Who benefits from a long lockout? Maybe the Atlanta Falcons
Smitty and Dimitty: You're in good hands with these guys. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
You can’t really game-plan a work stoppage. How do you prepare to do something when nothing can be done? That said …
If the NFL lockout arrives as expected — the start (or stop) date is March 4 — and lasts into August or September, the Falcons figure to be OK. They don’t need a lot. They can subsist without buying a big-name free agent. And they are, you’ll recall, coming off a pretty fair season.
“We’re definitely preparing for a regular offseason,” general manager Thomas Dimitroff said this week. “That’s the only way we can do it.”
It’s the only way to prepare. What if the work stoppage holds for all of 10 locked-out days and then the NFL goes back to work? A GM can’t say, “I’m a little behind here — who’s a free agent this year?” He has to be ready to rumble. And the April draft will come off no matter what’s happening labor-wise.
But the great imponderable of Looming Lockout 2011 is free agency. Let’s say no settlement is reached until September: The best guesses hold that the NFL and its players would decide to have a blurry-fast training camp and preseason and skip free agency. (Scheduled FA’s would return to their teams for one more season.) The 2-14 Carolina Panthers might have a tough time with that; the 13-3 Falcons would not.
There was a time when the Falcons needed everything in a hurry, but that time was 2008. In his first three months on the job, Dimitroff made a big splash in free agency by signing Michael Turner and had a big hit in the draft with Matt Ryan. Those were two guys the Falcons had to have. Ever since, their moves have been a function not of desperation but deliberation.
Dimitroff did swing the Tony Gonzalez trade with Kansas City in April 2009, and last March he spent big on the free-agent cornerback Dunta Robinson. All else of significance has been draft-related. TD the GM takes no small measure of pride in his ability to wrangle a draft. Last year he took offensive guards Mike Johnson and Joe Hawley in Rounds 3 and 4, and this moved the famous Mel Kiper of ESPN to rate the Falcons’ 2010 draft a C-minus. (This grade rankled, and rankles still, within team HQ.)
Starting guards Harvey Dahl and Justin Blalock are scheduled to be free agents, and so is right tackle Tyson Clabo. There’s a chance the Falcons could lock up Clabo, say, by tagging him a “franchise” player, but Dimitroff prefers not to go that route. So there’s a possibility all three could leave if free agency is allowed to take its normal course. But the Falcons have backups in-house — don’t forget tackle Garrett Reynolds, a fifth-round draftee in 2009 — and could survive such an exodus.
And there’s the value of having a Bird as sharp as Dimitroff in charge. He always works off the draft, and he works not just for next season but down the road. (Every GM seeks to do the same, but not all are so adept.) The Falcons will have the 27th pick in Round 1, which is a far cry from the No. 3 of Dimitroff’s first draft, but he likes this way fine.
“It’s drastically different,” he said, “and [drafting later] is an area in which I feel a lot more comfortable. [The New England Patriots, whence TD came, tend to draft late.] You can get good football players, and there are opportunities for value. You can also move up and down.”
This draft’s target area? Read between the lines. “We need to continue to add explosive players with a sense of urgency on both offense and defense,” Dimitroff said.
Sounds like “wide receiver and pass rusher,” does it not?
If this lockout amounts to anything, the winners will be teams with a plan in place and the management to carry it through. It was no accident that the Washington Redskins won two Super Bowls in post-strike seasons: They had Joe Gibbs and Bobby Beathard to steer. It would be no great surprise if the post-lockout NFL sees the Falcons in Super Bowl XLVI. They’ve got Mike Smith and his little buddy in charge.
By Mark Bradley
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145 comments Add your comment
mars
February 18th, 2011
4:30 pm
“Do you know how much are the insurance payments on a Ferrari?”
404
February 18th, 2011
4:43 pm
N – Next
F – Financial
L – Losers
Reality Suckss
February 18th, 2011
5:27 pm
Should have drafted Clay Matthews.
B
February 18th, 2011
5:37 pm
yeah right. they have a weak arm qb. no pass rush. lazy secondary. no big time wide receivers and a running back that runs like a 40 year old. yeah they have no problems
gb showed that.
Whopper Dawg
February 18th, 2011
5:38 pm
Oh the praises for TD. Letting three starting OL go, and the best three, Baker is the weak sister and McClure is on his last legs, and starting with three essentially rookies in thier place would be a disaster.
TD made some good moves in FA, TG and Turner. Robinson is iffy (one int this year) and signing Jenkins to $20mm over four years was stupid.
