Fire Boudreau, hire Nolan: A productive day for the Falcons
Paul Boudreau had early success here, but less lately. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Remember Mike Smith, the dullard who’d rather hang out with his old coaching pals than do something like, oh, maybe win a Super Bowl? Turns out he’s not so wild about his old pals that he’ll let that bond stand in the way of progress.
Smitty the alleged dullard — so alleged for having hired Dirk Koetter, with whom he worked a year in Jacksonville, as offensive coordinator — just fired Paul Boudreau, the offensive line coach whose success in 2008 helped get the whole Smith-as-Falcons-coach operation off the ground. And then he turned around and hired Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator.
Pretty instructive day, I’d say. First the Falcons make a move they needed to make. (As noted, GM Thomas Dimitroff wasn’t pleased that his smallish line couldn’t produce the push required to make it on fourth-and-inches twice against the Giants.) The Boudreau Method — coaching up smallish-but-bullish O-linemen — had run its course. Time to find a new man. And now the Falcons will.
As for Nolan: He was one of the two hottest DCs on the market, Steve Spagnuolo being the other. Nolan could have had his pick of jobs. He picked this one. That’s another good sign, and one very productive day.
By Mark Bradley
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127 comments Add your comment
BBQ MAN
January 17th, 2012
3:30 pm
great move on nolan
and oh, first!
KoKoPuf
January 17th, 2012
3:31 pm
Probably a good hire and not a threat for Smith’s job.
Mr. Smith goes to ?
January 17th, 2012
3:31 pm
Some Good moves today…Falcons
boots
January 17th, 2012
3:33 pm
O-line remains the main problem.
Stan
January 17th, 2012
3:35 pm
Good move. Now teach ryan how to throw
boots
January 17th, 2012
3:37 pm
And the hiring of both of these guys seems to show our leadership takes the problems they face seriously. Sounds a lot like what happened in Athens. Tough decisions. I hope the Falcons have some success like CMR did.
Great Sign
January 17th, 2012
3:39 pm
We still need some O-line. We need more black O-linemen. They can push the pile and get us an inch.
Great Sign by Smith. Kroy Bierman should be a good 3-4 OLB. It fits him.
D3
January 17th, 2012
3:44 pm
I am so very happy right about now. Yes, the Koetter hire is still not warming the way I hope, but this one takes the sting right out of it.
I know most won’t believe me, but I preferred Nolan over Spags. Nolan has proven to be great coordinator everywhere he’s gone. I love the flexibility of the 3-4/4-3 hybrid as well. He ran the hybrid to perfection in Denver his first year. I wouldn’t totally expect us to give up on the 4-3 either.
Abe just got his walking papers and Lawrence Sidbury has to be one happy dude right about now. Gotta get a biggie to go with Babs, Walker, and Peters. Looks like Peria Jerry is on his way out also, but maybe he gets one more year. My question is where does Babs fit into this offense. Could he be standup 5 technique, because he surely won’t be our NT. Hell, Trey Lewis is still available (no $hit).
Casey Anthony
January 17th, 2012
3:44 pm
This Falcons team will still suck because we don’t have the personnel on defense.
SEC Man
January 17th, 2012
3:45 pm
GREAT MOVE ON NOLAN, I remember seeing his Broncos defense and they were Ferocious!
Roark
January 17th, 2012
3:45 pm
It has been too long since ATL has had a professional DC – very nice hire!
tgueboy
January 17th, 2012
3:45 pm
how racist …great signs
Phil Lunney
January 17th, 2012
3:45 pm
I am a fan, not an analyst that knows all, so I will give Smitty his revamp and be excited about next year. I think a full training camp can also help. Go Falcons.
Mark Bradley
January 17th, 2012
3:49 pm
BBQ man is kudo’ed.
Casey Anthony
January 17th, 2012
3:49 pm
The only way the Falcons can impress me is if they win a playoff game, until then who cares.
