Dimitroff: ‘Insinuation we’re not being active is incorrect’
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has been trying to do the most he can with a limited budget. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
In his first four years as the Falcons’ chief architect, Thomas Dimitroff didn’t have to convince anybody that he was being aggressive.
There were screaming headlines every offseason as evidence: Free-agent signings (Michael Turner, Dunta Robinson, Ray Edwards), a trade for a Hall of Famer (Tony Gonzalez), draft picks for franchise anchors (Matt Ryan, Julio Jones).
Yet, here we are in mid-March, and the headlines haven’t been screaming. Re-signing John Abraham was significant. It broke the silence of spring. But whether that’s enough to douse perceptions that the Falcons aren’t doing nearly enough to improve their product is another matter.
To say that Dimitroff disagrees with those perceptions would be an understatement.
“The insinuation that we’re not being active and doing everything we can to improve our football team is, in my mind, incorrect,” the Falcons’ general manager said, measuring his words carefully. “We’re doing everything in our power to analyze and improve this team.
“We said we’re going to be aggressive and make changes, not just tweaks. Between [placing the franchise tag on] Brent Grimes and [signing] Abraham, and the new coaches we’ve brought in, we feel we’ve been making significant changes.”
Abraham’s signing helps. If he had not accepted the Falcons’ contract offer — and there were concerns in the building that their best pass rusher was going to sign elsewhere — Dimitroff would have sought help in the free-agent market. But Abraham was his preferred option. (There is still a chance the Falcons could re-sign linebacker Curtis Lofton, but he’s drawing interest from other teams, including New Orleans.)
But here’s where the divide between perceptions comes in: Whereas fans, media and others off the team’s Flowery Branch campus hear the words “aggressiveness” or “change” and equate that to “new,” Dimitroff is factoring in signings and negotiations with existing members to preserve the team’s core.
He has a point. Several Falcons, including picks from Dimitroff’s first draft in 2008, had expiring contracts. Identifying the key players in a team’s core is part of building a winner. The question is whether this will be good enough.
Dimitroff believes so. He expects Smith’s new coordinators, Dirk Koetter and Mike Nolan, and offensive line coach Pat Hill to have significant impacts. “When you get new coaches in, it’s a fresh perspective,” he said. “Both [coordinators] came in and had real positive feelings after analyzing our roster. We said we’re going to make changes, and this is a big part of that.”
One obvious area in question is the offensive line. There’s still a chance the Falcons will bring in another veteran (center Todd McClure remains unsigned). But Dimitroff thinks the change to Hill, who replaces the fired Paul Boudreau, will help the existing cast.
“We needed to truly analyze what the issue was with the offensive line,” he said. “They were back on their heels too much, literally and figuratively. We have the makings of a gritty, physical line. We like the foundation of our line.”
And yes, he is including the oft-maligned left tackle Sam Baker. “He’s been a part of many wins for us over the last four years,” he said, then referenced Baker’s injury problems.
Which means either don’t expect a change, or there’s one surprise left to come.
Dimitroff touched on several other topics during an hour-long interview, including:
• Being so close to the salary-cap ceiling makes many more moves difficult, unless more space is created. (He didn’t expand on that, so I’ll translate: A veteran would need to be cut or traded. With Baker getting the vote of confidence, that leaves fullback Ovie Mughelli as a likely candidate. His salary: $3 million.)
• Dimitroff considers cornerback Brent Grimes (who was franchised) part of the team’s core and still hopes to get him signed to a multi-year contract.
• He was relieved to get No. 3 receiver Harry Douglas signed to a new deal, believing the team might lose him. Keeping both Douglas and Eric Weems wasn’t likely (Weems signed with Chicago).
• He believes defensive end Kroy Biermann and safety Thomas DeCoud, despite some issues last season, are versatile and fill needed roles, which is why they were re-signed.
Bottom line: Dimitroff likes his team.
“Everybody in the organization is held accountable and asked to improve, and that starts with me,” he said.
Ultimately, he knows: The real grades won’t come until next season.
