5 players the Falcons can do without (Jerious included)
Another example of Michael Jenkins not making a catch. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
It’s the arithmetic of the NFL: First you subtract, then you add. Tomorrow we’ll do the addition part. Today is about the minuses. And here, in alphabetical order, we go:
• Jamaal Anderson, defensive something-or-other: Time to pull the plug on this Rich McKay misfire. Anderson has been tried at end and tackle to no great effect. What’s left? Long snapper? Drafted eighth overall in 2007, he has 2 1/2 sacks in three seasons. That spells “bust” in any man’s league.
• Tyson Clabo, right tackle: The offensive line lost a heapin’ helpin’ of oomph this season, and Clabo has long been viewed as the weakest of the starting O-linemen. Conveniently enough, his contract is up. Conveniently enough, Thomas Dimitroff drafted Garrett Reynolds in Round 5 last season. He’ll get a long look at RT.
• Michael Jenkins, wide receiver: Another of McKay’s greatest whiffs. Drafted in Round 1 in 2004, Jenkins has never caught more than 53 passes in a season. He scored one touchdown in 2009. With Roddy White on the other flank and Tony Gonzalez commanding two defenders over the middle, Michael J. Pollard could have done better than that. Jenkins isn’t really a possession receiver and isn’t really a deep threat. He’s just a guy. Time to find a better guy.
• Stephen Nicholas, outside linebacker: His first season as a starter wasn’t terrible. Neither was it exceptional. (Three sacks, 80 tackles.) There will be free agents and draftees available who can do more.
• Jerious Norwood, running back: Three different coaching staffs haven’t yet figured a way to exploit Norwood’s talent. He has scored 10 touchdowns in four seasons; he scored one in 2009. (Yes, he was hurt. Still.) He averaged 3.3 yards a carry this season, which is terrible for a speed back. His longest run from scrimmage was 21 yards. When you’ve just completed your fourth NFL season and people are still talking about untapped potential, something’s wrong.
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335 comments Add your comment
Eric
January 5th, 2010
8:38 am
Dude I can’t believe you left Chris Houston off that list, he is terrible. I actually thought Nicholas played pretty well.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
January 5th, 2010
8:41 am
with snelling putting up great #s this year, agree to let norwood go. hopefully jerry, moore, & williams can return from their injuries and be solid next year. samantha baker- give him 1 more year along with clabo. anderson?? definite bust!!
Baba O'Riley
January 5th, 2010
8:42 am
I live in SoFla and have been subjected to many Dolphin games. How in the he!! has Jake Long made 2 ProBowls? He is consistently beaten. Everyone here saw how Abraham abused him in Week 1 this year. Even the local radio down here is wondering how he gets voted into the game? Are LT’s that sub-standard in the AFC?
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
January 5th, 2010
8:42 am
make some trades and draft Haden @ CB next year too
suwaneedawg
January 5th, 2010
8:42 am
I think another one they need to look at possibly letting go is Grimes. A lot of heart but, he is undersized for this league. It breaks my heart to print this because he is an inspiration for undersized players. Maybe they could find a spot for him in nickel.
coach joe
January 5th, 2010
8:44 am
hey im a gator fan in ga .well guess yall gonna trade me out, oh well never really liked yall two faced backstabbin kickem while there down people anyway
Big Dawg 97
January 5th, 2010
8:46 am
I’m just glad they have already gotten rid of the dog killer!
Michael Vick…what a joke.
JustMyOpinion
January 5th, 2010
8:54 am
Rodney is my hero!!!!!!!! Well said brother.
dawg pound
January 5th, 2010
8:55 am
we could drop ryan and replace with shockley and be a better team. Look at all the dawgs in NFL they always play better there than in Athens. Shockley never got a real chance.
Brian
January 5th, 2010
8:56 am
How about Van Gorder? Our defense finished in the in the bottom third in the league…..Those numbers wont get you in the postseason.. I don’t think it should all be attributed to injuries? Do you???
