries, there is a big problem. The Corners are too short to defend against the giant receivers of the Saints and Giants of this league. Jump balls killed them agaist the Saints, Giants, and other teams. The Safeties are slow and can’t cover anyone. VanGorder rotated the D-line and did not blitz! They we one and done and it was not a surprise.

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I am of the opinion, sitting here today, that the reason MT was perceived to be not as effective off the line is that there are serious problems with the O-Line. I thought Coach Boudreau started out well, but he didn’t finish well at all. We need to have people in their proper places, cross-training is all well and good, but that’s for injury purposes and rest purposes, not full-time work at that position. I think we need to move Sam Baker to a new position or a new team. Period. I think we should have signed both Clabo and Dahl last year. And we need a solid replacement for McClure, who is still working hard, but obviously slowing and tiring. He’s not Jim Otto, and never will be. But I would keep MT, I think, at least one more year.

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Dump Turner and pick up Tebow as a running back. Remember what that hoss Riggins did for the Redskins back in the 80s? Tebow could be another Riggins

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Deminishing returns

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That is the dumbest question i have ever heard. Turner is a BEAST. He is the atl offense. Get a better line to block for him. They couldnt even pust the D line back one yard on MANY diff occasions.Also White is one of the top WR in the game. Give Jones a break it was his rookie year. Our biggest problem is our SORRY CORNER BACKS and SECONDARY. They suck. Best plan get rid of GRIMES. Is he our best corner, Can he cover Calvin Johnson. I think there is a foot diff in height, so no. Get a better secondary and we will win a super bowl. Stop putting down Turner. How bout putting down Matt Ryan when he quit on us when his big toe hurt. For 6 or 7 millions dollars cut the toe off and play. Man up Ryan!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Falcons’ question No. 1: Should Michael Turner be kept?
8:05 am January 19, 2012, by Jeff Schultz

The guy finished third in the NFL in rushing with 1,340 yards.
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Jeff, don’t know where you got your stats from but Turner finished the year 7th in rushing. The 1340 yards is correct though. And if you only include the NFC, not the entire NFL, he finished 2nd.

Also Turner’s average yards per game was 83.8, not 78.8. Turner had 11 carries for 20+ yards, 4 for 40+ yards and 11 touchdowns. All of these numbers rank him in the top 4 or 5 of all NFL running backs.

Not really important but Turner finished 19th in all purpose yards

Should we keep him………………I’d say we would be crazy to cut him loose with stats like those. And also “assuming” we are going to see improvement in our O line and some damn imagination in our offensive philosophy and schemes………..which we will. You damn crazy to sit on the fence on this one Jef, you’re likely to get a splinter.

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CUT HIM!!!! He has NO BURST whatsoever getting through the line and he has NO SPEED once he is in open field. I saw four times this season where he got ran down by LINEBACKERS…LINEBACKERS, 45 yards down the field.

If your a starting RB and you get chased down by a LINEBACKER 45 yards down field…time to hang it up. As much as I hate to admit this, we need a Sproles type back. When we played the Saints in N.O., I saw him bust through our line like we weren’t even there, and technically we weren’t..haha. Nobody on our defense could even grab him, let alone catch up with him. THAT is the type of back we need. Keep Snelling b/c he, at least, hits the line with speed a nd force but he is getting a bit older too………my two cents anyway.

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Sid…

You need to check your stats my friend. Turner’s 1340 rushing yards did place him 3rd overall in the NFL this past year.

I’m a huge Turner fan, and agree that the Falcons would be crazy to let him walk. However, it’s foolish to ignore the transition the NFL is undergoing right now. Games are now won through the air, not by having to rely on a power running game. In no way am I diminishing the importance of being to able to establish the run (especially for this team), but I think the first major change coming to this offense, is going to be a reduced role for Turner. If anything, his past work load and age would suggest that anyway.

Should he be cut to save $5 mil? Absolutely not. But this team can no longer afford to rely on Turner churning out 100 yrd games in order to win.

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Can the Falcons get Jones-Drew? that would be sweet

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Are you kidding me ! The question is, should you guys be allowed to watch football !

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The biggest problem with the Falcon offense has been the line. They have been coached that on the snap stand up and hope nobody runs over you. That has adversely affected the ability of the qb, rb, and passing game. The new OC has to change that thinking, and I believe he will. These same players will welcome a chance to be aggresive, and will produce a much better offense

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$5MM is a relative bargain for a 1,000+ yard running back. Everyone’s frustration comes from his lack of flashy runs, something that people in this town attach way too much value to. The SAME people that want to jettison Turner will lament his departure and call Dimitroff an idiot as soon as we split carries between 2-3 backs and none have 1,000 yards, ala New Orleans this year. Some people ONLY want to criticize and play internet GM.

