Bradley’s Buzz: Post-draft grades show B’s for TD the GM
Draft grades! Get your draft grades right here!
They’re as much a part of the NFL draft as Chris Berman’s forced jocularity and Mel Kiper’s gelled follicles — the post-draft grades, I mean. And here, without further ado, we go.
On CBSsports.com, Pete Prisco gives the Falcons a B-plus. He likes the Peria Jerry pick — hey, who didn’t? — and thinks defensive end Lawrence Sidbury could be a Round 4 sleeper. Prisco does, however, wonder about the choice of William Moore in Round 2.
Writing for USA Today, Larry Weisman bestows a solid B on the Birds. Weisman applauds the Tony Gonzalez trade, the selections of Jerry and Sidbury but wonders if third-rounder Chris Owens will be any more than a nickel back. And you’ll never guess what grade Clifton Brown of Sporting News Today assesses this Falcons’ draft class. Or how Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports rates this crop.
More Prisco? You got it. He called Jerry’s selection “a great pick,” likening him to Warren Sapp, and gave the choice itself a bright shiny A. He only awarded the Moore pick a gentlemen’s C because of doubts concerning his coverage. (Then again, Thomas Dimitroff didn’t grab Moore for that reason. The GM lauded Moore as “a downhill blow-you-up tackler.”)
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.For ESPN.com, Mel Kiper Jr. hands the Falcons still another B. (Link requires registration.) Mel says Moore “could be one of the steals of the draft.” But Todd McShay, Mel’s ESPN counterpart, calls Moore the Falcons’ worst pick (link requires registration), saying “he has too much bust potential for my liking.” The Falcons’ best pick per McShay? Sidbury.
On FoxSports.com, John Czarnecki issued a B-plus for this draft bunch, and he also lauded Jerry’s pass-rushing skills and called him “a perfect fit.” For its part, NFL.com hailed Moore as potentially “one of the draft’s biggest sleepers.”And after Day 1 of the draft, both ESPN.com and Sporting News Today identified Sidbury as one of the top players left on the board. ESPN had him ranked No. 4 (link requires registration) among the then-undrafted, while SNT had him 20th.
Analyzing the draft moves of the teams in the NFC south, Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com called Jerry’s selection the best move. The riskiest move, according to Yasinskas, was Tampa Bay’s choice of quarterback Josh Freeman. And Peter King of SI.com, who doesn’t offer a grade, believes the Falcons overpaid for Gonzalez but allows that Dimitroff “doesn’t care what you and I and the man in the moon I think.”
And here, from Gregg Rosenthal and Evan Silva of MSNBC.com — thanks to Randy and Mitch at WGST for the tip on this — is the obligatory contrarian grade of C-minus. Why C-minus? Because Moore wasn’t the best player available at No. 55. And also because “this draft was unimpressive on paper.” Harrumph.
Me, I’d give the Falcons an A. Drafting 24th in Round 1, needing defense by the boatload, they added seven defenders plus an offensive tackle — and traded for Gonzalez to boot. I don’t believe any team did more to better itself than the boys from Flowery Branch. But you know me. I’m just a big ol’ homer.
What you get if you pay $39.95 to become an ESPN Insider
In ESPN.com’s pick-by-pick analysis of the Falcons’ draft (link requires registration), Moore is considered a possible “full-time starter” and Owens, it is believed, “could develop into a playmaker.” Sidbury, according to ESPN, “must develop physically” and even Jerry needs to develop lower-body strength because “he has problems holding his ground and working against double-teams.”
William Middleton, the fifth-round cornerback, has “ball skills” but also has “some tightness in his hips.” Garrett Reynolds, the fifth-round tackle, is possessed of “outstanding length” but is “heavy-footed.” Spencer Adkins, the sixth-round linebacker, “lacks instincts” but is “a quick-twitched athlete.” And seventh-rounder Vance Walker of Georgia Tech is “relentless at the point of attack” but “needs major work on his technique.”
A Tech man lacking in technique? Fancy that.
Falcons get a pass-rushing computer programmer
Back to Sidbury, whom I consider the most intriguing of all the new Falcons. Les Carpenter of the Washington Post notes that Sidbury has spent the past two years helping tutor high school kids in math and has also written a computer program to assess data from a football season. (Thanks to faithful correspondent Bill Norton, who like Sidbury is a Richmond Spider, for the linkage.)
Mr. Adkins and a slimmer Smitty
Adkins’ selection by the Falcons kept his school — Miami, also known as “the U” — from being shut out in the draft for the first time since 1974, according to this Associated Press dispatch. So that’s something.
And if you saw any of the various press conferences from Flowery Branch over the weekend, doubtless you came away asking, “Has Mike Smith lost weight or what?” He has, you should know, dropped 38 pounds.
How? “It’s not quite Atkins [meaning the famous diet], but it’s like Atkins,” Smitty said. “No carbohydrates.”
It’s the second time, he allowed, that he has dropped several sizes in one offseason. “After we won the Super Bowl [with Baltimore], I got really big,” he said. “I lost 50 pounds after that, but I did it by working out really hard. Now I’m not working out.”
Stafford? Moreno? Remember them?
For SI.com, Don Banks writes that Detroit should essentially shelve Matthew Stafford for a while. I understand the reasoning, but I don’t think it’s practical. An 0-16 team spends between $41 and $78 million on one player, and now it isn’t going to play him? After Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco just took their teams to the playoffs as rookies? Um, no.
And, regarding Knowshon Moreno, Jeffri Chadia of ESPN.com rates him one of the 10 players who landed in the best spots. I’d agree. I think Knowshon will be terrific in Denver. Better than Stafford in Detroit, I say.
The big Bird Tweets about motors!