Astro Joe
January 17th, 2012
3:50 pm
A little bit of a risk with Nolan’s hire. You’re either asking him to switch to a 4-3 scheme, you’re planning to change personnel to fit into Nolan’s 3-4 swcheme or you’re asking the players to learn some hybrid of the two.
Until we find a smash-mouth O-line position coach AND the smash-mouth players, I’ll withhold judgement on the Boudreau move. Now what are the odds that Koetter hires his former O-line coach from J’ville?
Tha Real Falcon
January 17th, 2012
3:50 pm
We shall see how he coaches a 4-3 team
SirReal
January 17th, 2012
3:52 pm
Mark
I’m very pleased with this hire. I have wanted to see a semblance of the 3-4 for wuite some time. SOme fans are griping that we dont have the personnel for it. We have an entire offseason ahead. We already have SOME pieces for it. i say let the coaches coach and we just wait and see. Good move by the Birds though. Excellent.
Great Sign
January 17th, 2012
3:52 pm
Sorry but that is not racist. Its obvious that they black O-lineman are stronger and tougher. look at the teams that have great blockers. they all have at least 2 black O-lineman
Thomas Dimitroff is to blame
January 17th, 2012
3:52 pm
Doesn’t this line cause your head to hurt
“GM Thomas Dimitroff wasn’t pleased that his smallish line couldn’t produce the push required to make it on fourth-and-inches twice against the Giants.”
Then how about getting some beef on the O line?!?!?!
Mark Bradley
January 17th, 2012
3:54 pm
I’d say these moves, unlike the Koetter hire, will go over well.
CONservative Johnson
January 17th, 2012
4:00 pm
We need to swipe Carl Nicks away from the Aints. Having an all-pro RG would do wonders for the OL. The experiment this season was a disaster . . .
Hank Williams Jr
January 17th, 2012
4:02 pm
The Koetter hire, just like the golf game turned a lot of people off…
Joey
January 17th, 2012
4:02 pm
Good hire.
The HC is still a “dullard” with his offensive philosophy.
Opie Taylor
January 17th, 2012
4:06 pm
Great move if Mike Smith let the DC do his job without his interference and micro managing!!!
72 Million Bust
January 17th, 2012
4:11 pm
Enter your comments here
72 Million Bust
January 17th, 2012
4:13 pm
No more excuses about Flacco defense.
Win a playoff game or wear the BUST Title.
Chuck
January 17th, 2012
4:15 pm
This is great! Now we use our first round draft pick to draft a stud of a nose tackle and . . .no, wait, . . .uh oh!.
Queensbridge
January 17th, 2012
4:15 pm
Dont mind the hire of Nolan, but the fact still remains that Smith is running scared now and doing whatever he can to save his job, which for him means go deep in the playoffs. He’s on the hot seat, no doubt about it…and I just farted, my seat is hot too now.
Lawnmower Man
January 17th, 2012
4:15 pm
The Falcons have unleashed an army of blog plants to convince us that this is a good hire, so we will renew our season tickets. Sad.
Who Me?
January 17th, 2012
4:26 pm
Good day for the defense, although I can’t agree with others who think Abe just got his walking papers. I do think it’s going to force Ray Edwards to step up and balance his side of the line a bit more than this year, although I will cut him some slack considering he sucked this season due to (what I hope was) his knee repair early last season.
Anybody got any spare DB’s they can throw our way?
Dawglasville
January 17th, 2012
4:28 pm
Great Sign – “Its obvious that they black O-lineman are stronger and tougher.”
How did that get past the screener?