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Anytime you pay a RB $5 million a year, you shouldn’t have to say “but the offensive line” or “but the play calling”. A $5 million dollar a year RB makes an avg line look great. Lasean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, and Stephen Jackson all ran behind lines that were below avg but somehow they ended up going over 1100 yds.

We need a home run hitting back!

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BigTimeTECHFan

January 19th, 2012
12:49 pm

Are you kidding me ! The question is, should the Falcons Keep Lofton. Lofton is a BUST !
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You sir, are an absolute tool. What part of Lofton’s game do you have an issue with? His 146 tackles, 87 of which were solo and 5th overall in the NFL? His 9 passes defensed, tied for 5th in the NFL for linebackers? His 2 interceptions as a middle linebacker, also tied for 3rd? Thank God YOU are not in charge of personnel. Think before you call someone a bust, if you are capable of seeing beyond your hate for the team.

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We don’t have to continue to compare our RB situation to other teams still in the playoffs. At the end of the day, Frank Gore (similar numbers to Turner) caught 7 balls out of the backfield against the Aints. Can we see Turner doing that? Can he run a wheel route and beat a LB down the sidelines (like Quizz did)? Can he catch a swing pass, make a backer miss and get 8-12 yds?

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Ultimately I say if we can get good trade value, we should trade him now instead of letting him walk by cutting him this year or waiting for the contract to expire next. Thing is, I don’t see anyone giving us what he’d be worth due to his age, if we can get 1000+ yds from him again, it’d be worth keeping him unless we can get something of value in a trade 3rd pick or higher. I like that he’s been a workhorse for us, if he can get to the 2nd level he’s a load to bring down. I wouldn’t be heartbroken if he leaves, but we’ll need someone else if he does, we don’t have any other workhorses, I could see him staying and having less of a role. Jonathan Stewart might be available from the panthers, they have serious cap issues and just gave a contract to deangelo williams, I think we could get him relatively cheap and he’s been splitting carries, lots of tread left if the panthers need to unload cap space at the position.

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Jeff: If you’re talking about cutting Turner solely to save money and use it on other players, then you should look at every player and see what we can do by replacing the player and using the salary with free agents. How about cutting 10 or so million that we are paying dunta robinson?

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John Abraham couldn’t sack potatoes at the grocery store…

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You keep him and add another running back to the roster, around 205 pounder with speed and use both in the game and use Rodgers in it to mix it up.

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“Turner the Burner” has become “Turner the Burned-Outer”.

Cue the sappy, sentimental song and wave bye-bye.

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@BTTF: Uh… virtually every NFL analyst thinks that the most impressive part of the Falcon’s D is the LB tandem of Lofton and Weatherspoon. The guys are legit.

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And the ESPN experts also said Abraham wasn’t earning his money as a sack artist. They didn’t even mention Dunta’s lack of coverage. They figured everybody saw how awful he played.

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Adam January 19th, 2012 8:50 am
If you package the Turner and White in a trade, you could really scoop up some picks from a team desperate for help.
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You just traded away 44% of our team offense. Way to go.

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Me Too January 19th, 2012 9:41 am
Michael Turner occupies TWO rooster spots: his spot and Ovie Mughelli’s spot. Let him go; cut him; trade him; do anything to get him off the rooster. With him goes Ovie Mughelli.
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Really? Cut the best fullback in the NFL………..??

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Package Turner and Ryan to jacksonville for Jones-Drew and their first round pick!!!

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@ Jerome Jones: Thomas Dimitroff scouted Jacquizz Rodgers. His tapes and combine showed that he had the speed to be a Darren Sproles type back. He is not as fast as Darren but he has the same skill set as a Warrick Dunn. That element of elsuiveness without blazing speed will be a return of that dynamic in our offense.

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Dump the chump, Turner.

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Give me a “put your foot in the ground n go” back. They’re out there, scouting department, go find him!

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Well you just supported my argument by saying Detroit was only good team they beat this year. Drew Brees & Aaron Rodgers scored 31 & 17 points in their playoff losses. Ryan had 0 points in the loss to Giants. The Saints & Packers losses were on their defense. The Falcons loss was on the offense especially Matt Ryan !

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Matt Ryan’s offense = 0,none,nonya,zilch,nada,nuttin’,flat zero.

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Matt Ryan is not the problem,he’s the anwser!

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Jeff, since Ryan played like sheet against the Giants please let him be question “Number 2″ !

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where’s the guy that was bragging of Sam(Bob Whitfield) Baker earlier in the season?

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Let’s see, he was drafted ahead of Joe Flacco but has zero playoff wins. Flacco has 3 playoff wins and maybe a Super Bowl this year. The object of football is scoring points. Every qb is counted on to do that on every team. Even in pee wee league…

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This is Aaron Rodgers 3rd year. Your argument leaks…

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Aaron Rodgers has a sweet team backed behind him. We have a lot of holes.

