Falcons’ startling admission: Ray Edwards was a blunder
Here's Ray Edwards without pads. No reason to show him with pads -- he seldom used them. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
(Updated: 10:15 p.m.)
Say goodbye to one of the few significant personnel mistakes of the Thomas Dimitroff-Mike Smith era.
Defensive end Ray Edwards, the epitome of a free agent bust, was drop-kicked by the Falcons Monday night. How bad does a supposed high-profile player have to be for him to be found useless by two defensive coordinators (Brian VanGorder and Mike Nolan) in two seasons?
The Falcons alibied for Edwards last season, when he managed only 3.5 sacks after recording 16.5 the previous two seasons in Minnesota. They said he wasn’t healthy. There also were suggestions that he wasn’t being used right by the since-departed VanGorder.
Well, excuses apparently weren’t being accepted this season – and Nolan presumably was given a bigger hammer to swing than VanGorder.
Edwards had become a highly paid part-time player. He was brought in to help the pass rush. He devolved into early-down player to defend the run. He wasn’t even doing that well. This for a guy who was signed before last season to a five-year, $27.5 million contract (more than half of which fortunately never will make it into his pocket).
How much had Edwards disappeared? According to Football Outsiders, which tracks the total snap counts of every player, Edwards was in for only 14 plays total in Sunday’s game at New Orleans, and four of those came on special teams. He played on only 10 defensive snaps, which equated to 18 percent of the game.
Meanwhile, Nolan has found ways to use younger players in Edwards place and Kroy Biermann has been used in pass-rush situations and even dropped into coverage. Edwards’ days clearly were numbered.
There was a growing belief that if Nolan couldn’t find much use for him, Edwards would be gone after the season. He gave the impression he just didn’t care. Some wondered if he was putting greater effort into his modeling career. (Here’s a link to his 2012 Edwards’ modeling calendar. Not sure if they’re still $8.)
He also wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around for the media, not that a team would factor that into a personnel decision. Besides, by this point, nobody really wanted to talk to him anyway.
The fact the Falcons made this move now is remarkable for an NFL team just past the halfway point of the season. But if they are going to get pounded publicly for the signing, they should be credited for making such a bold move now. It’s actually a good sign that they were not going to let a problem fester and potentially ruin the season.
That said, signing him was a big mistake.
By Jeff Schultz
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152 comments Add your comment
Thomas Brown
November 13th, 2012
9:26 am
Falcons represent 10 % of the 1,154 on same blog posted 12 hours earlier in this College Football City.
Tommy Maddox
November 13th, 2012
9:45 am
I can’t see how Michael Turner is still on this team. Why won’t they cut him loose?
North FLA Falcon
November 13th, 2012
9:46 am
Thomas DeCoud better man up as well. He was out of position frequently vs the Saints and he looked stupid on Ivory’s TD run. Totally whiffed at nothing and got turned around. He did a nice “dance” after Samuel’s interception though.
O'Brien
November 13th, 2012
10:05 am
Big Ray,
How is Glen Dorsey doing in KC? If only the Falcons had taken him instead of Matt Ryan
Tell it like it is.
November 13th, 2012
10:06 am
Why did it take the falcons so lone to pick up on Edwards? we the fans seen it from the beginning! people need to leave Dunta Robinson alone,he and spoon are the real hiters on the team,they bring it,two of the best in the league.
Statick
November 13th, 2012
10:33 am
@ Tell it like it is
I’d like to know that myself. We are, after all, the same team who gave JA98 all of those years and chances to prove himself, only to get disappointed in the end. Edwards looks like an NFL DE and is built like an NFL DE, but he doesn’t play like an NFL DE. On the bright side, just be thankful we finally wised up and saw him for what he was sooner than later: an average player who was made better by the Williams Wall when he was in Minny.
I just hope Dimitroff takes this as a lesson learned.
Bob
November 13th, 2012
10:34 am
They need to add Matt ice to that list. Did you see he miss two receiver in the end zone? What a great quarterback!
Thomas Dimitroff
November 13th, 2012
10:36 am
Okay I am no Ozzie Newsome in having 5 years to build a solid defense, but how do I sell to Arthur that it was the defense fault that coughing up 72 million dollars to a qb that is 0-3 in the playoffs, never passing for 200 yards, and got shutout in the last playoff game? This will be tough.
tjhook
November 13th, 2012
11:07 am
Haters, Dunta Robinson is a player; he just is not worth the contract he signed for. Arthur Blank is quite the big spender – I have never seen an owner who is so player-friendly when it comes to salary. Fans loved Ovie Mughelli, but was he not overpaid for a fullback? Ryan is overpaid as well- he is good not great QB
torgo
November 13th, 2012
11:11 am
Jeff Schultz – there’s a factual error in your article.