Perhaps you’ve wondered, with Dimitroff handling the general-managing and Arthur Blank performing the glad-handing, just what it is Rich McKay does these days. The weekend gave us our answer. He offers draft updates via Twitter. (He’s FalconsRMcKay, if you care to follow him.) Herewith, a weekend sampling:
- 2 picks to go before us
- @danielcox a true wildcard–great measureables (11 AM Apr 26th)
- Day 2–this is where your scouting department really shines. We r ready to go. (10 AM Apr 26th)
- Signing off–see you tomorrow. (
- We will take Moore–DS. (
- Stay focused–the draft feels like it has been going a long time, but there are a lot of good players to be picked
- Does NE take White or maybe Butler?? @J2ThaU I would rather not say–he is a really good player on the field……..
- Alphonso Smith goes to Denver
- I am happy for Robiskie– a good kid with w great Dad
- Testing TwitterBerry…
- Testing my connection
- Am I back up again??
- I have been out since our pick–Jerry is a high motor pass rushing DT
- My phone went down–Jerry will help the pass rush and give us another high motor DL
- Jerry will help the pass rush–excellent motor (
- Jerry–Ole Miss (
- DT for us (
- Success! I’m back in business. Sorry for being out of pocket.
- Fixing TwitterBerry…hoping this works! (
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166 comments Add your comment
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
April 27th, 2009
7:33 am
MB, thanks for the recap on grades. I agree with your grade. My only wish was for Asher Allen but you can’t have it all. This could be a huge stepping stone for the future. Somehow the OLB position needs to be addressed.
Keeper
April 27th, 2009
7:39 am
Go Spiders! The defensive leader of a national champion, fits Dimitroff’s “urgency” mold with a chip on his shoulder, will be one of the smartest guys on the team, and a class act who volunteers off the field. Not a bad combination for a 4th rounder.
Leland
April 27th, 2009
7:41 am
Dear Mr. MB–I can’t believe I have a chance for my third first. Your pal, Leland
Leland
April 27th, 2009
7:42 am
Dear Mr. MB–aw, heck. But, third ain’t so bad. Your pal, Leland
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
April 27th, 2009
7:55 am
ha ha ha
Veteran Fan
April 27th, 2009
8:04 am
Bank Walker Sidbury and the kid from Miami, Adkins, are the two candidates for the OLB position. Sidbury is as fast as most wide receivers in the draft and definitely as fast as any TE. Both of them are big enough to stuff the run and fast enough to rush the passer.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
8:21 am
Hey, Leland. Hey, Keeper.
If I had to guess, I’d say Sidbury is the key to this class.
Legend of Len Barker
April 27th, 2009
8:36 am
Thank you for deconstructing ESPN. After watching the coverage all weekend, I thought the Jets had the worst record in football and picked #1. And that Mark Sanchez was not just the greatest thing since sliced bread, he invented the bread, the knife, and was working on the butter.
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
8:38 am
i thought the choice of cornerbacks was very questionable, especially with dj moore there. they probably still could have gotten one of the other ones.
jaydee
April 27th, 2009
8:51 am
2 things I really don’t like: ESPN’s Insider and Twitter. And you were poking fun at both….I think
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
9:01 am
Is Sidbury gonna play DE, and move anderson inside (or off the field)? Or do you think he will play OLB? Does he have the coverage capabilities to do so?
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:01 am
Me? Poke fun? Never!
I just said — shameless cross-platform plug — on WGST that I think Sanchez is way overrated, Legend of Len.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:02 am
I think Jamaal could well be a full-time DT soon. And I think Sidbury is strictly a DE.
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
9:07 am
Do they see Sidbury as an immediate starter
Ed-Covington
April 27th, 2009
9:12 am
First of all, as already stated, TD, MS and RMc have mush more experience scouting; and certainly a lot more at stake in their profession, than any of us; so we really have to trust their judgement. I have been following Falcon drafts since Norb Hecker drafted Tommy Nobis[LB-Texas]and Randy Johnson[QB-some other college in Texas] in the first round of the first Falcon draft. I generally agree with all of this year’s picks; and no one can questions the acquisition of TG. Still, some observations:
Last year, TD drafted the best QB available, from a BCS school[BC], then his picks were from USC, Okla., LSU, all elite BCS programs, and Louisville, another top-tier BCS school at the time. Lots of experience against top-level competition in big games. Fewer questions about how a player might perform against top talent.
This year’s picks were from second-tier BCS schools [Miss, Mizz, MiamiFla, GT & NC] and non-BCS programs[Furm, Rich, SJS]. TD took a lot more risks this year. However, we trust that his scouting background serves him well.
I must add a comment on WM in the 2nd: I am a GT alum and huge fan. I remember Ken Swilling from Stephens County playing as a big[6.3,230]safety for the 90 GT national championship team as a junior, and projected as a 1st round pick if he came out. He stayed for his senior year, under-performed and never did anything in the NFL. Another, more recent and painful example, would be when a potential first round S/CB fell to the Falcons in the 2nd round:from VT, his name: Jimmy Williams.
I wish TD & MS all the success in the world; I have always been a dedicated Falcon fan, even in the worst of times. But I also remember when Norm Van Brocklin met with some success in the Harmon Wages, Bob Berry, Dave Hampton Art Malone, Jim Mitchell years and was proclaimed a genius. Then there were the Eddie LeBaron-Leman Bennett years of Steve Bartkowski, William Andrews, Alfred Jenkins, Lynn Cain, Mike Kenn, Jeff Van Note etc. They were labeled as geniuses the first few years. Then there was Dan Reeves, who finally actually took the Dirty Birds to the SB. The point is that all of these were actually football geniuses. They just could not sustain their success. I personally believe that EL-LB and DR could have lasted except for the impatience of their respective owners. The Birds languished for years after EL-LB were fired by the Smiths; and I wonder how AB feels in retrospect about his hire of RMc & JM to replace DR. I’m anxious to see if JM really learned anything about handling star players in Seattle. Point is, all of these regimes met with initial success with the Falcons and were praised by the fans and media; then ignominously ordered out of town a few years later. “All Fame is Fleeting”
Still, I believe that this draft exemplifies TD’s confidence in his own ability to find talent hidden at the lower levels; these picks are much riskier than last year’s “safer” draft.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:12 am
Maybe not an immediate starter, but I think they’d love it if he’s at least the third-down pass rusher fairly soon.