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No way Norway–

Are you Matt “Choke” Ryan posting under another name? Your argument holds NO weight. Look at the stats, all the wins, the 4th qtr comebacks all behind an inferior line. Look at the skills in the no huddle when he’s calling the plays. You are just hating, no substance behind those comments and EVERYONE who watches the games and knows the stats knows that Matt Ryan is not our problem, he is a top 10 QB. Go Falcons!!!

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Cool story Bro

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It’s all in the O-line. Doesn’t matter how many weapons you have. If there are no holes or room to run you got nothing.

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This is not Aaron Rodgers 3rd year, it WAS his 4th starting and 7th or 8th overall after sitting behind a future HOF and as someone else pointed out on a much more stacked team.
Joe Flacco isn’t better just b/c his Defense has helped them win some playoff games dude has 6 TDs and 7 INTs in playoffs, not any better than Ryan.
I know that Ryan hasn’t done well in his playoff games, but he didn’t have a good D and the running game was mostly stalled in those games. I guarantee every NFL GM if faced w/ the decision of Flacco or Ryan would take Ryan, bet the farm in norway on it.

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Tebow? Really?

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I don’t think anybody will deny that Matt Ryan had a horrible game against the Giants. You can’t define him by that one game though.

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Yes! He’s too old, too slow, and two fat. Hell he runs out of gas before he can get the corner.

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Jarrett January 19th, 2012 2:10 pm
It’s all in the O-line. Doesn’t matter how many weapons you have. If there are no holes or room to run you got nothing.
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Not to mention your O lines lack of pass protection. Hell, if you got no O line, you’ve also lost your play action pass.

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Nice tribute to Ryan’s performance against Giants… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHKyFGRQIGU

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I didn’t know you counted years sitting on the bench as playing time ? I actually count starting time as the time played. With your analogy Bobby Cox played 59 years. He coached sitting on the bench for 50 of them…

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You’re not REALLY in the league unless you are PLAYING in the league. If a guy sits on the bench 9 years then plays the 10th year that year is his ROOKIE year to me.

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Norway, while you’re not starting you’re still getting snaps in practice versus an NFL defense. If you had any clue as to what people who have been in the game say, you’d know that most if not all people attribute Rodgers success to him being able to sit for three years, soak up the play book, and gain confidence in his throws against the big boys without the pressure of winning on Sunday.

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When you’re the number 2 QB you prep each week like you’re going to play. Plus you’re getting plenty of preseason snaps. That you’re a rookie to me statement is a joke.

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time to go mike thnks for all really!, but its time to have some speedy back, and hell michael bush is a FA THIS SEASON its like a mini turner all over again they should go and sign him, what jeff dosent say about the saints run team its that they have the two best guards in the league, hell even i can run the ball with that line! we need a rb who dosent need 8 yards ti gain some steam and cant run fast and hard, just imagine if turner is old and solow and ran 1,000 yards imagine what a speedy rb can do!

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@Die Hard Falcon

You’re making the “glass is half full” argument for Ryan – and doing a pretty good job of it too.

But he’s got deficiencies related to accuracy and arm strength. Both have been criticisms of him since his college days. Both are evident even when he’s got plenty of time in the pocket and neither is likely to improve much. Given that, he’ll never be able to make the higher-risk passes all big-time QB’s make.

He also demonstrates poor pocket awareness and tends to flee the pocket under pressure, so he’s not real effective buying the time needed to find open guy for the low-risk passes he can throw. Maybe he’ll improve in these areas. Like you said, a better OL won’t hurt.

Is Ryan a top ten QB? I wonder how many teams in the NFL would trade their starting QB, straight up, one-for-one, for Ryan today? If there are no more than nine QB’s better, as that ranking suggests, then wouldn’t at least 21 teams jump at the opportunity to get him? I can’t see that happening. Particularly after his performance this year – both in the regular season and the playoff game. If you take a quick inventory of the QB situation in the NFC alone, I expect most teams would stay with their current guy over Matt.

I know Ryan’s not going anywhere, but his overall QB performance has to improve. I think he needs to be challenged in order to make that improvement. It’s up to the organization to figure out how to do ti. Based on their public comments, I don’t think that challenge is forthcoming.

@Richard.
Please see Die Hard Falcon’s post for a way to disagree with somebody’s opinion without getting all hostile and huffy.

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The problem with your argument is that all of those qb’s you referenced won Super Bowls by their 4th year. And I know you’re gonna say Brees played in San Diego for 4 years although it was really only 1 full year. Ryan has won nada. No playoff wins period !

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No Way Norway January 19th, 2012 2:12 pm
Ryan had chances to make plays against the Giants and didn’t. That’s what I saw.

Jarrett January 19th, 2012 2:15 pm
I don’t think anybody will deny that Matt Ryan had a horrible game against the Giants. You can’t define him by that one game though.
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No pass protection, dropped passes, no lanes opened up for a ground game, no chance to be effective with play action passes……yep, Ryan had a lousy game.