Michael
January 17th, 2012
4:32 pm
@ D3, I was in the Nolan camp too. I think the 3-4 look will dramatically improve our pass rush. Bierman was a 3-4 OLB in college. A Bierman/Spoon combo off the edge should be nice on passing downs. I also agree that Boudreau had to go. His philosophy of coaching up lineman who don’t have the size/athleticism turned on us this year when played playoff teams that have physical defensive fronts (see Chicago, NYG, Houston, and *through gritting teeth* NO). It’s time to bring in some quality lineman who have size AND athleticism. Hard work only beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. When we played the playoff teams their TALENT on the DLine played hard and beat our “hard workers”. That was the difference between getting the short yardage that we needed and getting stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey.
tussin
January 17th, 2012
4:36 pm
so dude from jacksonville is alright because he had nothing to work with, and now one of the best o-line coaches in the league, who had nothing to work with is gone
Dawglasville
January 17th, 2012
4:37 pm
Dear screener,
It is OK for Great Signs to say, “Its obvious that they black O-lineman are stronger and tougher,” but I can’t ask how did that statement get past the screener?
Dawglasville
January 17th, 2012
4:37 pm
My bad.
JDawg1785
January 17th, 2012
4:38 pm
Sounds like a good hire to me!
AlanFalcon
January 17th, 2012
4:38 pm
Well Falcon fans its all coming down and I for one am damm proud that Arthur has spoken and that his management team is moving forward, can you imagine a screen and vertical approach as part of this team as well as a combination3-4, 4-3, what next, we may have a defensive front 7 that moves around and doesn’t get set in stone.
What a great day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KJ
January 17th, 2012
4:39 pm
How incredibly racist to say that black O-linemen are stronger and tougher. What next? Are you going to say that black running backs are faster? You can’t make that argument. Look at all the great white RBs we have in the league. There’s um … errr … hmmm. OK, well there’s always … no … he’s a quarterback. Still thinking …
Michael
January 17th, 2012
4:42 pm
Tussin,
Boudreau isn’t a bad coach but he is a big part of the reason why he had “nothing to work with”. He preferred to coach up guys who were considered “overachievers” by other scouts/teams. You may get Harvey Dahl’s that way but you also can end up going into a playoff game against arguably the best DLine in the league with a career backup at LT and a sub-300lbs RG who’s playing out of position.
AlanFalcon
January 17th, 2012
4:44 pm
Hope we don’t get any more Vick types with the pit bulls as O-lineman.
rivercard
January 17th, 2012
4:47 pm
Great Sign KJ – Okay with some black linemen as long as we can keep a smart white QB
See how stupid you sound? Also Great Sign if they have two black linemen what are the other 3?
take it from me.
January 17th, 2012
4:48 pm
Ray Edwards wants to be a movie star,not a football player,ship him out! install sidebury at that end position.
Falcons4Eva
January 17th, 2012
4:49 pm
We just might be on to something here….unless of course the Saints hire Spagnola….
FalconDawg
January 17th, 2012
4:52 pm
We have enough racism in politics right now. We certainly don’t need any more in sports, great sign.
Michael
January 17th, 2012
4:57 pm
This is a football blog, anybody who comes on here talking about race needs to get shunned. If I’m correct we just need to fill vacancies at QB Coach/OLine Coach now? I wouldn’t mind Steve Logan (Ryan’s college OC) as QB coach. As for OLine just give me somebody who wants a big, physical line.
Jason
January 17th, 2012
4:57 pm
Good Hire
rivercard
January 17th, 2012
4:59 pm
I thought Koetter was going to be the QB coach also. Is that incorrect?
Tommy
January 17th, 2012
5:01 pm
Forget trying to be like the Saints or Packers–the Falcons are starting to emulate the Texans. Running attack combined with screens and deep passes, aggressive 3-4 defense. . .
I was down on the Koetter hire until they got Nolan. Now it all makes sense.
Michael
January 17th, 2012
5:01 pm
@ rivercard, where did you hear that? I thought he was going to hire someone
Rickster
January 17th, 2012
5:02 pm
Mark… just curious. Did you happen to pick the Packers over the Giants this past weekend?
rivercard
January 17th, 2012
5:02 pm
Radio talk which is often no better than gossip.
Rickster
January 17th, 2012
5:03 pm
Wow. First on page 2 two threads in a row!
Kramer
January 17th, 2012
5:12 pm
Only in the south would race be interjected into a discussion about a great hire. What a bunch of losers.