And, not to inflict cruel and unusual punishment on you early-morning readers, but I’ve already added three items — including MSNBC’s bizarre grade of C-minus for the Falcons — since this post appeared at 7:02 a.m. So check back above, if you would.
Robert Barron
April 27th, 2009
9:13 am
This may not be the time and place but I don’t want Ryan running the ball at all next year. He is too important just to pick up a first down.
Robert Barron
April 27th, 2009
9:13 am
With Gonzo, he probably won’t need to.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:14 am
I remember Ken Swilling very well, Mr. Ed, but I’m not sure we’d call picking Matt Ryan No. 3 overall or trading up for Sam Baker “safe” picks.
NC Braves Fan
April 27th, 2009
9:18 am
Off-topic: who pays $40 a year to find out what the ESPN talking heads think? Are their opinions really that worthwhile?
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:21 am
NC Braves Fan, I’ll tell you who pays $39.95: Someone who’s hoping like heck he gets reimbursed.
uga_b
April 27th, 2009
9:23 am
Mark, I think your biggest mistake in paying for it was not realizing they were giving the Cosby & Cosby coverage away for free on ESPN.com.
I believe they would have taken Asher and that was the only place their guy didn’t fall to them. Moore had a down year after being a Top 15 pick. I will take my chances in the 3rd round. I agree with most pundits that it is B to B+. Mostly because of the number of potential starters, I come up with 3.
Mac
April 27th, 2009
9:24 am
It’s nice to be able to say Falcons brain trust without sarcasm. I have no doubt the players they picked have the potential to play.
I used to read Prisco when he was covering the Jag-U-lars for the Florida Times-Union. He’s pretty good – no Bradley, mind you – but a good ‘un just the same.
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
9:26 am
Ofcourse Mark Sanchez can make the Jets have one of best drafts. He’s the best quarterback of this draft. He’s so mature and faced adversity every game against the nations best teams in the best conference…
Julia Wallace
April 27th, 2009
9:26 am
Ain’t happening, pal.
(Just kidding. – Mac)
Robert Barron
April 27th, 2009
9:29 am
I thought Swilling got stiffed by staying another year just to watch the guy who talked him into staying take the money and run for the pros.
Beatherd holds a grudge vs the Falcons so it was funny to watch him on ESPN’s worst picks ever defend his choice of Ryan Leaf.
NC Braves Fan
April 27th, 2009
9:29 am
MB: HA! I can see it for a sportswriter, blogger and video producer extraordinaire (but only if the info on the ESPN site doesn’t suck).
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:31 am
Good one, Mac. You got my attention.
Robert Barron
April 27th, 2009
9:34 am
Mark, the AJC pays you a lot extra to put up with us? Right?
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:38 am
Robert, I like to think that hanging with you folks is a perk of the job.
Cuz
April 27th, 2009
9:45 am
Solid draft and great trade for Gonzales. I think the birds will be a force to be reckoned with this year.
Robert, Mark just loves the opportunity for the snappy comeback.
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
9:51 am
Can’t wait to see Gonzalez’s effect on other defenses. Teams wont be able to load up the box or double team our wide receivers anymore now that there’s a middle of the field threat. He makes our offseason as a whole of the best out of the league this year.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:55 am
I think we all do, Cuz. Unfortunately, I don’t have one at present.
BT
April 27th, 2009
9:56 am
When are non-drafted free agent signings announced.
willie
April 27th, 2009
9:58 am
I remember mostly B and C grades last year and look how that draft worked out. I’ll trust TD, Smitty and gang over these guys any day, but still glad to see that most of them had us in the B range.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
9:59 am
I’m sure the Falcons don’t really care overmuch what those of us in the media think. But nobody wants to do all that work and see somebody lay a C-minus on you.
willie
April 27th, 2009
10:00 am
They would have certainly taken Michael Johnson if he had slipped to them in the 3rd, but he correctly did not. What a steal for Cincy.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
10:00 am
Free agent names and signings should start to trickle out this afternoon or tomorrow morning.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
10:01 am
Actually, Willie, I believe the Falcons were hoping for Asher Allen in Round 3.
willie
April 27th, 2009
10:04 am
I can’t imagine them passing on MJ in the late 3rd with his monstrous upside when they obviously valued pass rush enough to take Sidbury in 4th, but who knows. You can never have enough good corners, so I hope Owens pans out.
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
10:07 am
AFC EAST
Patriots
S Marcus McClinton (Kentucky)
CB Jamar Love (Arkansas)
QB Brian Hoyer (Michigan St.)
LB Antonio Appleby (Virginia)
FB Eric Kettani (Navy)
WR Tyree Barnes (Navy)
Dolphins
TE Jared Bronson (Central Washington)
OG Mark Lewis (Oregon)
DE Ryan Baker (Purdue)
LB Orion Martin (Virginia Tech)
WR Chris Williams (New Mexico St.)