Great draft in TD’s first year because of Ryan and Lofton, Baker has lost his shine, DeCoud make be a keeper, but that draft of the last two years have yielded next to nothing. He has burned 5 picks in three years on CBs, two of which were in the third round, and none of them can cover a table.
The next draft is important for TD and the Falcons, we need some players out of this draft not bench warmers.
The Falcon Jedi
February 18th, 2011
7:42 pm
I have no comment
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
February 18th, 2011
7:58 pm
td needs to focus heavy on D & O-line…need that aggressive approach
Larry
February 18th, 2011
9:49 pm
What are chances of trading Dunta Robinson for someone who might be able to play CB because he surely can not. The Falcons have done a great job since being Vicked but paying big money for Robinson was a weak move at best.
opie
February 18th, 2011
10:07 pm
Mark, you are crowning Dimitroff and Smith as great but the Falcons are 0-2 with 6 turnovers in the playoff. He drafted Peria Jerry over Clay Matthews and CB Davis Miami Dolphins. Everyone knew of Peria Jerry’s injury history in college as well as William Moore. He wasted a two valuable 2nd round picks to trade up for the worst left tackle in football, Sam Baker. Curtis Lofton is over-rated he cannot cover a grandmother out of the backfield. I am sorry I ever criticized Keith Brookings for his coverage skills. Lofton tackles are often pile ons after the play.
Chris Owens, Chevis Jackson, William Middleton, CB from AZ State, all wasted picks for need. That New England BS does not translate in Atlanta, He is not Bill Bellichick!! Mike Smith’s defenses in Jacksonville never finished in the top 10. He has no impact in the Ravens Superbowl run. Marvin Lewis was the D-Coordinator. Jack Delrio’s read and react defenses are awfull year in and year out and Smith uses his non aggressive passive schemes. Every criticizes Mularkey and Van Gorder but it is Mike Smith’s responsibility to make game time adjustments. He is calling the defense not Van Gorder. Review Jacksonville’s game tape Atlanta run the same lousy scheme!!
Who benefits from a long lockout? Maybe the Atlanta Falcons | Mark … | Articles about the world
February 19th, 2011
2:10 am
[...] the original post: Who benefits from a long lockout? Maybe the Atlanta Falcons | Mark … Posted in Benefits Tags: are-fortified, atlanta, atlanta-falcons, atlanta-journal-, [...]
JSS
February 19th, 2011
8:25 am
Tony Gonzalez is one more year older (and slower), Turner is one more year older (and slower), Abraham one more year older (and slower)… By the way, have Weems and Grimes signed extensions yet? The same goes for your kickoff specialist and punter…
This smells of the first 80’s strike (1982)… Everyone thought that it was going to benefit the Sport Magazine “team of the 80’s.” Two years later they lost their All-World multi-purpose back to injury. It was the beginning of the end for all of that promise!
Tweets that mention Who benefits from a long lockout? Maybe the Atlanta Falcons | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
February 19th, 2011
8:26 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by marilynsoffice, Cooler Talk 89.7. Cooler Talk 89.7 said: Who benefits from a long lockout? Maybe the Atlanta Falcons: If the NFL lockout arrives as expected — the start … http://bit.ly/hOJsqZ [...]
mf
February 19th, 2011
9:06 am
Wow…it sure sucks when all I want to do is get some Falcons takes and all of a sudden the board gets flames by Saints fans. Don’t you swamp people have a whole city to rebuild?
Bud
February 19th, 2011
9:09 am
Why anyone listens to kiper is beyond me. He’s an idiot. He parrots general manager managers, plagerizes media guides, and repeats coaches observations. If he had an original thought, it would die of loneliness.
carmatter
February 19th, 2011
9:33 am
When did the Falcons lose in the first round of the playoffs? The last two times they had first round byes, and the time before that was when Vick took us to the NFC Championship game against Philly, wasn’t it? What is Who Dat talking about?
5150 UOAD
February 19th, 2011
9:40 am
I think the RICH owners have everything to win. The ACTING like they are rich players with less than 3 years in the League and the Players that have 8 or more years(getting too Old) are the ones that will hurt.
Fussball Fan
February 19th, 2011
10:23 am
Stop talking about the seeing the Falcons in the Super Bowl 46!! I know that is the ultimate goal, but did you see the arse kicking that they just took in their last game!! That is why Atlanta fans are always so heart broken after loses, due to all the hype they receive and the writers in the AJC believing that they are the ‘85 Bears. Learn from last years loss and then, here’s an original thought…..Look at improving on last season and not getting embarrassed at home during the playoffs, before you start on the Super Bowl chatter.