Edwards played 20 snaps on defense against the Saints, not 10. He played 10 snaps in the previous game.
(Hint: the link you referenced is for WEEK nine, not game nine. You forgot about the bye week.)
Keepingitreal
November 13th, 2012
11:24 am
If you have someone better than Robinson and another cb as a backup, then by all means go ahead and cut him. IMO he is decent and he always gives 100 percent. It he misses a tackle it is because he will occasionally take a bad angle, not because he isn’t trying to knock the daylights out of the opponent.
Now Turner is a different story. His ineffectiveness is mind-boggling and the Falcons need to send him a message by starting 44 or 32. He needs to earn those snaps back. If he doesn’t, then cut him at the end of the season.
RT(Riverdale)
November 13th, 2012
11:59 am
Way to go Falcons, Edwards is garbage, Dunta should be next.
Therut
November 13th, 2012
12:00 pm
I hate to beg when it comes to sports (or anything else for that matter) but please send Turner out the door also. He is killing this ballclub!!!!
Short Term Memory
November 13th, 2012
12:13 pm
This is proof that teams waste more money on trying to pick up a pass rusher in free agency then at any other position. You get much better bang for your buck at Corner – ala Asante Samuels.
Of course, I remember vividly the entire media pushing us to get a pass rusher right after we lost to Green Bay like that was the problem. It wasn’t! It was Brian Nickles being out. I think if he is in there we play a much better game against the Packers. I actually think that we should play Owens on the outside and play Dunta in the slot or just bench him. He is giving way too much of a cushion. Of course it will help once we get Spoon back. Nicholson got abused in pass coverage.
After further review
November 13th, 2012
12:16 pm
Enter your comments here
Revisionist history on Ray Edwards
November 13th, 2012
12:17 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
After further review
November 13th, 2012
12:24 pm
Thomas – The vote on the SEC puttting a team could mean one of three things:
1) Several peaople sincerely beleive that at least tow of the undefeated teams ahead of UGA and Alabama in the BCS standings will lose. An honest assesment of the possibilities.
2) THere are a bunch of folksw who mistakenly beleive that a one-loss SEC champion has a guarnteed invite to the national champinonship game, regardless of the records of teams ahead of them. An admirable loyalty to your conference, but not cenetered in reality by any logiocal standard.
3) You voted “Yes” 637 times.
Personally it proves nothing. When the season ends, then the BCS will set up a matchup of 1 vs. 2 based on the actual things that matter: two human polls and the copmputer averages. If there are three teams still undefeated, then the SEC probably will not be in the national championship game
DC Dirty Bird
November 13th, 2012
12:42 pm
Its amazing how fans can call for DRob’s head but are perfectly fine with Michael “Tip-toe if there isn’t a gaping hole” Turner. I blame that loss on him. How is it that we have a 260 lb RB that we can’t trust in short yardage.
Short Term,
We started the season with Grimes and Samuels on the outside and DRob on the outside. Owens should only be played in case of emergency. Please note that McClain gets on the field before him.
bigeasy830
November 13th, 2012
1:50 pm
@ Nahjee
He even lost the big booty stripper, they broke up during the off season. That is probably why he was so disgruntle. He could no longer get what he wanted for his birthday and that was ” A big booty gurl” in my 2 chainz voice.
Joe Dirte
November 13th, 2012
2:01 pm
Schultz can you ask Thomas Dimitroff to sign Ovie Mughelli as soon as possible
GB's Hamburgers
November 13th, 2012
2:16 pm
Edwards is not the first to get millions and then start taking it easy. Pro sports need to return to one year contracts based in the prior year’s performance. It’s the honest approach. You get paid for how you played not how you might play in the future.
jgsbirds
November 13th, 2012
2:37 pm
why are people still talking like tim mckyer was a bust. in my opinion mckyer, deion, case and jordan formed one of the best secondaries in the nfl in 1991. that team gave up some touchdowns but some of that had to do with their pass rush.
i do not consider mckyer or jeff george a bust. mckyer led the league in interceptions one year we had him and george still holds a lot of atlanta falcons passing records. i would agree on most of the other examples…might want to add eric dickerson, pierce holt, bobby hebert and darryl talley while you are at it!
tony
November 13th, 2012
2:40 pm
The trenches have always been a trouble spot for the falcons since they been in Atlanta. Dimitroff need to pay more attention to uga’s defensive linemen because they kick it into another gear at the next level.
If Sheldon Richardson enter this year’s draft, I hope he’s at the top of Dimitroff’s draft board. Abry Jones will be a steal in the 2nd round and sack machine David Bass would be a steal in the 3rd round. That’s a elite group right there.
