Question: Should the Falcons pursue CB Dunta Robinson?
We all — I’m as guilty as anyone — get excited about the NFL draft, but football is different from, say, basketball. In the NBA the draft comes before free agency. In the NFL free agency comes first. A team’s draft needs can change depending on its signees (or lack thereof).
I mention this because a big-name cornerback with Georgia ties is about to come available. Dunta Robinson was born in Athens; he played at Clarke Central and then at South Carolina. Houston drafted him with the 10th pick of Round 1 in 2004 and he has been a Texan for six seasons. The club, however, has declined to place the “franchise player” tag on him this winter, which essentially means he’ll be a free agent.
The Falcons, as mentioned yesterday, are perceived as needing a CB. Robinson is a good — not great — cornerback who’s only 27 and who might have interest in playing for a Georgia-based team. But here’s the thing: Robinson places a high value on his worth.
When tagged a franchise player last season, Robinson wound up skipping training camp before signing a one-year contract for $9.9 million. Having signed, he worked the Texans’ 2009 opener wearing shoes bearing the message “Pay Me Rick.” (Rick Smith is the Texans’ general manager.)
Loading ...Would the Falcons have an interest? I’m guessing — and this is just me guessing, OK? — the answer is no. Because Robinson is going to want No. 1 cornerback money having become a free agent at last, and we received a tutorial last season when the Falcons had a chance to keep Domonique Foxworth, a good-but-not-great cornerback who wanted big money. He wound up signing with Baltimore for $28 million over four seasons, with almost $17 million of that money guaranteed.
Some Falcons fans bemoaned Foxworth’s absence last season as the team’s young cornerbacks appeared overmatched, but the organization itself hasn’t second-guessed itself. That was, the Falcons insisted (and still insist), too much to pay for a 26-year-old cornerback who wasn’t of Pro Bowl caliber. Robinson, you should know, has never made the Pro Bowl.
The guess here is that Thomas Dimitroff would rather take his chances on a cornerback in the draft than spend $30 million on a veteran who might not be a major upgrade. (As noted yesterday, the Falcons do want to keep Brian Williams, who was injured last season and who’s a free agent now, but he won’t demand or command No. 1 cornerback money.) And I say again: The two words apt to kill any conversation at Falcons HQ are “DeAngelo Hall,” and he, if memory serves, was a cornerback who held himself in high esteem.
Said Dimitroff, who’s headed to the NFL combine in Indianapolis: “I’m pleased with this group of cornerbacks. I feel good about the corners apt to be there [in the draft].” That doesn’t mean he’ll take one in Round 1. But I’m guessing it means he believes there are younger and cheaper and better options than Dunta Robinson.
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105 comments Add your comment
FalconUGAFan
February 25th, 2010
10:41 am
I would shocked if they picked up this guy..shocked I say…Smitty and TD strike me as in the mold of my old coach. They want a bunch of pretty good to excellent guys flying around the ball creating havoc. Once off the gridiron, they go home and spend the pretty good to excellent money that they earned. No superstars or superstar paychecks.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
10:41 am
I think there’s a chance the Falcons would trade up into Round 2, NoName. I know they believe there’s second-round value in this draft.
Mitun
February 25th, 2010
10:42 am
I rather have Carlos Rogers over Robinson.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
10:43 am
SOUTH GA, under Tim Lewis there might be less an emphasis on pure technique and more a focus on getting guys to do what they do best. But that’s also a guess.
Chris
February 25th, 2010
10:43 am
I read the blog interaction first and then read the article trying for the coveted ‘first’. It’s almost impossible. I work out of my house and try to recognize patterns in the timing of the articles but there is no rhyme or reason. Reckon it’s a skill like anything else and I just don’t have ‘it’.
Still a good article Mark. This team is ripe and reminds me of the curve the Saints were on a few years back filling holes as needed. Dimitroff and Smith seem to have completely changed the culture of the franchise in just two years.
SirReal
February 25th, 2010
10:44 am
Mark, do you really think we need a corner? I don’t. With better pash rush, our DBs can become more opportunistic. Its hard to do when a QB has an eternity back there in the pocket to get the ball out.
All I'm Saying Is...
February 25th, 2010
10:45 am
I’m glad to read a couple of posts focused on the obvious which is the Falcons must upgrade their talent at CB. TD deciding not to match the offer Foxworth received, going with what we had at CB in 2009, and not signing anyone else of consequence despite our pre-season troubles with our d-backs obviously hurt us.
If we believe in our coaching capabilities especially since we have a new DB coach and a new trainer, we should use the draft to upgrade at CB and use free agency to get immediate help for the D-Line and LB positions. A consistent and ferocious pass rush will pay immediate dividends on defense and make the D-Back play better, while giving time for the young DBs to improve.