Fussball Fan
February 19th, 2011
10:31 am
Ironic how a poster called the Falcons a smart organization (0 Super Bowl Championships- 1 appearance) and Dallas and Washington retarded organizations ( 8 Super Bowl championships- 13 appearances). Please WIN SOMETHING, before you talk about NFL royalty. With comments like that, I wonder which ledger the Falcons fans would fall in?
Dr. Warren
February 19th, 2011
11:11 am
“Little buddy”? Is Dimitroff really that short?
Joseph Allen McWhorter
February 19th, 2011
11:21 am
A.J. Green sure would look great in a Falcons uniform but that is just a dream.
Three Steps Mister
February 19th, 2011
11:41 am
It’s time—way past time—– that Jim Gray leave the sports reporting scene altogether.
He boned the moment with Pete Rose at the All Century Team show, and has contiuned to screw up over the years and now the Golf Channel has mercifully excluded him from our view and sound indefinitely.
Maybe he could take the place of that other classless dufus, Robert Gibbs. Unfortunately that’s already a bone shop over their anyway, and what else would you expect.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
February 19th, 2011
12:19 pm
“A.J. Green sure would look great in a Falcons uniform but that is just a dream.”
Snooker the Bengals outta their #4 pick (toss in a Matty Ice for Carson Palmer trade to sweeten the deal) and A.J. Green could be in a Falcons uniforn near you.
Audacious? Damned skippy. Stupid? Perhaps. But me, I’ve seen enough of Ryan to think he’s peaked as an NFL QB. Seems like more and more of his out passes (the only pass he ever throws) turn into pick sixes as NFL DB’s figure him out.
Can’t argue with the Falcons streak of three straight winning seasons. But they have another streak too – crappy first round draft choices – save Ryan, picks like Jamal Anderson (Rich McKay’s handiwork) and Peria Jerry look like wasted picks.
coloradobulldog
February 19th, 2011
12:43 pm
“Can’t argue with the Falcons streak of three straight winning seasons. But they have another streak too – crappy first round draft choices – save Ryan, picks like Jamal Anderson (Rich McKay’s handiwork) and Peria Jerry look like wasted picks”
Uh Purgatory… Witherspoon was our last 1st Round pick and he was not a weak pick. Great pick at that place in the 1st round. And I think its unfair to say Jerry is a wasted pick at this point. Give him a full year of health. He was not over his knew injury last year and played well as a rookie before he got hurt.
coloradobulldog
February 19th, 2011
12:44 pm
And trading Ryan for Carson Palmer is the dumbest idea I have ever heard.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
February 19th, 2011
2:05 pm
Uh, coloradobulldog, Anderson is definitely a bust and after two years, Jerry has had no impact whatsoever.
These guys are first round picks. Weather-Wither-spoon had very little impact last year. Injury-prone or not good enough to earn playing time – tomayto/tomahto; either way their contributions to the cause are as weak as the cheapskate who sits next to me in church and puts a slug in the collection plate.
I’m trading Ryan for Carson Palmer and the #4 pick (i.e. A.J. Green).
And New Coke or pitching Charlie Liebrandt to face Kirby Puckett are way dumber ideas.
Reality Bites
February 19th, 2011
2:46 pm
We dont have a defense…whaddya mean we dont need anything?
SawThat1nce
February 19th, 2011
8:21 pm
Escaped from Email………..Sounds pretty stupid to me.
Who Dat Nation
February 19th, 2011
9:14 pm
Go Saints
sorry dude,
February 19th, 2011
10:31 pm
the saints are not very good.
Major
February 19th, 2011
10:38 pm
There was one true statement made earlier, ALABAMA, could, care less about the lockout, and it has nothing to do with a damn tree or t shirt, but only with winning the 2012 national championship, which, will, come to pass ! ! !
Chucktown38
February 19th, 2011
11:03 pm
Observer you think GB spanked our a$$ because of a nickle back? What are you smoking?No O and no D plain and simple Oh yeah and a Qb that cant throw the ball any futher than 45 yards.
Reality Check !
February 20th, 2011
10:24 am
I think we need to rebuild the whole team and coaching staff. Should have hired Rex Ryan.
TD stinks
February 20th, 2011
10:26 am
Should have hired Rex Ryan and drafted Clay Matthews.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
February 20th, 2011
11:29 am
Well coloradosprings and Isawthelight, I hope you’re correct.
You’re definitely taking the safe route. And since there’s no way in hades the Birds will ship Matty the One Trick Pony out of town, I hope you’re right.