Jets
DE Jamaal Westerman (Rutgers)
TE Andrew Davie (Arkansas)
DL Matt Kroul (Iowa)
P T.J. Conley (Idaho)
S Emanuel Cook (South Carolina)
TE Robert Myers (Utah State)
FB Brannan Southerland (Georgia)
QB Chris Pizzoti (Harvard
OT Tavita Thompson (Oregon St)
DE Zach Potter (Nebraska)
OT Kyle Link (McNeese St)
TE J’Nathan Bullock (Cleveland State – Basketball)
Bills
DL David Lindquist (Illinois)
OT Joel Bell (Furman)
TE Travis McCall (Alabama)
K Danny Urrego (Portland State)
DE Gerald Washington (USC)
AFC West
Chiefs
DE Pierre Walters (Eastern Illinois)
WR Taurus Johnson (South Florida)
LB Jovan Belcher (Maine)
DB Londen Fryar (W. Michigan)
DE Bobby Greenwood (Alabama)
LB Bobby Abare (Yale)
Chargers
LB Darry Beckwith (LSU)
OL Ryan McDonald (Illinois)
WR Charly Martin (West Texas A&M)
OT Sam Allen (Grand Valley St.)
OT Dan Gay IV (Baylor)
TE Kory Sperry (CSU)
DT Rashaad Jackson (Clemson)
LB James Holt (Kansas)
TE Jermiah Wurzbacher (NDSU)
RB Curtis Brinkley (Syracuse)
CB Wopamo Osaisai (Stanford)
Raiders
LB Frantz Joseph (Florida Atlantic)
DE Desmond Bryant (Harvard)
Broncos
DL Everette Pedescleaux (Northern Iowa)
CB Dominique Johnson (Jackson St)
WR Lucas Taylor (Tennessee)
DE Rulon Davis (Cal)
WR Nate Swift (Nebraska)
TE Marquez Branson (Central Arkansas)
DT Chris Baker (Hampton)
WR David Grimes (Notre Dame)
CB Tony Carter (FSU)
P Britton Colquitt (Tennessee)
AFC North
Steelers
LS Mark Estermyer (Pittsburgh)
OT Ramon Foster (Tennessee)
S Derrick Richardson (New Mexico St.)
QB Mike Reilly (Central Washington)
Ravens
QB Drew Willy (Buffalo)
DT Will Johnson (Michigan)
OL Greg Ryan (Western Kentucky)
DE Willie VanDeSteeg (Minnesota)
WR Eron Riley (Duke)
OT Cameron Goldberg (Duke)
LB Dannell Ellerbe (Georgia)
K Graham Gano (FSU
Browns
WR Jordan Norwood (Penn St.)
S Jason Venson (UCF)
OG Marlon Davis (Alabama)
DB Corey Boudreaux (SDSU)
WR Brent Casteel (Utah)
p Chris Lynch (Albany)
Bengals
DT TY Steinkuhler (Nebraska)
DL Dan Skuta (Grand Valley St.)
FB Chris Pressley (Wisconsin)
S Tom Nelson (Illinois State)
RB Marlon Lucky (Nebraska)
WR Quan Cosby (Texas)
TE Greg Orton (Purdue)
QB Billy Farris (CSU)
C Colin Dow (Montana)
AFC South
Colts
DT Pat Kuntz (Notre Dame)
OT Cornelius Lewis (Tenn St.)
P Tim Masthay (Kentucky)
LB Ramon Humbler (NDSU)
TE Colin Cloherty (Brown)
WR John Matthews (San Diego)
CB Brandon Harrison (Michigan)
Jaguars
WR Jason English (Tuskegee)
CB Peter Ittersagen (Wheaton)
DE Jeremy Navarre (Maryland)
QB Tyler Lorenzen (Uconn)
DE Julius Williams (UConn)
QB Michael Desormeaux (UL)
RB Kyle Bell (Colorado St.)
QB Nathan Brown (Central Arkansas)
DT George Hypolite (Colorado)
WR Todd Peterson (Nebraska)
S Kevin Patterson (Wake Forest)
LB Russel Allen (SDSU)
FB Brock Bolen (Louisville)
CB Weldon Brown (La Tech)
WR Maurice Dupree (Jacksonville St.)
RB Mike McClendon (North Alabama)
C Cecil Newton (Tenn St.)
LB Johnny Williams (Kentucky)
Texans
OT Jason Watkins (Florida)
DE Tim Jamison (Michigan)
RB Arian Foster (Tennessee)
RB Jeremiah Johnson (Oregon)
LB Toddrick Verdell (FSU
DT Josh Leonard (Hawaii)
Titans
WR Dudley Guice (NW State)
DE Mitch King (Iowa)
OL Ryan Scmidt (South Florida)
NFC East
Giants
DE Maurice Evans (Penn State)
S Otis Wiley (Mich State)
S Sha’reff Rashad (UCF)
Eagles
RB Marcus Thigpen (Indiana)
DL Josh Gaines (Penn State)
WR Brandon Robinson (Boston College)
RB Walter Mendenhall (Illinois St.)
SS Rashard Langford (Vanderbilt)
LB Dallas Reynolds (BYU)
K Sam Swank (Wake Forest)
Redskins
QB Chase Daniel (Missouri)
OT Scott Burley (Maryland)
DE Derek Walker (Illinois)
WR Josh Briscoe (Tennessee)
C Edwin Wiliams (Maryland)
WR Jaison Williams (Oregon)
CB Doug Dutch (Michigan)
Cowboys
WR Kevin Ogletree (Virginia)
WR Julian Hawkins (Boise St)
QB Graham Harrel (Texas Tech) (Tryout for Contract – could sign with Dallas)
OG Greg Isdaner (West Virginia)
OG Mike Turkovich (Notre Dame)
FB Asaph Schwapp (Notre Dame)
TE Jamar Hunt (UTEP)
NFC West
Seahawks
DE Michael X. Bennett (Texas A&M)
LB Tony Fein (Mississippi)
RB Devin Moore (Wyoming)
LB Dave Philistin (Maryland)
OT Andre Ramsey (Ball State)
RB Tyler Roehl (North Dakota State)
LS Sean Griffin (Michigan)
49ers
DE Pannel Egboh (Stanford)
CB Jahi Word-Daniels (Georgia Tech)
RB Kory Sheets (Purdue)
OT Alex Boone (Ohio State)
CB Carlos Thomas (South Carolina)
CB Terrail Lambert (Notre Dame)
DE Brandon Long (MSU)
Cardinals
WR Justin Brown (Hampton)
DB Michael Ray Garvin (FSU)
WR Shane Morales (Oregon St.)