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Richard

January 19th, 2012
2:35 pm
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Numbers don’t lie, great post. You didn’t get your stats from me did you……………….lol…..!!!

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I see why the NFL lowered the rules of the game down to your level of understanding…..

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That is ridiculous to contemplate cutting a productive back like Turner. Instead, they should incorporate another change of pace back like they should have done with Norwood when we had him and Rodgers which they failed to do this year. If you look backs like Jacobs for the Giants, they found a way to still let him contribute tremendously to the offense while bringing along another back like Bradshaw. And whoever said we should have gotten AJ Green obviously was not looking at production this year. Julio was only 100 yrds shy of matching AJ Green’s receiving yrds and that was with missing nearly 5 games. I would take Julio over AJ any day.

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Won’t disagree that he hasn’t had the playoff success I would like to see, but that is a far cry from saying the guy needs to go. Short of a straight up trade of Ryan for Rodgers, I would take him over any other QB (the other guys are on the tail end of their careers).

Brees and Manning didn’t win Super Bowls until their 8th and 9th seasons, respectively.

Also, it was 2 full years and 1 year of 15 starts and 400 pass attempts, so I think that qualifies, but just to be extra clear I’ll throw out his seasons that he didn’t start every game and give you his stats from his sixth season as a starter: 67.5%, 4,423, 28 TDs, 18 INTs. Still pretty even.

Now if Matt doesn’t ever win a playoff game in his career, then we can have this conversation again and I’ll agree with you. My point is, he compares favorably with some of the top QBs in the league through his first 4 years.

And if Superbowls is the only stat that counts, do you really mean to tell me that Trent Dilfer is the equivalent of Peyton Manning?

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matty ice for president!!!! yall matty ice hatters yall will see different in the near future and matt for peyton dude you r crazy peyton is one hit away from a career that would be one stupid trade

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Hell No, we keep him. It’s a system game. Turner does not have miles due to he waited on LT in San Diego and if we continue to use our Pro Bowl FB, Turner will be ok. Let the system work.

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It has often been said in sports that it is better to get rid of a player a year too soon than a year too late. I’m thinking this is the case with Turner so I vote that he is expendable. Which isn’t to say he absolutely has to go, but it’s a real consideration if it moves the team forward in other areas. Many successful teams have done exactly this with star players, watching them play well somewhere else for a year but then letting that somewhere else deal with the inevitable collapse. The Patriots do this and last I checked they’ve had so ok seasons.

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Snelling is our best all around running back. He can get the rough yards, take the screen pass, he can run block and pass block and he was extremely under utilized last season. rogers is quick but not fast for his size. we could do without turner but i would rather have him then not have him.

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Oh that pesky Salary Cap, now you see what happens when you throw around huge signing bonuses (because they count against the cap year) like they are candy!

Most of you don’t even know who your team’s unrestricted free agents are… The NFL is not the NBA, you are not trading dollar for dollar when you jettison a player. You just make a choice not to add salary to the base floor that was agreed to in the player’s agreement. You’re not going to get 2nd or 3rd picks in a trade, it will be 4th, 5th, 6th round picks, look at the two Moss trades. Actually, you’d be lucky to get compensatory picks in the 3rd round or below under the NFL policy when you let UFAs go and don;t you sign someone over the price of the player let go… Really, at $5,000,000, Turner has been a bargain. You’ve gotten more than you deserved to get, the same goes for Ovie. The border question (and the more important one) is half of your RBs (remember Snelling was on a 1 year deal) will be coming back off major injuries (Snelling, broken jaw thus he will be under head injury protocol, Turner’s groin, and Ovie major knee reconstruction). You have to weigh the real price.

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Hate to say it, but a RB such as Turner is only as good as the O-line and the holes they open. He is not built to run to the outside or do any speedster/fancy moves stuff. The $5MM Turner represents would be better spent on linemen. A draft/FA guard and first string LT are must haves and they’d better be BIG. Another versatile gem like Quizz would be nice. Snelling isn’t quite a feature back, but he hits hard and runs smart. The waiver wire sometimes offers an option who’s a fit. The line matters critically because, until they work, the RB’s don’t have an act. In any event, Turner is pretty well shot and it’s time to move on.

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And the days of taking advantage of the Raiders in trades are over! McKenzie is putting an end to that, they will be the hunter, not the hunted.

What is with you guys trying to sign (or trade) people coming off major injuries (Snelling, Forte, and Peterson)? This is not play money, you have to think of the consequences… Didn’t Ray Edwards and Dunta Robinson teach you anything?

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You have to keep Turner!! 3rd in the league rushing!!

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keep turner build O-LINE to get stronger they are so weak they can’t get a push of the line..

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There is no reason for any back in the modern NFL to be having 300 carries in a season…

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I don’t think they can afford to trade Turner next year. To many other holes and they aren’t going to get even close to equitable value for him. What they need to do is cut his carries by half and keep him fresh next year.