LET’S GO FALCONS!
[Bradley: I don't know Dunta but he is a different person literally than MeAngelo Hall. Silently protesting using script on his shoes (Dunta) is vastly different than Hall's tactics of constantly talking about one's self, making stupid penalties on the field, not covering consistently, and always publicly demanding more money and attention. Sometimes I wonder if you sportswriters ever see players as individuals as it appears you are always looking for someone that they appear to be like which is a lazy form of journalism.]
DCbravosfan
February 25th, 2010
10:47 am
If the Birds don’t go DB at pick 19, and don’t get Spiller (who will be long gone, I think) . . . do you think the draft a DE or LB?
Also, what are the chances of the Falcon’s revamping their RB corps in this draft . . . do you see Snelling and Norwood coming back or are their days in the red and black done?
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
10:49 am
I’m more a pass-rush guy, SirReal.
Walker, Texas Ranger
February 25th, 2010
10:53 am
How about the San Diego CB Cromartie?
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
10:55 am
Cromartie was mentioned earlier, Walker. I’m not sure he’s the answer, either. And he’d have to be acquired via trade.
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
February 25th, 2010
10:56 am
I agree totally if the QB is running for his life and his head is spinning he will be more likely to throw bad rushed passes . upgrade the pass rush first , I am in a minority i think also because i would love to see upgrades on the line , a super line can make decent quarterbacks and running backs stars.
Newbomb Turk
February 25th, 2010
10:56 am
Mark, when do we find out of how many compensatory draft picks the Falcons will receive for losing their free agents last year?? You think that TD will package them to move up and grab the guy he wants…or keep them and try to add depth?
JJ
February 25th, 2010
10:57 am
No to Dunta, YES to SPOON!!!
Peterson: 50th out of 53, 109th out of 112.
(profootballfocus.com)
Walker, Texas Ranger
February 25th, 2010
11:00 am
JJ, great point on OLB, the NFL is won and loss on the edges and you got to have a guy who can cover and make open field tackles. OLB should be our 1st round pick with a CB picked up via FA
DirtyByrd ATL
February 25th, 2010
11:00 am
I strongly believe that we need a pass rusher, someone that is gonna get to the QB in a timely manner, John Abraham is, well old as Abrabam & the Falcons are in a youth movement now, so I say find someway of gettin rid of him(via-trade), drafting a DE, starting Kroy on either side & then work your way around the defense…
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
11:01 am
I just e-mailed Reggie Roberts of the Falcons regarding the compensatory picks, Newbomb. I’ll let you know his response.
But NOT an FSU CB!
February 25th, 2010
11:01 am
Mark…valid points in the article about over spending for a decent but not great CB. But according to some sources the Falcons are considering an FSU corner. Please say it ain’t so!!! I watched FSU play Miami, Georgia Tech, UF, and Clemson and that D had nobody that stood out as a game changer! Surely there are better corners available around the 19th to 20th pick in the first round!! If not, why not delay the pick for a corner and use up several picks in the hopes that one pans out? Otherwise the pick looks very skeptical.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
11:02 am
DCbravosfan, I’d say Snelling will be back. Norwood probably will be back, but I keep thinking he might not be. (That’s just me speculating, mind you.)
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
11:04 am
The FSU cornerback is Patrick Robinson, But NOT … And it wouldn’t be correct to say the Falcons have locked in on him. They’re still evaluating all the CBs in this draft.
Walker, Texas Ranger
February 25th, 2010
11:04 am
Mark, SD is looking to trade Cromartie and he would be worth a 1st rounder because it wouldn’t be a gamble. They need a running back and we may be able to get a 2nd round pick in return.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
11:07 am
I don’t know. Teams are reluctant to give up a Round 1 pick. Even Gonzalez only brought KC a second-rounder.
Terrell
February 25th, 2010
11:08 am
NoName,
You can’t trade compensatory picks, and if wwe could a 4th and 7th wouldn’t be enough to get a 2nd.
blord
February 25th, 2010
11:09 am
NONAME
You mentioned us maybe trading our 4th and 7th compensary picks to help us get back into the second. If any of you guys are more knowledgeable on this please let me know but I don’t think you can trade compensary picks.?. If that is acurate then in order to pick up a second we would likely have to trade back to later in the first. I sure would love to get a second RD pick though.
Walker, Texas Ranger
February 25th, 2010
11:11 am
Mark, I don’t remember the Falcons getting a lot of sacks when Deion was here. He has Tim McCrier on the other side and that tandem didn’t help the sack ratio very mucy so maybe upgrading DE whould help the DB’s?