Casey
January 5th, 2010
8:58 am
3yd Dive Specialist ,
That has got to be one of the stupidest all time comments I have ever heard. Dwyer is 6′1″ 235 lbs. He is faster than anyone who plays for the UGA defense, as he proved 3 years in a row. He can outrun people or just run slap over them. He played for Chan Gailey in a pro style offense in his Freshman season and averaged 5.3 yards per carry in limited playing time. So, how in the HELL is he a system back? He is the best running back in the country playing basically a fullback position. Put him back in a tailback position and he will be even better. Whoever gets him will be happy for a long time to come. I don’t believe the Falcons will come close to getting a chance at him, so this whole discussion is a waste of time, anyway.
Hope
January 5th, 2010
9:03 am
Gotta disagree with you about Norwood and agree with Daddy and Bob. Norwood’s speed is a weapon and the 1-2 punch with him and Turner is unstoppable…ask the 49′ers (the last game Norwood performed). Norwood should definitely stay, but the offensive coordinators need to be more creative and know how to use his skills to the best. He’s not a big, up the gut runner like Turner. I see him as a sweep, outside, and screen type of running back. Maybe the change should be at the offensive coordinator position…we need more creativity on offense.
By the way…my friends and I are going to see the wizard to get Matt Ryan some courage…wanna come??
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 5th, 2010
9:06 am
Dwyer 2009 Line
14 carries
33 yards
Long run 8 yards
So how did he prove it during this meeting? Just curious?
DawgMan
January 5th, 2010
9:06 am
We rund this state.
PMC
January 5th, 2010
9:11 am
Clabo is simply not a starter. He’s an excellent tackle if you’re bringing him off the bench and he can play guard.
The weak link this year has easily been Baker not Tyson Clabo.
The Falcons could upgrade at both Tackle positions.
Billy Howard
January 5th, 2010
9:16 am
Excuse me Casey, but don’t talk bad about BVG. We may have statistically been at the bottom of the league, but look at the players he is dealing with! I think with the talent that he had, he did a hell of a job. His scheming and game planning was solid all year long! Just doesn’t have anyone to make any plays for him!
Secondly, the solution to the Falcons offensive line is very simple. Sam Baker is plain and simple not a left tackle; however, he could be a very strong right tackle. Draft or sign an elite left tackle, let Clabo walk, and our problems are solved on offense. Then we could focus on getting some play makers on defense.
Go Birds!
robertussen
January 5th, 2010
9:16 am
its funny i see people constantly saying to trade norwood. we can’t TRADE norwood, he is in a contract year. we either pay him or let him walk. with sneling as a good back up we should let norwood walk and find a speed back with our many draft picks to battle sneling for the #2 spot. we could try to shop jenkins around for a decent trade or draft pick but dont expect much. wouldnt be sad to keep him though, he does drop the ball sometimes but so does roddy, and dont forget that catch against chiago to set up the elam kick for the win last year. i was also sad to see elam go, he did suck for a while but was coming off a hamstring injury and problems with a new long snapper, we should have added him to the IR list. loose chris houston and anderson. keep nicholas. im indifferent about clabo, but i trust the staff and office and dont see our picks in the last two years as busts at all. we will be healthy next year and stronger so i dont see any reason why we cant have another winning season
Mark Bradley
January 5th, 2010
9:17 am
The Falcons’ defense changed five starters and saw its two top draft choices injured. This from a defense that ranked 24th in the league in 2008. It ranked 21st in 2009. That’s not great improvement, but it wasn’t the collapse it might have been.
bugman
January 5th, 2010
9:23 am
What’s wrong with Jenkins/Norwood for Suh? Jenkins almost never gets any seperation and when he does it’s 50 – 50 he makes a catch. Norwood is IR waiting to happen. Has anyone ever seen this guy in street clothes? He’s a stick! Toss in our 19th or 20th pick and I say let the Suh years begin!
Those of you that are talking Grady, why? The run D this year was decent (especially at the year end) and Babs was really effective at tackle. Get Jerry healed and we shouldn’t need a 350lb wall of fat to take up roster/cap space.