By Jeff Schultz
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232 comments Add your comment
JSS
March 18th, 2012
5:22 pm
Oh know, the “banned” cures everything blogger(s)! “Delusional” is the right term. Well, I can’t wait to hear “who else” is supposedly “banned” in the Valhalla that is the “Birdcage?” 24-2, I can still savor the post massacre depression…
Phalcon Phil
March 18th, 2012
5:39 pm
Every off season that goes by and ryan is still #1 on the qb depth chart is a failure in my eyes. Dead weight right there. The come from behind wins against teams we have no business trailing are real cute but they arent cutting it anymore. We want a pitcher not a belly itcher.
Duke of Flatbush
March 18th, 2012
6:06 pm
Falcons need to draft David Wilson out of Virginia Tech. Falcons need a replacement to Turner, or at least someone to compliment him, McNeil signing would be an upgrade as well.
Birdcage wannabe
March 18th, 2012
6:33 pm
lol, them dang “birdcagers” won’t let me in. They got me on the outside looking in. People make fun of me for carrying around this here bag of rocks. Who’s about to be laughing now?………. the STREETS!!!!!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
March 18th, 2012
7:11 pm
Miracle In The Meadowlands II
HA HA HA
Lil' Barry Bailout
March 18th, 2012
8:14 pm
Explosiveness.
Made you laugh, didn’t I?
Grandmaster JeJe
March 18th, 2012
10:28 pm
Cosign Nothing But The Truth
kingdaddy
March 18th, 2012
10:30 pm
Did I get banned too. I’m sure I deserved it…
Odysseus
March 18th, 2012
10:32 pm
U guys freakin complain too much we have 4 back 2 back winning seasons adn a QB in Matt Ryan whos first 4 years in the NFL is better than Peyton Mannings 1st 4 years…. MATT RYAN 41-20 as a starter in 4 years. Manning was 32-32 as a stgarter in 4 yrs and had 35 more interceptions than Matt. And it also took Peyton 6 yrs to win his first playoff game and 9 yrs for his first Superbowl. Atlanta fans SUCk period. Cleveland and Buffalo would love to be us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stop the freakin whinning already.
Pastor Mackdaddy
March 18th, 2012
11:43 pm
and the LORD rested on the 7th day!
Sid
March 19th, 2012
1:53 am
Man…………..I promise you, Furman Bisher never wrote about “trimmed toenails”……….God Speed Furman!
I don’t know why your butt isn’t already posting a tribute to one of the best sportswriters ever, get your ass out of the bed.
Sid
March 19th, 2012
2:07 am
Bisher: I saw him take his first breath in life and I saw him take his last
On the death of his son, Roger
By Furman Bisher
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First published: April 19, 2000
Let me tell you about Roger Bisher, the athlete. It won’t take long because the career was short.
He was well-built for a kid. Looked like an athlete. Could run like a deer. He had a coachable attitude. So the Pop Warner coach at Chastain Park talked him into coming out for the team. His brother Jamie was already a player. Roger looked like a natural. He pitched in with moderate enthusiasm, then discovered that the coach knew all about machinery, so while the others practiced, Roger talked machinery with the coach, who enjoyed talking machinery with Roger, and football got lost. End of career.
His next career led to machines and science and stuff. He had a little workshop under the house out of which came some of the strangest sounds you ever heard. Sometimes it was crackling electricity. Sometimes it was an explosion, nothing major, just the budding scientist learning by trial and error. Once, he freeze-dried a dead bird he had found and won a prize in a citywide science contest. The paper printed his name wrong, Thomas Bisher. Made no difference to him. He knew who it was.
On our street, he was everybody’s repairman. TV, refrigeration, air-conditioning, appliances, plumbing, anything. As they say in sports, he could do it all. Best part, there was no waiting. Knock on the door and ask if Roger could come over and fix something. Oh, once in awhile I’d have to tell them, “Soon as he finishes his homework.”
One of my neighbors said, “He’s kind of pricey, but he does good work and you can count on him.”
He liked to swim, but when we used to vacation at Hilton Head, sometimes you’d look around for him and he’d be gone. You’d find him with some maintenance men or guys installing something. Sometimes he’d be down or up or inside something, just as dirty as they were.