I suspect you see Ryan as a work in progress rather than a finished product (i.e. a franchise QB). Here’s hoping in three more years your best laid plans yield another Peyton Manning behind center and not Jake Plummer.
If we move Ryan while some see him as the former, we can get an impact player in return. If we wait until it’s clear he’s the latter, we’re stuck with him.
ryan
February 20th, 2011
11:54 am
The Falcons should draft Pouncey if he there i would go TE or DE in the 2nd how about DJ Williams TE from Arkansas .
No Crying
February 20th, 2011
3:18 pm
The birds have a fine pass rush, They got to the quarterback plenty of times. They just have to learn how to tackle him once they get there.
Eazy
February 20th, 2011
5:53 pm
I have to disagree with you Mark Bradley. This free agent class has great young players at every position of need, and I think this is the year when the Falcons should make a splash in Free Agency. If we added players like Charles Johnson/Kiwanuka and Chad Greenway, we would greatly improve our defense without breaking the bank. There’s also quite a few explosive players on offense that are going to be available. Darren Sproles, Leon Washington, Santana Moss, Santonio Holmes, and Sidney Rice are all good offensive players that we could use, but don’t necessarily need that bad. I think we’d be better served getting Sproles and Santana Moss. We could use our draft picks for a defensive end, a young tight end, and some offensive linemen.
Falcon 2
February 20th, 2011
6:44 pm
You must be kidding if you think they hit it off with Matt Noodle Arm Ryan!
Gen Neyland
February 20th, 2011
10:49 pm
Hope y’all got a chance to watch the ESPN story on Condredge Holloway tonight…GBO
Kirk
February 21st, 2011
3:08 am
Just fine without a major free agent acqusition ???? Wait a minute..I swear I thought that Head Shop on Buford Hwy had closed..y know the one with the bongs and crack pipes..the only one in metro Atlanta for stoners…
What have you been smokin? Is this the kind of spin the AJC sportswriters puke after the defensive nightmare in the Dome last month???
Were you watchin the same game? yes the Falcons were smoked like every other team the Pack smoked enroute to the Lombardi Trophy but the butt whippin in the dome was far worse than any other team the Packers beat..
Have you forgotten that or now that winning seasons appear to be on the immediate horizons is that all that matters..an ass every 18 inches..keep the Dome filled..or is the mantra now
” Maintain the franchise’s “positive direction” with a view toward a new “downtown outdoor venue”
Did it ever occur to you Bradley that the fans of this only recently successful and more often than not beleagured franchise just MIGHT want more than just a winning season here….or is this just more
corporate media SPIN???
go along get along???
we get it!
Jborodawg
February 21st, 2011
9:09 am
CBA?! Lockout?! Coal miners need a union. Why do millionaire football players need a union? What if they don’t play on Sunday? What if your garbage isn’t picked up? Compare those two.
If there’s a “work” stoppage, I’ll never set foot in the Ga Dome (or any other NFL venue) again.
bigeasy830
February 21st, 2011
9:12 am
The Falcons need playmakers buddy, they need to sign some in free agency,like Santonio Holmes and a good young pass rusher like Cahrles Johnson. TD is not that great of a GM, he gave alot of money to Robinson who had no INTs the year before and was a bust this past season. He traded 2 2nd round picks for Sam Baker when Baker would have been there for the Falcons in the second round and Baker is a bust, in that draft you have play makers like Jordy Nalson, DeSean Jackson, Ray Rice, Matt Forte, Eddie Royal and a couple of more players that went in the second round. The Falcons could have filled some holes on a team that has shown to still have big holes which was exposed in the play-off lost. Matt Ryan can win a Super Bowl but he needs WRs and a third down back that can get YAC for him. The defense needs a better pass rush. I think Hary Douglas will have a break out season next year for you, since he should be fully recovered physically and mentally from the knee injury. But the Falcons need to get a few more play makers.
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DayOneFan
February 22nd, 2011
4:38 pm
The Falcons still need push in the middle of the DL . Get a BIG nose tackle(or 2) instead of playing four DE’s. They were able to get pressure off the corners(most of the time). But, the QB’s would just step up in the pocket to escape the rush, time after time. Pressure up the middle will result in more sacks. All the big man need to do is move the line of scrimmage two or three yards back so the QB’s can’t step up in the pocket. Our DT’s are just big DE’s. You have enough DE’s, so, get some BIG tackles (340 types). Pay the man!
WE NEED GIRTH !!!!
On offense, we need speed to get outside (RB) and speed to get down field (WR). Let Norwood go, he is to injury prone.