NEW CARS
January 5th, 2010
9:23 am
I’m on board concerning Abraham…We have got to improve the pass rush…Jenkins is the other guy that has to go…How many times did he drop balls at crucial times…I think Norwood is a keeper, if we are smart enough to use him as a Reggie Bush type in the slot, on returns, the wildcat…those types of things..The offensive line definitely needs an upgrade in athleticism and I would like to see them get Dwyer if he’s still there in the third round as an heir to Turner…Snelling is a nice runner, but he’s not the future there….I have faith in Blenk to spend the money and TD to use it correctly to put a winning product on the field…If this year was the precursory sophomore slump for Matt Ryan, I can live with it….The kid can play, he just seemed to try to do too much in the offseason and may not have been quite as focused…unlike predecessors, I think he will learn from his mistakes and come back better than ever….I also think, that if recovered, Harry Douglass will continiue to make an impact at WR…
Football Bat
January 5th, 2010
9:25 am
Was Grady “Collard Green” Jackson responsible for both of the Lions’ wins this season? I would’ve kept him last year, but time to move on from that fantasy.
Hey Bradley, What would the math look like if the NFL instituted a salary cap on the rooks instead of the team? After a few years seems it would add more salary room to the proven performers…? (Give us a good answer and maybe we’ll forgive the Urban Meyer worship column!)
collegeballfan
January 5th, 2010
9:25 am
Agree.
Falcon Fan
January 5th, 2010
9:25 am
When you don’t make the playoffs, there are more than 5 players you can do without. The falcons have a lot of overpaid, dead wood on both sides of the ball that needs to be cleaned out soon, or they will keep celebrating “winning” seasons and not make the playoffs.
Curt
January 5th, 2010
9:31 am
Mark,
Agree with you on all these. I saying Sunday that either Norwood needs to go or the Falcons need to move him to aother position like flanker in order to get him into space where his speed would be an asset.
Aside from defense, the Falcons do need to upgrade the offensive line and Clabo’s place would be a good place to start upgrading.
About the first New Orleans game it became evident to me what teams can do with more than one good wide reciever and what happens when you only have one. It was clear that teams did not have to worrry about defending half the field because Jenkins cant get the job done and teams knew the Falcons or at least Ryan were throwing to him less and less. You could also see glimpses of how good a team could be when the Falcons opened up the offense by throwing to Jenkins once in a while. Hopefully Harry Douglas will be back to form next year.
I also believe the Falcons need to upgrade at safety.
Mark Bradley
January 5th, 2010
9:34 am
The upgrade at safety, Curt, could come from William Moore.
Nativebird
January 5th, 2010
9:34 am
Replace your Stephen Nicolas with one Mr. MIKE PETERSON. Talkin ’bout a FA BUST. another 30-something lost a step linebacker who “used to be” good. think Keith Brooking in dreadlocks. The lasting image in one’s mind of this Falcon’s defense has got to be those flowing dreads flying in the wind while number 53 is 10 yards downfield chasing that running back who just caught a swing pass out of the backfield that our “vocal locker room leader” should have been all over!
Not happinin Smitty, don’t care that he was your Jax’ville buddy. Got to GO!
clemkudtlhopr
January 5th, 2010
9:45 am
Don’t like this article and have no comment on it. I’m more of a positive kinda person, so will wait until the addition article tomorrow.
robertussen
January 5th, 2010
9:48 am
you cant TRADE norwood and even if you could NO ONE would be interested in a trade for him and jenkins for the #1 over all pick even if we threw in our first rounder. suh will not be a falcon so get over it. dont worry though, you dont have to play GM. thomas d will take care of it all we’ll be fine
DDawgDavis
January 5th, 2010
9:48 am
I agree with the names on the list. Clabo? I thought him and Dahl did a decent job on the right side. I said it from the beginning about Nicholas, but had the ESPN piece thrown in my face.
I really think you upgrade in the draft and through FA. Draft Taylor Mays, he’s a “tweener” by that I mean Safety/LB. Imagine, him and Lofton going foward (Lewis and Suggs, what too early?). The FA situation is a mess mainly because I couldn’t tell you whose available.