Once I asked him why he didn’t get out of his workshop and play games. He said, “Daddy, you play golf for fun. This is my game.”
Junkyards were his playgrounds. He’d make friends with the man who ran the place and get rummaging privileges. Sometimes he’d take some kind of scrap or discard to make a trade, but that was usually a token. One of his closest friendships was made in a junkyard — well, a scrap dealership would be more proper — with a man named Dave Pirkle, who while Roger was still a youth, accepted him as an equal.
After he and his wife developed their business, Prime Power Inc., and it grew out of a patch of woods into a good-sized complex, he didn’t sit back and delegate. He was hands-on. Once, he and an associate, Rick Taylor, were working on a project at the Centers for Disease Control and Roger spied a dumpster on the grounds. Being a natural forager, he jumped into the dumpster and began looking around when a CDC official showed up.
“I’d like to meet your president, ” he said to Rick.
“He’s right here, ” Rick said, and at that moment, Roger, the president, stood up in the dumpster and said, “Pleased to meet you.”
I took him to his first Indianapolis 500, and as soon as we hit town, he caught a taxi to a manufacturing company he’d corresponded with. It wasn’t long before he was in the president’s office talking shop, this sophomore at Georgia Tech. It was sort of like the time when Jesus disappeared and his parents found him in the temple talking with the elders, and I hope that isn’t overdrawn.
I took him to his first, and only, bowl game. Georgia Tech played Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl, but the highlight of the trip was crossing into Juarez, his first time in a foreign country. He was careful not to drink the water.
The subject of Roger comes up today because I have lost him. A beautiful, handsome, loving man, no finer son has any parent ever had, and I grieve. Old men like me should be going first, not one who had so much to give to the world as he. Roger Chisholm Bisher passed away Monday afternoon. I saw him take his first breath in life and I saw him take his last. He was just 44, but in my heart he shall always be that smiling child blowing up his workshop. Thanks for giving me your time.
MGibby
March 19th, 2012
3:52 am
1) It has been a PROVEN fact that in the nfl, you draft stars, you don’t sign them. We all wanted super mario, but no smart gm was going to come close to that toxic contract the Bills offered.
2) You people conviently forget that we were in a lockout last year this time, so TD had no choice but to trade draft picks for JJ(who would have had over 1000 yds if he didn’t miss those games), so chill out, because we definitely have a stud at WR.
3) NONE of the past 5 SB winners made a splash in free agency the year they won.
4) Even though Ryan doesn’t have a playoff win in his 3 appearances, I attribute that more to him facing the eventual SB loser/winners than him not being good enough to get us there.
Tremaine
March 19th, 2012
9:09 am
Straight from the hawks playbook. Thanks for making me hate the word “CORE”.
PMC
March 19th, 2012
9:35 am
Mike Smith is not on the hot seat. He’s been the most consistently solid head coach in the history of the organization. It would be silly to fire him simply because the team hasn’t performed well in the playoffs yet. Some of it definately is scheme, but these players do play very hard for him and he has at the very least been able to get the most out of the team in the regular season.
I disagree with Dimitroff that he’s made all the right picks. That said, the defense played well enough to win against the Giants, it was the more talented offensisve group that looked completely horrible.
PMC
March 19th, 2012
9:36 am
MGibby – Green Bay signed Reggie White and Brett Farve in the early 90’s, they were pretty good Free Agents no?
Mediocrity continues...
March 19th, 2012
9:51 am
“We needed to truly analyze what the issue was with the offensive line,”
This hasn’t already been done? The Falcons season ended months ago and they haven’t analyzed the O-line issues yet?? You’ve got to be joking me…
Someone on this blog, please explain to me where they’ve improved the team. And I don’t mean resigning guys that were already there. I don’t view that as upgrading when your team is one and done in the playoff on a regular basis.
Mediocrity continues...
March 19th, 2012
9:52 am
Also, the jury is still out on Koetter at OC although I can’t imagine he’s any worse that MM. Nolan is one upgrade, i’ll give me that.