If you’re going to spend 72 million on a QB, put it on him to win games. Throw the BALL!

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@JSS That I must agree with….300 is way too many. Even my two year old knew they were gonna hand the ball off.lol

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The answer to the question boils down to what Koetter’s plans are for our offense. From what I have gathered, he wants to have a balanced attack with a sophisticated passing game. The offense will likelhy feature three to four WR’s and a single RB. That RB must be able to pass protect and catch passes out of the backfield.

In my opinioin, Snelling and Rodgers are better fits for the new offense than Turner. For that reason (and his advancing age), I would trade him. He will have value to a team with the desire to improve their power run sets. It would be great to get a 4th rounder for him.

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@ Jeff Schultz…
at 3:56PM Exactly!!! The Falcons have done them self a great disservice in how they used bonuses and guaranteed money…

They need to move Robinson to Free Safety and let DeCoud walk to a team which can cover for propensity to bite and get beat over the top… If he doesn’t pan our, what have you really lost? And you save against the cap…

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“If he doesn’t pan out”

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No dump the lard a$$ as fast as you can. He didn’t help the Falcons at all. How can you make any major plays when you run with your eyes closed and fall down as soon as someone looks your way! Rogers is a great repelacement for this overpaid underperforming so called Falcon.

Please DUMP him ASAP!!!!!!

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Larry

You are annoying

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What type of dumb article and question is this. This guy pretty much led this team. Without his run game where would we be? Ryan’s arm hasn’t gotten us anywhere. Turner is this team.

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In my opinion, it’s time to start looking for somebody to replace Turner. He seems to me to be slow hitting the hole, when there’s one there. He was a good back but running backs have a very short lifespan in the NFL. Age has caught up to him, I think.

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The AJC has to have the WORSTS SPORTS WRITERS OUT OF ANY NEWSPAPER. SCHUTLZ WTF ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!! TRADE THE GUY WHO CARRIED THIS TEAM THE LAST FOUR YEARS for DRAFT PICKS??? How about you ask the douche bag Dimitroff about giftwrapping our draft picks for this season? SCHULTS WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY? YOU CANT BE FROM GEORGIA…

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MichaelTurner

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Ive been mulling over this for a few weeks now…Its obvious the we need better linemen. Good Fronts win Championships. I think we should trade him for some picks. He is a good player but 30 years old is old for a running back. Out with the old in with the youth ….It is a great discussion but with the hiring of Koetter I think we definitely are keeping Micheal Turner.

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If it quacks like a BUST

Well…..

HA HA HA

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I would trade turner for a 3rd or 4th round pick. Trade him 1 year too early, rather than 1 year too late. We ned the cap space, and the draft pick.

How about addiing a guy like Tashard Choice to the rotation of Snelling and Rodgers (if they dont want to go with Antone Smith).

None of the guys are stars, but with a better line, better play calling, and better execution, I think they could get the job done.

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WS

“In Gaint play off game, Smith shows how much he thinks of Turner, fourth and half yard, had Ryan run the ball.If It he stayed with Falcons he would have to lose weight and take a big pay cut.”

Yeah, it clearly had nothing to do with Smitty being ridiculed relentlessly by fans (probably you) for not running a qb sneak. Right?

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And to the folks saying we need a RB by comittee, a la the Saints, get real. Arent they in the same boat as us right now? Watching the playoffs? Stick to what you know, if it aint broke, dont fix it. The system aint broke, we just need new parts. Snell and Quizz are more than capable.

Also, wouldn’t mind seeing what we could get for Roddy BUT, the only problem is, if we trade Roddy, Julio becomes the number 1 receiver. While that’s not a bad thing in istelf, there then becomes a void on the opposite side of the field, being as we would no longer have a true number 2 receiver.

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Give Snelling the same number of carries, and he will produce more. Also, he is a much better receiver.

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We need offensive linemen or NO ONE will be able to run. You could put Jim Brown behind the Atlanta offensive line and he would disappear into the ground.

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All depends on what your gonna get. Jaquiz is too small to pass block. If ypu trade Turner for #3 and 4 draft choices, you better get an OL and a fast back with some size, or the ever needed sleeper DB. Our secondary is pathetic.

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Michael Turner has turned into an over-weight scrub. It is time to cut bait and move forward. Against playoff teams, turner was A BIG NON-FACTOR. Check the STATS people.

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Michael Turner has turned into an over-sized elephant who is barely averaging over one yards per carry. Its for turner to take his turn as a backup to the leaner/faster/more powerful/quicker and more fleet afoot Snelling who is waiting to be a star in the NFL. Let Patty Cake sit and when there is a FOURTH AND INCHES, rather than ask the hefty, burly matt ryan to push the pile forward–call on backup Turner to get it done. Solution–problem solved.

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If we can we should trade him for a draft pick – or two if we can work it out.

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Should they keep Turner, “That’s a negative ghost rider, the pattern is full.”