Davey
February 25th, 2010
11:17 am
BRING BACK DEANGELO HALL!
bring back deangelo hall!
BRING BACK DEANGELO HALL!
bring back deangelo hall!
BRING BACK DEANGELO HALL!
bring back deangelo hall!
BRING BACK DEANGELO HALL!
bring back deangelo hall!
BRING BACK DEANGELO HALL!
bring back deangelo hall!
BRING BACK DEANGELO HALL!
bring back deangelo hall!
BRING BACK DEANGELO HALL!
bring back deangelo hall!
Birdman
February 25th, 2010
11:19 am
Mark, It is very likely there will be no football in 2011 (lockout). Will teams address this in FA contracts in some way that maybe gets them an extra year tacked on if there is a lockout. Will there be a lot of 1 year contracts becuase of it. How about rookie contracts, will there be any contingencies for a year without football? How do you sign a 3 year contract with FA’s perhaps
knowing you’ll only get 2 years of service.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
11:21 am
I agree completely, Walker. And I kind of wrote as much in a print column today.
Fish2774
February 25th, 2010
11:21 am
Mark, I think the best route to go in the 1st rd is to select a Hybrid linebacker. Cornerback is a necessity, but with the aging of Peterson and the lack of coverage skills by Nicholas that should be TD’s main focus. Plus, I’ve read on the CBS Sportsline that the Falcons maybe persuading a trade with KC for Glenn Dorsey for a 2nd rd this year and a 1st and 7th next year.
blord
February 25th, 2010
11:23 am
As a FSU fan Patrick Robinson may end up being the best corner in this draft. It isn’t a matter of talent with him. It is between his ears. He IMO would be a boom or bust guy so it would be hard to take him at 19 or 20 just based upon the risk. The guy has talent though. I have questioned if the defense at FSU this year caused him to look bad. Trust me it was aweful. There was zero pass rush and as a result teams had all day to find receivers. I think at times Robinson grew frustrated as a result and there are other times I think he tried to do too much causing him to look bad. He was around the ball often though…actually a little too often if you were a FSU fan because of rbs getting into the secondary. Just some thoughts.
DC Dirty Bird
February 25th, 2010
11:27 am
I think Birdman and All I’m Saying are on to something and I’m disappointed that Mark totally ignored their comments. I’ve read comparisons to DHall and Foxworth. First off, if we trust our coaches, we don’t have to worry about all these “character” issues that people continue to use as a reason to not acquire talent. Second, why are we knocking Dunta Robinson’s lack of pro bowls. How can you make the pro bowl competing against Champ Bailey, Darrelle Revis, Nmandi Asogmah, and Asante Samuel(when he was in NE)? Last, I’m tired of hearing all of this blind trust in TD stuff. TD had us going into summer camp with two 5-8 corners. People forget that Brian Williams was a blessing from the Jaguars. Do you think TD’s plan all summer was to wait until BW got released during the preseason then sign him? We need corners that can match up with the best receivers in the league. If the corners can give Abraham another half second, our defense will have us in contention. Sign Robinson (for what he’s worth-top 15 CB), draft Griffen (USC) or Weatherspoon (Missouri), then look for a TE and speed on the edges in the later rounds.
Harry the Hat
February 25th, 2010
11:27 am
Dunta Robinson would be useless. Let some other team pay his overpriced salary.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
February 25th, 2010
11:29 am
The Falcons do not need to get in the business of signing players to overpriced contracts. Peppers and Robinson are to much of a risk and with shrewd talent evaluation and smart drafting you can find productive DB’s in the draft. To much risk in signing overpriced veterens.
not THAT John Edwards
February 25th, 2010
11:35 am
Please Please Please Please Please say no to Antonio “wait, you want me to tackle?” Cromartie. Diva. I like Dunta, but not for lots of $$$. I like defensive ends or outside linebackers, whichever of those positions has the best available player is what I want TD to get. Unless there’s some outrageous safety or corner stud who falls to them.
jamie stamper
February 25th, 2010
11:42 am
i really think that we should surely go after him. Look at what we have in the defensive backfield. The DBs cause us at least two victories this year and possibly a playoff spot. I think we need an upgrade in the defensive backfield. Peppers is out there as well.
Birdman
February 25th, 2010
11:44 am
How many other fans in the league advise their teams not to sign superstars? We are so jaded by the previous administrations inability to keep control we are scared to get the best players? You think the draft will keep us insulated from paying top dollar for good players? Are we the Expos?