LB Chase Bullock (Maryland)
Rams
OG Roger Allen (Missouri Western)
DE Ian Campbell (Kansas State)
OT Phil Trautwein (Florida)
SS Mark Rubin (Penn State)
LB Dominic Douglas (Mississippi State)
C Daniel Sanders (Colorado)
NFC North
Bears
OL Dennis Conley (Hampton)
WR Eric Peterman (Northwestern)
S Dahana Deletson (UConn)
FB Will Taufoou (Cal)
LB Mike Rivera (Kansas)
LB Kevin Malast (Rutgers)
OG Johan Asiata (UNLV)
RB Tyrell Fenroy (UL-Lafayette)
DT Steve Ostrowski (UW-Whitewater)
TE Vernon Sims (Northern Illinois)
Packers
WR Andy Brodell (Iowa)
RB Tyrell Sutton (Northwestern)
WR Kole Heckendorf (North Dakota State)
TE Carson Butler (Michigan)
WR Jaron Harris (SDSU)
DE Ron Talley (Delaware)
OL Evan Detrick-Smith (Idaho State)
WR Jamarko Simmons (Western Michigan)
OG Dario Nanni (Stillman Valley)
LB Willie Williams (Union College)
P Kurt Achter (UW-Oshkosh)
Vikings
S DeVon Hall (Utah State)
LB Andy Schantz (Portland State)
WR Vinny Perreta (Boise St.)
LB Robert Francois (Boston College)
RB Ian Johnson (Boise St.)
C Jon Cooper (Oklahoma)
WR Nick Walker (Alabama)
OL Andy Kemp (Wisconsin)
RB Kahlil Bell (UCLA)
FS Colt Anderson (Montana)
Lions
DT John Gill (Northwestern)
LB Andrew Downey (Maine)
C Dan Gerberry (Ball State)
PK Swayze Walters (UAB)
DL DJ Boldin (Wake Forest)
NFC South
Bucs
S Marshall McDuffie (FIU)
S Terrence Moore (Troy)
OL Rob Bruggeman (Iowa)
DB DeAngelo Willingham (Tennessee)
QB Joe Ganz (Nebraska)
OG Maurice Miller (Mississippi)
Falcons
LB Brock Christopher (Missouri)
WR Aaron Kelly (Clemson)
OL Ryan Stanchek (West Virginia)
QB John Parker Wilson (Alabama)
WR Darren Mougey (SDSU)
DE Maurice Lucas (Colorado)
LB Derek Nicholson (FSU)
P Robbie Dehaze (NAU)
Panthers
LB Anthony Heygood (Purdue)
OL Keith Grey (UConn)
OT Gerald Cadogan (Penn St.)
LB Brit Miller (Illinois)
OL CJ Davis (Pitt)
TE Kevin Brock (Rutgers)
WR Jason Cherry (UL-Lafayette)
DT Justin Kershaw (MSU)
WR Larry Beavers (Wesley)
OT Patrick Brown (UCF)
LS Nick Sundberg (Cal)
QB Hunter Cantwell (Louisville)
RB Jamall Lee (Canada – Bishops)
Saints
CB Danny Gorrer (Texas A&M)
OG Cedric Dockery (Texas)
WR Chris Vaughn (Louisville)
OT Augustus Parrish (Kent State)
LB Jonathan Casillas (Wisconsin)
Robert Barron
April 27th, 2009
10:09 am
I noticed the Viks were the ones taking the risk on Harvin, having succeeded with the same strategy on Randy Moss which worked until he nearly ran over a female cop.
dericc anderson
April 27th, 2009
10:09 am
i thought we did horrible in our draft. the first guy never even heard of him and i didnt see anything special in his highlight tape. We should have gotten Big Play Ray from USC Atlanta needs a star and a big one fast and not on offense I mean defense. And how did they help Ryan We still need WR’. Roddy stepped up but who else you gonna rely on? a TE cmon this is a joke the Falcons flunked the draft wacth and see. The only name i thought that was a great pick was Vance Walker he is a horse
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
10:09 am
And the falcons definitely would have and should have taken allen over m johnson if the cards played out that way. sidbury will probably have a more productive career than johnson
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
10:11 am
and that long list i posted was undrafted free agents
Robert Barron
April 27th, 2009
10:16 am
I sure hope you didn’t have to type it.
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
10:17 am
yeah, i have quick fingers
Falcon Faithful
April 27th, 2009
10:19 am
no, http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2009/04/2009-undrafted-free-agent-signings-list.html
Ctrl c, Ctrl v
SavBird
April 27th, 2009
10:20 am
I’m with you Mark, but I’m a homer too. Good draft. We should not doubt TD or MS. They’ve proven they know what they are doing.
Phillip
April 27th, 2009
10:22 am
I’m not suprised by the Falcons good grades – it was a “hole-filling” draft – nothing real sexy but a workman like draft that fills holes. Peria Jerry was a no-brainer pick. William Moore, if he plays up to his potential Mark – well then Falcons are looking tough. I agree with you that I think Asher Allen was the pick for the Falcons in round three – he just went a few spots too early….Love the Sidbury pick as I think he could develop – don’t know about those corners – but Dimitroff gets the benefit of the doubt with me. Great draft!