– Falcons Cut Ray Edwards, Say Signing Him Was A Big Mistake
November 13th, 2012
2:45 pm
[...] The fact the Falcons made this move now is remarkable for an NFL team just past the halfway point of the season. But if they are going to get pounded publicly for the signing, they should be credited for making such a bold move now. It’s actually a good sign that they were not going to let a problem fester and potentially ruin the season. That said, signing him was a big mistake. Via AJC [...]
crybaby
November 13th, 2012
2:50 pm
Let the “dead meat” roll..D.Robinson, A. Samuel, M.Turner, P.Jerry too name a few…
If a guy is not up to 110% like a B.Grimes..get rid of their sorry butt’s!!
Pray tell, who is “ready” to replace Ryan when he goes down???
David Ross - Big Loss
November 13th, 2012
3:14 pm
The Falcons might have blundered in paying too much for Edwards, who clearly was a bust. But, the Braves blundered in the other direction losing David Ross. If Mac was worth 12, then Ross was worth 8.
Rick James
November 13th, 2012
4:03 pm
These are not your dad’s Atlanta Falcons..This is the kind of move winning teams make.
ATL_Native
November 13th, 2012
4:32 pm
Dunta and Edwards are NOT IN THE SAME CLASS! People are just whining and piling on now. CB is 10 times harder to play than DE. At least Dunta makes some punishing hits. I can’t tell you what Ray’s one good quality is….. excuse me WAS.
Rodster
November 13th, 2012
5:14 pm
Good move. He’s a loser.
UPGRAYEDD
November 13th, 2012
6:34 pm
Add Mike Hampton to the list of paycheck thieves in Atlanta.
My question is, Mr. Schultz, is this move a harbinger of more than just an admission of a blunder? Perhaps an acquisition is in the works?
mock1
November 13th, 2012
6:45 pm
Add by subtracting !!! We really need a player that can get to the QB !!! I have been puzzled as to why Sidbury have not gotten any playing time??? The Offensive line cannot RUN block and the Defensive line can not pressure the QB…. If not addressed quickly, it will bite us in the azz come playoffs !!
Defense wins Titles
November 13th, 2012
6:49 pm
I hear you now. If a player does not produce and earn his check, Goodbye. Still say Braves should not have picked up option on Brian McCann. BMc has admitted himself and been disgusted at his end of year dropoffs. He and Braves obviously have not found a solution. I love it. Pay for Production. Pink Slips for Nonproduction. This is how the real world works. All Atlanta GM’s get’r done.
aon
November 13th, 2012
7:08 pm
Jeez people, back off. What a cruel business!
BravesFan79
November 13th, 2012
7:45 pm
i cringed every time i saw him in the game over Beerman last season, even then i could tell Kory was the better more active player.
Esquire
November 13th, 2012
8:45 pm
I get the feeling that Edwards doesn’t give a rat’s behind and was just taking the money.
MrsBanks
November 13th, 2012
9:54 pm
Turner “the non-burner” is next….too many failures with short yardage…I would’ve rather lost to any other team but the doggone Saints…ughhhh
Falcons RiseUp
November 13th, 2012
11:16 pm
Jeff Schultz I think we should spark the backfield up a little let Antone Smith get a few touches throw the defense off then utilize the pass great scheme it’ll win us a Super Bowl let’s make history
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Booker T
November 14th, 2012
11:29 am
NEXT!
Falcons RiseUp
November 14th, 2012
12:33 pm
Falcons vs Broncos in the Super Bowl rematch of 1998
Billy Bob
November 14th, 2012
4:39 pm
Get me past the first playoff game and I can relax. Up to that point none of these wins or losses matter.
Here is the Fear! First and goal in the first playoff game, down by six, 20 seconds on the clock. Stuffed on 1st, stuffed on 2nd. and stuffed on 3rd. 4th. and goal. How tight will your butt be?
Skeptic
November 14th, 2012
5:27 pm
Falcons were only in the Super Bowl because that was the byproduct of taking the Vikings out of it.
air of mendacity
November 15th, 2012
8:11 pm
Dunta – bless his heart – just not is a cover CB – he was (is?) a hitter, but last week he looked hurt or something. Horrible game for him. Obviously, we need to draft or get another free agent CB next year. Dunta does not cut it. Need more linebackers also. Oh – and a running back. Hmmm – where we will get all these players?
Roger Podacter
November 16th, 2012
10:37 pm
@ Skeptic – Huh?
Cega243
November 17th, 2012
2:03 pm
He enjoys dancing before games instead of preparing to play. Maybe he’ll do well in a strip club. He has several internet pictures that suggest this. LOLOL.