PMC
March 19th, 2012
10:35 am
They have at least addressed the issue MC, They did sign a guard, Right Guard was the worst position. I thought they might go after Nicks or Grubbs and upgrade that position, but they signed a guy who should be adequate anyway. Dimitroff loves his picks so I’m sure he’s still REALLY high on Mike Johnson.
hbcuclassics
March 19th, 2012
10:41 am
HBCU Classic Sports
2012 Draft Board (1-64)
http://hbcuclassics.com/hbcu_draft_board
Told You So
March 19th, 2012
10:43 am
Schultz, you call this reporting? A sad irony that this Falcons public relations piece that you try to pass off as an “interview” with Dummytroff runs on the same day that we learn that Furman Bisher has passed. You sir couldn’t carry Mr. Bisher’s jock strap. We need to get rid of the Schultz & DOL puff pieces and hire Elijah Snow and/or some Philly sports writers who can & will hold Dummytroff & Co accountable. Your column was pathetic. Where is Arthur taking you to dinner tonight, NY Prime?
hbcuclassics
March 19th, 2012
10:43 am
HBCU Classic Sports
2012 Draft Board
http://hbcuclassics.com/hbcu_draft_board
JR
March 19th, 2012
10:53 am
If we are being active that means a lot of free agents are turning us down. There’s an old saying “don’t talk about the pain, show me the baby”. If we are being active then prove it. I like Grimes, but I am not sure I would put a franchise tag on him. Also, with us signing Abraham this late that means no one else wanted to play for us. I am not saying we are not active, but there’s a problem somewhere if we can not attract free agents
yeahsure
March 19th, 2012
10:54 am
You people are hilarious. You point out players drafted by TD that didnt pan out and then say he’s a horrible GM. Do you realize that EVERY TEAM makes a number of selections in the draft. Not all those players are on the roster. Pick ANY team out there.. Patriots for example. List all the players drafted by Belichick in the past decade and see how many of those are on the active roster today. Freaking armchair GMs dont understand how the NFL works.
JOE ROGERS
March 19th, 2012
12:06 pm
The top free agents went to teams that are desperate. 100 million for mario and his rating at getting to the passer is not as good as Abe’s is. Abe was second in the NFL at putting pressure on the passer. The problem with the defense last year was on VG, He has never been a DC that has ever put any pressure on the passer. He was the same at UGA. You will see a lot of one back sets and the Falcons spreading the feild. The running backs will catch more passes this year than we have ever saw from the Falcons before. Bottom line guys is this, give these guys a chancce. They have taking a team that has been bad for thirty years and have them in the conversation for Super Bowl ever year. TD doesn’t think the fans are stupid, but he knows if he listens to fans when it comes to free agents and drafts we would look like the Redskins.
STRETCH
March 19th, 2012
12:39 pm
Wow, Peyton Manning a Bronco?! Teebow on the way out..ESPN!
Instant Dawgma
March 19th, 2012
4:10 pm
For the Falcons to stand pat after that scathing look on King Arthur’s face, towards Dimitroff and Smith, at the news conference after the playoff loss to the Giants….one word…Wow!
Dimitroff, Smith and all the players that are keeping their jobs better have career years this season.
Instant Dawgma
March 19th, 2012
4:14 pm
Putting all their eggs in this basket is a risky proposition.
Hope they can do it.
BIGDAWGFAN
March 19th, 2012
7:35 pm
s get Tebow
BIGDAWGFAN
March 19th, 2012
7:36 pm
lets
Ichabod
March 19th, 2012
11:02 pm
I see on falcoholic that Abe signed for 5.573 M per season, and they say that for 2012 his total cap is only 4.4 M. I gather there is a lot of incentives in there, but Abe must really want to stay in Atlanta!
Should Falcons GM Dimitroff Feel Some Heat? | Atlanta Falcons: Bird Cage
March 25th, 2012
11:45 am
[...] conversation started when AJC columnist Jeff Schultz wrote a very poignant piece questioning whether Dimitroff has done enough to improve the Falcons after 3 playoff losses, with [...]