Come on Falcons Fans, I want the best team, not just the cheapest good team. These guys are smart enough to balance a teams payroll with a superstar or two in the mix. We are a young team already and to win you need some experience thrown in there. We are not the Redskins who overpay every position, but we can be the Patriots that pay when it makes sense. I think a top tier corner, which Robinson certainly is, is a smart place to spend a little extra cash. DE is another, so one of those positions needs to be dealt with now, and the risk on the draft is huge,while Robinson and some other FA’s have proven they are NFL legit talents. One or two of them wont break the bank.
not THAT John Edwards
February 25th, 2010
11:56 am
We all saw how studly the Texans defense was having Dunta be their number one, overpaid corner. They have an awesome defensive end, and a stud middle linebacker (ahem…kinda like us). If we’re going to spend big money on a guy, let’s make it someone worth it, with a proven track record. Dunta may be solid, but great he is not, and he’s going to want great money. So…no thanks.
#1 Falcon Fan
February 25th, 2010
12:02 pm
Hey Dimitroff, younger and cheaper does not always mean better. Yea there are a lot of good CB in the draft this year..BUT none of them have played a down in the NFL, none of them have covered any NFL receivers. I would rather have a proven veteran than a rookie…and it don’t matter what CB you get…FIRST you need a pass rush, so before we talk about getting a CB…you need to go out and sign Julius Peppers!
Without-a-clue
February 25th, 2010
12:04 pm
I trust TD. He has had two good drafts(although injuries masked the last one)and he will have a third. And if someone worth the money comes available if FA, he will move on it. Meanwhile, he will re-sign our own FAs. Blog away while Coach Mike and TD do the heavy lifting.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
12:05 pm
We have an answer! From Falcons PR assistant Brian Cearns: Compensatory draft picks will be announced at the owners’ meeting in late March.
Coin flip with Houston, reports Cearns, is tomorrow at a time not yet determined.
Without-a-clue
February 25th, 2010
12:06 pm
“IN” FA, that is.
dawgfacedboy
February 25th, 2010
12:13 pm
IMO- which admittedly is worth no more than any other arm chair coach in here, if Spillers was available I would take him (think Percy Harvin type) and then a couple OL. Round it out with some D picks (hopefully because we’ve signed some quality players through FA.
DC Dirty Bird
February 25th, 2010
12:17 pm
John Edwards, did you watch football this season. Please tell me how Robinson fared against Reggie Wayne twice and Fitzgerald. Answer, he held his own. What i don’t understand is, why would we not approach a player who is better than the players on our roster at his position, offer him what we think he is worth, and hope that the lure of success in ATL will entice him to sign.
Newbomb Turk
February 25th, 2010
1:17 pm
Thanks, MB, for answering that for me….I looked, but couldn’t seem to locate the answer anywhere.
tidog
February 25th, 2010
1:22 pm
Trade up to 2nd round the grab the CB from U South Florida. Dallas drafted a USF CB in the 1st A YEAR OR TWO AGO. He starts now. They are developing good skill guys down there.
lgwest1
February 25th, 2010
2:57 pm
Let’s start a new trend with the uniform. Black helmets for home games and red helmets for the road games.
Cali Falcon Fan
February 25th, 2010
5:17 pm
Igwest- Sounds like a good idea to me!
Cali Falcon Fan
February 25th, 2010
5:27 pm
I say sign Peppers with the big contract and trust TD to sign a good CB. Everything will fall into place from there. I actually like that CB from FSU(Patrick Robinson) but i only seen highlights on youtube.
JKA
February 25th, 2010
6:51 pm
Great analysis Mark……if you’re gonna pay big dollars to a corner, he’s got to a big time player, and Robinson is definitely in the good-but-not-great category, along with an injury history….TD made the same call back in 2008 by quickly unloading DeAngelo Hall….most people probably thought he was just unloading a problem guy, but I don’t think he would have dumped him so quickly based on just that, given the lack of talent at CB…..he realized that Hall was enormously talented but only marginally effective, especially in man-to-man coverage….something the Raiders and Redskins have paid big bucks to discover themselves…..
PA Falcon Stud
February 25th, 2010
6:54 pm
Mark,
even though dunta would want some big money wouldn’t you say he was a step above foxworth???? Also i know everyone says a pass rush would help but, there will still be time you need to count on the db’s to do there job and right now i don’t think we could do that. i know SD want a RB do you think Mr. Blank and Thomas D would consider trading norwood and say a third rounder for cromatrie??? then we could go ahead and draft a solid DE like Sergio kindle or Graham and solve two issues. signing guys like kampman and peppers and a bit out there considering they are both over 30 and will prolly want more money than it would take to sign a decent CB in free agency