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New OC needs to worry about the O-Line first! Fixing the Line first will take care of a lot of problems. I don’t think it is just personnel either. I don’t think Malarkey was using the right plan for the people he had. What worked ok in 2010 didn’t work very well in 2011.

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The offense seems to get all the print. It seems unusual that two of the high powered offenses are out of the playoffs via the defensive route. Green Bay to the Giants and New Orleans to the 49ers. Go after a great defensive line aka Giants and 49ers and forget the offensive side of the ball except for the line. Remember when the Texans drafted Mario Williams and not Reggie Bush the outcry declaring the stupidity of the Texans. Would the Falcons have been better off keeping the draft choices and drafting someone like J.J. Watt. Something to think about.

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J. J. Watt is Over Hyped. Drafting julio was absolutely the right move. He will be the next Jerry Rice, PERIOD!!!

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NEXT MAN UP!!!

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I was calling for them to trade Turner two years ago before his trade value dissipated. Turner style: if there is a hole he get through there and he get 4 or 5 yard, sometimes breaks off 20. If there isn’t a hole he tiptoes and lays on the pile like a puppy laying on its master. He doesn’t move the pile anymore unless he gets a running start.

Lucky to get a 4 round pick. The Falcons need a more dynamic back. Rogers should me number two. Draft someone in the third or fourth round. Dallas got a bargain with Murray last year.

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Micheal Turner has been everything the Falcons’ organization thought he would be:A dominating,punishing,running back in the redzone.But Turner has carry the “rock” a lot since becoming an Atlanta Falcon in 2008.The running back position is the most grueling on offense.If you can get three quality years from a running back,your investment has made its return.Maybe it’s time to draft another blue chip back.Thank you Mr.Turner

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Burner I love ya Bud, but while you still have value… you gotta go. I really believe you have lost a BIG step.

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trade him if possible, cut him otherwise. He is a solid back, but the big runs came on big holes any pro back could get through. We stopped using him on short yardage which clearly frustrated him. It’s time for big moves not tweaks.

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To even ask “Should Michael Turner be kept” is insane. We didn’t use him much in a game, we lost. we leaned on him, we won… THAT is the only stat that matters.

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Spags to Saints

HA HA HA

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Oh and I should add to those thinking we would be better off giving Snelling some of the carries to ’save’ Turner for the stretch run. I would whole-heartedly agree .. except that you do NOT pay a time-share RB the money Turner is slated to make.

In fact, I would rather see us bring in another young 4-5-6 rounder and see what happens. Look at what the Patriots, Saints, Giants, and Green Bay have done with a RB by committee with lesser known backs. Realistically, only the 49ers and Ravens use a ‘primary’ back and both of those guys (Gore and Rice) are much younger and still run with authority.

Turner, I really loved you in year one, but you just aren’t running ‘mean’ like you should. In fact, you look tentative .. which ain’t good for a running back in today’s NFL.

Oh yeah .. Turner won’t be missed in the blocking game either. It’s sad when a rookie is a better pass protector than a veteran.

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The pivotal reason for letting him go is that he has NEVER performed well in the playoffs. He is like Lebron, once its playoff time, he doesn’t even look like the same player, totally impotent, like he’s trying to play through the flu or something.

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i think they need a quarterback that can throw further than 40 yards

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no. good guy, dependable, but has zero breakaway speed.

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Turner in our 7 losses…(yards obv) 100, 20, 56, 96, 44, 39, and 41. That’s 56 yards a game in our losses.

In our 10 wins…114, 70, 139, 122, 71, 100, 60, 76, 61, 172. That’s 98.5 yards a game in our wins. Not that any other RBs numbers are going to be any different in wins and losses but still….that’s a huge difference.

Just like the article stated with the stat analysis…his performance and the performance of our O-Line during December with the exception of the awful TB team was terrible.

55 yards a game isn’t getting it done. That’s pathetic. Whatever the problem is, it has to be fixed. Not saying its all Turner, but something has to change.

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On top of that…Ryan threw for 300 yards in 6 games. We were 2-4 in those games. What does that tell you about the team’s success when we throw the ball more? Save the dumb answers b/c I know we throw more when we are behind…but I think we panic too quickly and throw the running game out too early.

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please trade the Burner Turner as soon as possible.

I doubt the Falcons get much for him. Maybe a fifth round pick.

Dude goes down like a brick when touched anymore. Weight packing on cheeseburgers .

Of course he was third in the league. Against the really crappola teams any back can pad their yards if they are half decent. Turner lost the two steps.

And while they are at it trade Gonzalez in a package deal. Two for one. That might move them to a fourth round rookie with a 50/50 chance to make the team.

Falcons too old and no back ups. Roddy White is 32 now ? Damn where did his career get off to.

Abraham and Edwards. Package them up. Falcons get a 8 th round pick.

Decoud and Grimes . Falcons get a 10 th rounder for the two.