Robert Barron
April 27th, 2009
10:23 am
Hey isn’t one of the lessor known heroes from last year the O line coach who turned his unit around?
Cherokee STH
April 27th, 2009
10:25 am
I think its harder to make a splash when you are picking later in the draft and improvement for this group now is…fortunately…incremental. The product that was put out on the field last year was very good (as well as a little lucky at times) and it goes into next year deeper and stronger. I liked the WM pick. Last year he could have been a top ten. Effectively the team added an all Pro, a top ten safety, and a top 20 DL…picking at 24. The corner is a bit undersized, but great speed and a 35+ vertical can compensate for some of that. A good rush can compensate for the rest. This was a really smart draft…all picks are crapshoots, but I do not think we ended up with any “looks like Tarzan plays like Jane’s”
Robert Barron
April 27th, 2009
10:27 am
I don’t think the Swilling comparisome to Moore is appropriate. Moore drop was due to injury and not greater scrutiny.
RedandBlack
April 27th, 2009
10:28 am
Please tell me the real reason for drafting a 5′9″ CB in the NFL? If the Falcons wanted Asher Allen, then why did they not trade up?
I like the rest of the picks, and I know TD will put the Falcons together to have a great season. Go Falcons!! Go Dogs!!!
Curious George
April 27th, 2009
10:32 am
I just read where respected and legendary coach Tony Dungy is going to “visit” Mike Vick in prison.
Gee, why doesn’t Tony Dungy ever visit any of the NON-famous, NON-wealthy, venereal disease-spreading, women-hurting, dog-torturing felons in our nation’s prison system who are much closer to where he lives?
brewdawg
April 27th, 2009
10:32 am
What I don’t like is that Jerry is going to be a 25 year old rookie. To me, that means he needs to be playing at a Pro Bowl level very quickly. There is no real development time. If you’re 21, you are allowed a good 3 years to develop your skills before worry really starts to set in. If Perry takes 3 years to develop, he will be 28 years old, and we’ll likely only get 4-5 years of peak productivity. For a first round pick, that is a real concern to me.
carmatter
April 27th, 2009
10:43 am
Curious George – Dungy is actually involved in visiting lots of people in prison, the vast majority of whom are Non-famous, etc. You can read about it here: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2009-04-19-tony-dungy-cover_N.htm
monty
April 27th, 2009
10:44 am
Like Steve Young said,”give me a kid who loves to play football. A lot of guys are good players, but they don’t love it, give me a kid who loves playing the game.” I agree with his assessment. He said,the NFL will chew you up and spit you out if you don’t love playing the game.(my paraphrase)
Poor McKay
April 27th, 2009
10:45 am
Mark, who leaves town first, Jamal Anderson or Garret Anderson? With Chancey, Sidbury and Biermann, I’m betting that Jamal will be kickin’ rocks real soon (or shifted to DT where he becomes a 4th stringer behing Perry, Babineaux & Trey). I wonder if Rich will tweet about Jamal?
monty
April 27th, 2009
10:47 am
Curious George
To try to turn Dungee’s actions into something negative, you just exposed yourself dude.
NRBQ
April 27th, 2009
10:50 am
Back at it at 7 a.m.? Yeoman’s work, Mark.
Thanks for condensing the blatherings of all the swelled-head experts (cough – Kiper, King). Now I don’t have to read any of it.
ChopChamps95
April 27th, 2009
10:50 am
Overall, I’d have to give this draft for the Falcons a B. I also have a little concern with taking a 25 year old rookie with my first pick. I personally would have used it on Clay Matthews out of USC so that the other OLB spot gets filled. I also have a problem with addressing your linebacker hole with the 6th round guy. Adkins won’t be around to see his name on the roster when the regular season starts.
ToccoaDawg
April 27th, 2009
10:51 am
I have been a falcons fan since I was a young boy in the 60’s. In all that time there has NEVER been a front office I trusted more than this one. And as far as the late round picks does anyone remember a guy named Jessie Tuggle and how that worked out.
ernisTbass
April 27th, 2009
10:55 am
MSNBC gives the Falcons a C- Hmmmmmm?? TD must be a Republican
Reid Adair
April 27th, 2009
10:55 am
It is somewhat surprising how many people like the selection of Lawrence Sidbury. The Falcons wanted to focus on defense, and they did.
As for all of the B / B+ grades for the draft, I can remember when this organization was getting C’s and D’s for grades. Things have changed.
willie
April 27th, 2009
11:01 am
I’m not sure where you get your info that Sidbury will be better than Johnson, Falcon Faithful. Scout has MJ ranked 40th overall player and Sidbury 117th. It’s not even close. I can possibly see the Asher Allen argument over MJ (even though I also disagree with that one…Allen ranked 66th), but no way should you say Sidbury is a better prospect that MJ. Having said that, I hope Owens is the next Champ and Sidbury the next Haley!
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
11:02 am
When you think about it, Twitter would be the ideal vehicle for capturing all Jamaal’s highlights. You could do that in 140 characters, no prob.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
11:04 am
Indeed, line coach Paul Boudreau is a real pro. And a good guy, too.
Tony Dungy Fan
April 27th, 2009
11:09 am
Michael Vick is a pathetic waste of flesh.
Mr. Dungy’s efforts would be better spent on people in prison (or who soon will be) who were actually intelligent to graduate college like O.J. Simpson, Rod Blagojevich or The Unabomber.
I am so glad that disease MV7 is gone from OUR FALCONS!!!!
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
11:12 am
Oh, and thanks for the list, FF. Aaron Kelly might have a shot.
Michael
April 27th, 2009
11:14 am
Now that the draft is over, one move that is interesting is Leroy Brown out of Seattle is a UFA. Any thoughts of going after him?? Good young OLB.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
11:17 am
Leroy Brown? I heard he was the baddest man in the whole, er, darn town. Badder than old King Kong, and meaner than a junkyard dog.