I really hope and like to think that the reason Arthur rose season ticket prices is because he’s going to make a run next season. I hate to pay my prices for my seats and just settle for “back to back” winning seasons. I do agree with TD and CMS in bringing in quality.
Oh the real season begins! Draft Taylor Mays ‘10!
Casey
January 5th, 2010
9:52 am
Hey MG in NJ, it’s BROOKING NOT BROOKINGS. The guy only played 4 years HS, 4 years of college, and 11 years of pro football here and still some idiots get his name wrong.
Unbelievable.
Jerious the hurt
January 5th, 2010
9:56 am
Agree with most, including, surprisingly, Norwood. Thomas Brown, almost as fast, a better blocker and at least as good a pass receiver, is on Cleveland’s practice squad. Available cheap, unless someone better is available.
Dean
January 5th, 2010
9:58 am
Quote: “Norwood get hurt too much but definitely has skills, we need to figure how to use him.”
I really like Jerious being a Falcon. Some players, it seems to me, you just have to make a spot for them. He’s fast. He can catch the ball. Can he morph into a receiver? If Weems gets hurt, who’s returning kicks (and not someone sent out just to fair catch punts)?
As Lovie Smith said in Chicago, about their Adrian Peterson (from GA Southern) “As long as I’m the head coach here, Adrian Peterson will have a spot on my team.” Look it up.
Apache Bob
January 5th, 2010
9:58 am
So much for the negative stuff!!! Falcons need a ball busting defensive back. Eric Berry, where are you? Falcons need another deep threat pass catcher, I saw bunches of them during bowl games. To trade up, you have to give something of value. Other teams will not trade for a mediocre player. Look to positive. Jerry will be back next year so the bad line play will improve.
JT
January 5th, 2010
10:05 am
Everyone needs to get off the free agency thing- ain’t gonna happen with CBA issues and I don’t think there will be any resolution by March. Not only will we not be able to get free agents (b/c all free agents will become restricted free agents with no CBA in place, thus we will have to give up draft picks to acquire someone in FA) but it will be difficult to let someone go. No one is going to give up draft picks, at least not significant ones for the players on the list. Also for clarification- Grady Jackson played for Detroit this season, not Atlanta.
Casey
January 5th, 2010
10:05 am
The people who keep on saying that Abraham gets double teamed obviously either don’t watch the games or don’t know what double team means. I don’t remember seeing Abraham be double teamed more than 2 or 3 plays all season, if that. He was completely dominated by the tackles of every winning team we played this year. So, there was never any need to double him. He spent most of this season lying on the ground.
Baba O'Riley
January 5th, 2010
10:06 am
“Shockley should start over Ryan”, “Pick up Thomas Brown from Cleveland’s practice squad”. Hilarious!
map09
January 5th, 2010
10:09 am
I dont understand why every blog thats done on the falcons Mike Vick always end up in the blog. Ok I know most of you dont like or even hate Mike Vick. He has moved on why cant you haters do the same
3yd Dive Specialist
January 5th, 2010
10:10 am
Dwyer never did much against UGA, but built his numbers against the oh-so-solid ACC defenses. Too bad he never got to play against GaTech’s defense, he’d have over 200yds per game! Hahaha…Dwyer!
As to the column, there is wayyy too much left to happen before we know who will truly be available for free agency, and what their real value is. There are 7 guys we have all mentioned who could drop from the team and we wouldn’t miss them, if we get some good players to replace them. Suh’s value will be too much as he will go in the first 3-4 spots of the draft. As a mediocre team, we get a mediocre first rounder. Dimitroff will make or break this draft in the 2-7 rounds. And free agency.
Shady Kraft
January 5th, 2010
10:11 am
Grady was missed. I thought he was goona be the new host of that show Really Big Things. Maybe he ate his agent and the representative from the Discovery channel during talks. I agree Jenkins = Stone hands, Norwood = Peanut Brittle, Baker he kinda just sucks and seems injured all the time. I thought our offense was gonna be top 5 this year to offset out defense (which played pretty good in hindsight). They all just seem so small. To me it seems the injuries caught up with us. We were lucky last year. Snelling is a beast. TGonzales is a real time highlight show. Did we keep Elam a week or two too long? 2 more wins and we still may not have made the playoffs but we definately left a couple of wins out there. The pics and the kicking game and the injuries. and oh yeah the schedule was a beast too. Im looking forward to next year. Hope you had a good holiday Mark.