Falcons are doomed going forward.

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PLEASE PARDON MY TYPOS…(TOO) TO HIT HIS RECEIVERS IN STRIDE WITHIN DB’S TRAFFIC..

TURNER SHOULD TRAIN FOR SPEED AS WELL AS MUSCULARITY BODY, CHISELED NOT FAT..

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Flacco:)

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Scott, you cannot trade unrestricted free agents… Abraham and Grimes are UFAs… And the draft only has 7 rounds… And my unicorn poops rainbows!

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When Turner carries the ball 20 times or more the Falcants are 28-2.

Go ahead and cut him and watch the CHOKE returns the team to the 2007 record.

Dude is a BUST and can’t blow his nose without Turner

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Trade Turner and sign Tashard Choice. Choice ,Snelling and Rogers can run and catch screen passes. Draft Boykin with 2nd Pick, a backup QB from OKC State and 3 offensive linemen.

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LMAO…Failcants get Oh-Nolan and we got Spag’nola’…will be great to watch my Saints win Lombardi #2 in the Dome next year……

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I like to say that Matt Ryan will not win anything and is stupid and I hate him. Michael Vick is my favorite because he is black and does weed and gives women the Herps. I enjoyed fighting my pit-bulls against him we had so much fun electrocuting our dogs after the fights. Also I love farts, I love to smell fart, I really love it when I go to the Truck stop and after I get done giving him a rusty trombone when the trucker just lets 1 ripp in my mouth, OH MY I DO DECLARE IM GETTIN THE VAPORS!!!!!!!!!

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I like it when Matt “Choke” Ryan finishes up his rusty trombone on me.

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Gross WTF

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What happened to the days when a man could park his trailer in any trailer park in America?
Back to football, why do the Saints get the high profile coaches and we get the scraps?
Now we will finish behind Carolina, because there is no way Matt and his weak arm
can compete with Cam.

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We will be stronger without Michael ” the burner” Turner. SAINTS are going to Lose Colston AND Meachem in Free Agency. Weaker SAINTS. We have to worry about CAM.

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@STEVEN A,, I can assure you we won’t lose Colston or Meachem.Our front office has a lot of big decisions to make, but we always seem to find those diamonds in the rough like Colston .We have a very good scouting staff, most of our recievers won’t be drafted and we have a couple on the practice squad we havent unpacked out of the box yet.

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KEEP HIM!!!!! KEEP HIM!!!! ROTATE HIM, JAQUEZ, AND SNELLING AND THE RUNNING GAME WOULD BE SICK!!!

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KEEP MIKE! HE IS A COOL DUDE!

GET RID OF SOME OF THAT OTHER GARBAGE LIKE RODDY “THE DROP BALL” WHITE!

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FOR ANY ONE WHO THINKS CARL NICKS WILL GO TO THE FALCONS IS STUCK ON STUPID!

HE KNOWS WHAT KIND OF ORGANIZATION YOU HAVE. YOU ARE CONSIDERED DISORGANIZED AND A JOKE!

FORGET ABOUT IT!

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Turner is not what he was. Given he didn’t have a consistent O-line, but he side steps way too much and when he does he’s toast. He doesn’t give any push himself. I say get Ovie back, run Snelling and Rodgers. We should trade Turner while he might be worth a 3rd rounder.

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Umm…isnt it obvious? keep the guy for cryin out loud. he still made number 3 in rushing this season so y dump him. and besides even if we do grab a new running back, he probably be performng like turner as well. a running back needs an OFFENSIVE LINE to open lanes for him and atlanta fails in that catagory big time. hell I knew this was gona happen soon as we lost harvey dahl in free agency. not to mention losing ovie mughelli for the season hurt us as well. we need to fix the O-line. bring in a new guard and replace sam baker. draft or free agency, it doesnt matter to me jes make sure they re good ones. I mean look at the saints. they had a load of runners this season and they all kicked butt. how, ya ask? key word OFFENSIVE LINE. and one of the best in the league too.

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and nicks

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keep turner. he still one of the best running backs in our division he jes took a step beck thanks to the O-line production. and besides if we do let him go we’d probrably regret that like the buccaneers did with warrick dunn lol. FYI saints kicked but this season with their running backs and that was with mark ingram hurt in the final part of the season. i fear he would be the next best runner in the division next to darren sproles if we let turner go.

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Make it a Package Plan and get rid of Matty ICE too!!!

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Esoballa:Blame the offensive line because he gets to it like TJ Duckett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????? Mu Dad would want Forte in here w/ his fresh beast legs!

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Trade him for a 2nd round pick

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Turner is fine. He was running behind a weak offensive line and lost a pro-bowl blocking fullback halfway through the season (about the time his yardage per game started going down). Still he managed 1,300+ yards – not bad for an old guy. Where else are you likely to find that level of production? The Falcons have already made the two most important moves they needed for this off season: a new offensive coordinator and a new defensive coordinator. Better coaching and a better offensive line will bring bigger results than discarding one of the best players on the team.