Sorry. Couldn’t resist.
YOU HEARD IT!
April 27th, 2009
11:20 am
This years d-line will dominate! And yes with JA98!
billy
April 27th, 2009
11:22 am
I thought it was Leroy Hill that was released from Seattle after they drafted Curry and I think he is from Ga. played for Clemson. He would be a great pickup.
Hamad Meander
April 27th, 2009
11:24 am
I was jumping for joy when Asher Allen was picked before the Falcon’s 90th pick, but I wasn’t expecting them to stay CB there. I was hoping to see an outside linebacker or a free safety such as Rashad Johnson in that spot. I can’t see that the corners we picked are any significant upgrade from the ones already on teh roster. I guess I thought we would select one, but not two.
I am excited about Lawrence Sidbury Jr. That dude could be a beast at end.
A buddy and I were talking about the Jamaal Anderson pick two years ago. We follow SEC West football and when he was picked, we weren’t familiar with him. When it comes to top SEC defenders, you know their names if they are really good. Believe me – Jeria Jerry and Greg Hardy are two guys you know right away. Anyone defensive lineman from LSU – you know.
I’m just glad that this pick from an SEC school is someone we’ve seen kick some butt for years in the league.
Hamad Meander
April 27th, 2009
11:27 am
The rub against drafting corners is that they are only as good as the defensive line. If the line isn’t getting any pressure on the QB, the DBs can’t cover forever. The opposite isn’t as true – great DBs can’t make the line as good as a line can make great DBs.
fuzy0724
April 27th, 2009
11:41 am
I know y’all have probably seen and heard very little of William Moore, but he plays like Bob Sanders at Indy. The whole defense will be better with him on the field. When he was on the field, Mizzou was a contender, and their D was only mediocre when he got hurt. He is not a cover guy, but he will hit and has a ton of heart. I followed him while living in ST Louis for a few years. I love the pick and think he will be a very productive pro.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
11:54 am
Fuzzy, I had my heart set on one Missouri Tiger. Alas, Ziggy has gone elsewhere.
nhe
April 27th, 2009
12:04 pm
Hamad – I was also jumping for joy when Asher Allen was picked in the 2nd round……..if he didn’t go to UGA, he’d have zero buzz on this board. He has good measurables, but did you folks watch UGA games last year? Allen got burned more than a blind guy who answers the iron every time the phone rings.
The reason I’m high on Sidbury is the comment I heard from McShay (I think it was McShay) when Sidbury was drafted – “best spin move in the draft” – I love hearing that about my 4th rd. DE…….he sounds like a poor man’s Dwight Freeney – we’d take that all day!
VAThrasher
April 27th, 2009
12:05 pm
I live in Richmond, so I was able to watch Sidbury on numerous occasions. The guy just tore offenses (albeit, not SEC caliber talent)apart with his speed. Size could be an issue, but if he’s able to beef up a bit, he’ll be a lot of fun to watch.
David
April 27th, 2009
12:05 pm
Mark it is fun to give grades but completley irrelevant. They haven’t played ONE down.
My question is this? Of all these so-called experts that make grades, are any of them held accountable for being wrong…. as in so many people saying the Texans BLEW IT for drafting Mario instead of Bush or the fact that the mock drafts weren’t even close to the way it played out.
Barry
April 27th, 2009
12:10 pm
Hey Y’all:
Dimitroff and Smith got two, big llineen who rung 4.5 and 4.6 in the 40 yard dash. Are you kidding me!!! These guys combined with the No.1 draft choice, Jerry, and John Abraham, are going to turn out the NFL. This is going to be an enjoyable season watching the “PROCESS” continue on our getting to the SUPER BOWL. With addition like this only makes it more exciting nd better. This thing is going down sooner than expecting. I love what the falcons and the front office is doing. They stuck with the defense throughout the draft. I know other teams are saying “Uh-Oh!!” Thes falcons are forreal. Therefore, let’s do this thing in “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!”
GO FALCONS!!!
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
This is a SECRET from a FALCON FAN. TELL EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
……………………….”ONE HEARTBEAT, BABY!!!!!……………….
Fred
April 27th, 2009
12:14 pm
Stafford should be shelved because the idiots picking in Detroit did not take a friggin OT in the draft. Those fools have doomed Stafford to failure before he has even gone to OTA’s. Looks to me like Detroit is only extending the Matt Millen regime.
How could they be so stupid? There were still lots of quality OT’s with their 2nd first rounder and they took….a friggin TE? Are you kidding me? What if the guy turns out to be the next Tony Gonzalez? Well, you see what good Tony did in KC. What a joke the Lions are. I feel terrible for Stafford, but I guess he can be a bust all the way to the bank.
Hamad Meander
April 27th, 2009
12:35 pm
I guess that Detroit’s LT Jeff Bachus and RT Gosder Cherilus – both first round picks aren’t enough to protect Stafford? From what I’ve read, Pettigrew is a beast blocking, so it might be possible he’ll be kept back to protect Stafford instead of running routes.
Either way, Stafford is starting for Detroit day one. You can’t spend that much money, pick a guy first, and leave him on the shelf. That team needs something to spark fan interest, and a new QB is the way to do that.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
12:40 pm
Well, David, your point is undeniable. These guys haven’t worked an NFL down. But draft grades are, I submit, fairly irresistible reading.
Terrell
April 27th, 2009
12:45 pm
dericc anderson
April 27th, 2009
10:09 am
i thought we did horrible in our draft. the first guy never even heard of him and i didnt see anything special in his highlight tape.