ARTHUR B.
January 5th, 2010
10:11 am
Where do all these stupid people come from?
Mekias
January 5th, 2010
10:16 am
We still owe several of these guys a bit of money. I don’t see why we would release them when their 2010 base salaries are relatively low compared to their guaranteed money.
Jamaal Anderson – 1.1 mill base salary in 2010, guaranteed about 6 mill over the next two years so we could pay him 4.1 mill to provide depth across the D-line next year or release him and have to pay him 6 mill. In 2011 it might make more sense to release him and just pay off his final 3 mill guaranteed.
Jenkins is pretty much the same thing. He has a base salary in 2010 of 2.25 mill but is guaranteed 5.6 mill over the next 3 years. If he’s released, that comes due. He’s still valuable in my mind and his blocking is the reason why he got that big contract. Once again, I’d consider releasing him in 2011 when his base salary goes up to 3.5 mill but it doesn’t make sense at this point.
Clabo is an interesting player. He’s not the worst on our O-line. That goes to Blalock at LG. Baker and Clabo are probably competing for 2nd worst. That’s more because Baker is still making boneheaded mistakes. But if I had to choose between Dahl and Clabo (our two free agents), I’d keep Dahl. He’d be cheaper and keeps our O-line “mean”. I’m not sure what Reynolds could bring but he seems awfully slow footed to me.
Nicholas is mediocre but he’ll still be pretty cheap next year ($590,000). Might as well keep him around. He’s a decent pass rusher and can cover better than our other linebackers.
Snelling’s ascension has made it possible to lose Norwood. That being said, IF we can get Norwood back cheap, he still provides a great change of pace. It depends on what other teams offer.
Who we need to lose: Brian Williams, Tye Hill, Mike Peterson, Trey Lewis, Justin Peelle
I’d get rid of Houston and Blalock too but they’re still fairly cheap and would at least provide depth in the final year of their contracts.
robertussen
January 5th, 2010
10:19 am
falcons pick 19th or 20th depending on a coin toss with houston so forget about all these big name players that will go in the top ten (suh,berry) trust your gm he hasnt let us down yet (injurys dont count)
JabboRockefeller
January 5th, 2010
10:22 am
Norwood is now a scat-back with no scat. He’s lost a step, or two, or three. Injuries have definitely taken a toll. The explosiveness that was once there is gone.
Casey
January 5th, 2010
10:26 am
Billy Howard,
What??? I never said a word about any of the Falcons coaches or their schemes. I happen to think the coaches have done a miraculous job with what they have. If you consider all of the injuries, it’s amazing that they won 9 games this year.
Tippy Toes Ducket
January 5th, 2010
10:27 am
I love you DaddyKnowsBest
Rectal Bleeding
January 5th, 2010
10:28 am
I would like to see the stupid fan left behind.
Reginald M
January 5th, 2010
10:30 am
If people think that Jerious Norwood needs to be cut, you must don’t know football. Coach Smith runs those “High School Football” plays such as Power I-16, with a woodbe offensive line. Expecting a running back that runs a 4.2 to make something happen. For expample, Reggie Bush had the same problem until this year Sean Payton spreaded him out. Those other players are a must along with all the DB’s the Falcons have. 4 years of Coaches running “High School” football plays with NFL players do not work. Faster running back are made for outside running. Brandon Jacods, New York Giants, is terrible running the egdes, but will punish you between the tackles.
I rest my case.
JabboRockefeller
January 5th, 2010
10:30 am
If Jenkins ever becomes a fireman, I hope he’s not in charge of catching babies thrown from upper-story windows….
Tippy Toes Ducket
January 5th, 2010
10:32 am
I miss you DaddyKnowsBest!
Rectal Bleeding
January 5th, 2010
10:33 am
Jabbo….You are one of the stupid fans I was referring to.