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Have Ovie Mahaley gain 5 pounds in the offseason and move him to one of those big fat guard slots we’re changing to next season.

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turner’s over the hill and doesn’t produce in the playoffs—dump him for a couple of picks that dimitroff traded away last year,

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Secretly many of us are ready to see Turner burn his way outta Atlanta!

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Why don’t ya’ll let all “Bird” themed teams disband and move away to different cities? None of them will ever amount to a championship anyways. We’ll take the falcons here in L.A.! Oh and Matt Ryan blows.

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Michael Bush is a free agent who we could have drafted out of Louisville, but his former coach Petrino chose not to. He is big,fast, and a few years younger than Turner. Now that would be a good fit for the Falcons.

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I say trade Turner. He’s not a very versatile RB. When he comes in the game, the fans AND the opposing team know it’s a one-trick pony — Tip-Toe Turner up the middle. We need RBs who can run AND catch. Easily breaking to the outside is also necessary.

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JSS,
I’m not sure Michael Bush is going to command $5 million a year. That would pay him like one of the top 5 RB’s in the league. Not going to happen. He basically would be opting for a long term (3-4 years) deal in the $2 million range versus the one-year deal the Raiders gave him to be insurance for Run DMC. Its not likely that McKenzie is going to pay him that much to be a reliable back up. BTW, Matt Forte did not have a major injury, just an injury that requires multiple weeks away from football. He could have returned if the Bears made the playoffs.

Here’s what I think a lot of people are saying. The gap between Michael Turner at $5 million a year and a proven $2.5 million dollar a year RB isn’t so great that you don’t consider trading him in an effort to get the cap relief and signing that $2.5 million dollar a year RB.

WITH A $8.5 MILLION DOLLAR CAP HIT, CUTTING HIM IS NOT AN OPTION.

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Gotta trade him while he has some value. Next year he’ll look like TJ Duckett did on the field in his last years here…mark my words…..

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no matter what happens, falcons will still make the playoffs and get knocked out the first round….. all atlanta teams do is break my heart

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How about packaging a deal with “White and Turner” for Colt McCoy? Cleveland is clamoring for a new quarterback already, Colt is tough, and they need receivers and a running back. We get some competition for Ryan.

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5.0M in cap relief could get us a free agent RB who is more nimble (and a better pass catcher), and get us a top-tier free agent OT or OG, couldn’t it?

Right now, we are 29 out of 32 teams in available cap space. We have only 1.9M. League average is 11.3M.

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micheal turner is an average back! snelling runs harder and produces more so i would get rid of turner if we can get ANYTHING for him. im tired of seeing him tip toe through the line for a gane of 0-2 yrds when i know snelling would put his head down and fight for atleast 3. the only games turner does well are the games against horrible defenses that would give 100yrd games to whoever it is running the ball. he’s big and powerfull but he abandoned that style trying to be “the burner”. the only reason he has so many yrds is because he gets more attempts than anyone in the league. i say trade em so we can focus on being a more dynamic offense and not a 3rd and long throw it deep offense!

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! The wheels are flat on the Burner.

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I have loved Turner but you get old especially at runnung back and the Falcons should seriously consider getting a younger back

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Time is right for me to bring up once again my total disagreement with the trade up for Jones when we need a upgrade on the defense side.

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Old habits are hard to break. We are so use to berating the Smiths, we carry it over to the new era like they too are intellectually challenged. I can’t imagine Blank doing one thing better as an owner than he is doing right now. I for one would like to see less of him on the side lines but if that is the price I have to pay to feel my Falcons are in a position every year to compete so be it. I often felt the south and Atlanta in particular desires a great pro football team since we feed so many of our sons into the league. To watch a kid from the state of Georgia go somewhere else and win for some other part of the world after we produced him has always rubbed me the wrong way. Unlike UGA that gets the talent and doesn’t know what to do with it, or Tech who knows what to do with it but doesn’t get the talent, Blank has both good coaching and good players, we will be fine under this guy.

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Trade Turner? Are you kidding me? Ryan is not what I thought he was. We need Turner to cover up his flaws.

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@DC Dirty Bird… Please report Matt Ryan’s stats against playoff/winning teams this year.

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I think it’s kind of embarrasing that we spent 72 million, yet the Ravens only spent 30 million for their 5 playoffs winning qb, regardless of who has a better defense. Defenses don’t lose games, they keep you in them. It takes an offense to lead the team and that starts with the qb.

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I have noticed for the last two years that after Turner gets his yard and a pile of bodies, he trots off the field for a pass play. Everyone including the opposition now knows its a pass coming because Turner can’t catch a pass. I watched more NFL this year than ever of “other” teams and was amazed at how seemingly great the other teams running backs were and usually they had several of them. His time is over and that was the first year.

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