==================================================================
I guess you don’t watch much football at all do you. We don’t need flash we need consistency. Ray was said to have not been a consistent tackler and that’s why he was the last of the 3 big LBs from USC taken. Mike Jenkins came up big for us during the season and so did Harry Douglas. Remember the Chicago game? since it seems you don’t know football, when you have a running game like we do and a great #1 WR like we do then how do you help the QB? By getting a TE that demands attention. Put 8 or 9 guys in the box to stop the run if you want to, or double team Roddy if you want and TG will make you pay. We did not need another receiver in this draft.
ATLNOLE
April 27th, 2009
12:50 pm
I sure am enjoying the air of football competency that the Falcons are exuding since they hired Dimitroff and Smith.
Cherokee STH
April 27th, 2009
12:51 pm
I thought it was a pleasant moment during the draft when one of the primary talking head’s was remarking on the Saint’s possible choices. “They have to do something to keep pace with Atlanta…the team to beat in the NFC South”. I think the consensus is that the season was NOT a fluke (unlike perhaps, Arizona?). Kinda nice hearing generally positives about the draft, and respect in the analyst box for a change. Yes, Sidbury needs a few pounds (if they don’t slow him down) but he will benefit more from playing with Jerry, Abraham and Babineaux.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
12:52 pm
I kind of enjoy the idea of competency, too. Such a nice change!
NRBQ
April 27th, 2009
12:56 pm
Barry -
One muzzle, baby. Please.
Supes
April 27th, 2009
12:58 pm
Falcons did address the D-Line needs in this draft. However they failed to address the LB position. I don’t believe the kid out of the “U” will be projecting as a starting OLB.
Nicholas and Wire are not proven…we are left with Lofton (who has potential and now has to be the leader of the D), and Peterson…who played his way out Jax. Not sold on this LB core.
I would have drafted Clay Matthews Jr in the 1st, The kid from San Jose State in the 2nd (DT, big upside), and traded up even (if necessary) to get Michael Johnson in the 3rd. Yes, there are questions about Johnson…but you can’t coach 6′6 260 freak of nature body and talent. I don’t know how you pass up on that. With the right coaching he could be the next simeon rice or better! Then in the 4th, you still draft Sidbury out of Richmond. Can’t never have too many D-Lineman.
TPM
April 27th, 2009
12:59 pm
This whole column is irrelevant. I can recall The Falcons getting high grades 2 years ago when they drafted Jamaal Anderson out of Arkansas. I can also recall some columnists praising The Falcons for giving up draft picks and 42 million for Peeerless Price.
Take a deep breathe and wait for these guys to play a few games.
Terrell
April 27th, 2009
1:01 pm
Tony Dungy Fan
April 27th, 2009
11:09 am
Michael Vick is a pathetic waste of flesh.
===========================================================
How can you be a fan of Dungy with this statement? The fact you took the time to post this is very sad. I’m glad he doesn’t think like you.
Jeff
April 27th, 2009
1:04 pm
Hi Mark, great column, and I have a question… I’m just curious how many players an NFL club’s front office will usually meet or interview in person. Do they target the top 15-20 guys on their board and hope they get half of them? Do they only get to really interview the guys they want in rounds 1, 2 and 3? Do they interview 100 guys with a “shotgun approach”? I am just asking b/c I’m sure many fans are curious if most teams (except, of course, for the Raiders) have done a ton of research before making one of only 5 or 6 picks they have for that year, or if they base things heavily on film study/NFL combine workouts/advance scouting.
Jeff
April 27th, 2009
1:07 pm
Oh, and one personal comment about the Falcons draft…. I thought it was solid, but not flashy. I wonder if some of these guys from smaller schools (Furman, Richmond, etc.) are ready for the step up in competition, but I’ll trust Dimitroff & Co. on that. I was really hoping for one of those USC linebackers b/c I think any of the 3 could help us immediately, but I’ll hope that TD and MS know what they are doing and have some plans to replace Brooking and make our LB corps deeper. I really think with what we have now, we are just one Pro-Bowl LB away or one star DB away from making a serious, deep championship run (assuming that The Predator and our O-line can stay healthy).
Falcon 1
April 27th, 2009
1:09 pm
TPM – It’s a fair point. But there is a difference. In the past, there was no rhyme or reason to the Falcon’s selection process, except maybe under CDR.
The Falcons now take a pragmatic approach to everything that they do. It is obvious that they actually plan out the six months in front of them and then the six months after.
There is an obvious plan to get to the Super Bowl and how to get there. So far, so good.
One last thought… I would hang on to Vick, play him on the practice squad. Let him sharpen his skills and then trade him when a team in the playoff hunt loses their QB to injury.
Mark Bradley
April 27th, 2009
1:16 pm
Mr. Irrelevant — that’s me.
All I'm Saying Is...
April 27th, 2009
1:17 pm
Grading drafts within a day of occurrence does make for interesting reading and I love to scan them all…the responsible thing to do is to grade a draft 1 or 2 years later…how about it MB? I know you are the man for the job!
(And, BTW, Tony Dungy can do whatever he wants and anyone who faults a man for trying to convince the convicted (no matter who they are) to do right when they get out of jail is a supremely gifted IDIOT!)
Supes
April 27th, 2009
1:24 pm
Falcon1, interesting suggestion about MV. Whatever happens, I just hope the falcons can at least get a mid-round draft pick for him (if another team is interested and wants the rights to MV).
Jeff, very good observations. We are one pro-bowl LB and DB away from being superbowl contenders in the NFC. Question is, will there be futher moves made before the season starts (anything can happen), or realistically, is next year’s draft and FA going to be used to address those needs…meaning 2010 season (to be the one where the Falcons are superbowl contenders)
Cuz
April 27th, 2009
1:29 pm
Hey Mark, when does Coach Smith’s Nutrisystem commercial come out. So long as it includes Jillian in a bikini. She may have a few miles but I would take her for a spin.