Nicely done Smitty, TD and Blank. Now we need to address the OL coach, QB coach, and get some big boys on the line to make those 4th and 1’s.
FalconJim
January 17th, 2012
5:12 pm
Could be a good hire……we’ll see.
And, Mr. Nolan, we need some SERIOUS help in our secondary, and pass rush. Could you please fix those two things first??? Thank You!!!
Heisenberg
January 17th, 2012
5:22 pm
Jim Caldwell is available for the QB coach position. Once you stop laughing, consider that is what he was before being the HC of the IC. What other names might be out there to help get Ryan to the next level?
marko
January 17th, 2012
5:22 pm
Nolan’s a great hire. I feel bad about Boudreau. I think he over estimated how talented his reserves really were. I think Smitty and Thomas were led to believe that the line could get the job done with the parts it had in place. Poor Paul made the mistake of believing in his guys. Guess the jokes on him. I bet the next guy doesn’t make the same mistake. While I’m making predictions, best guess , the dudes that cost Boudreau the use of his paycheck won’t be far behind.
Charleston Jacket
January 17th, 2012
5:23 pm
Be interesting to see if other coaching changes and what player personnel changes will transpire over the winter and spring. Still puzzled over the OC hire.
GM R
January 17th, 2012
5:26 pm
The Falcons front office finally woke up. You have to be aggressive against the quality QBs, make them hurry. Also dump the soft zone on 3rd downs – if your secondary can’t cover man to man replace them. Not so happy about the new OC but at least the need for screen passing is recognized. The Ravens and 49ers proved you don’t need a stellar QB – but you do need a line that can block.
Charleston Jacket
January 17th, 2012
5:26 pm
May want to think about a running back that can “gut out” those 4th and 1’s. As Dandy Don Meridith proclaimed on MNF years ago – When it is 4th and goal you don’t hand off to a milk drinker (or words to that effect)
Paddy
January 17th, 2012
5:26 pm
If you still think defense wins championships you are not watching the same games that I am. Great offense wins championships. You get alot of moral victories with defense. You get “Rings” with offense. If you have both you win almost evey game. If you don’t believe, go look at Mike Ditka’s comments on how the NFL has changed in the last 4-5 years.
Heisenberg
January 17th, 2012
5:29 pm
Uh Paddy, 2 of the high powered offenses lost last week and the third stands a good chance of getting knocked out this weekend. 3 of the 4 finanlists are old fashioned defense and ground game.
Stinger2
January 17th, 2012
5:48 pm
Mark: Where do you draw the line on comments such as those made by Great Sign and then rivercard?
I thought you and the other AJC writers did not tolerate such and screened them out.
ibelieve
January 17th, 2012
5:56 pm
The GM will not sign Nicks, because he was a black dot coming out of college, along with TE GRAHAM, LB 49ers BOWMAN and the list goes on.
rivercard
January 17th, 2012
6:00 pm
Stinger2 – My comment merely was pointing out the stupidity of KJ and Great Sign injecting race into this blog. Probably shouldn’t have said anything at all.
Stinger2
January 17th, 2012
6:12 pm
rivercard: I realize you did not start it. Sorry I mentioned you.
COYS
January 17th, 2012
6:14 pm
Hope Saints don’t get Spags.
rivercard
January 17th, 2012
6:19 pm
Stinger2- No problem. Again, I probably should have left it alone.
Ron Roberts
January 17th, 2012
6:19 pm
So lemme get this right; the GM drafts or snags, via free agency, “smallish” linemen, then isn’t pleased that the o-line coach can’t get the push needed on short yardage situations?
Sure, fire the chef when your grocery bags come with bad ingredients. Got it.
tony
January 17th, 2012
6:26 pm
the falcons need championship assistent coaches not a experimentalist
Son Of Bart
January 17th, 2012
6:35 pm
Nespotistic, incestuous hire. All Mike Smith knows how to do. Hire your former “yes men”. Fire Mike Smith. Sorry fans, two more years of the “same ‘ole — same ‘ole”. Take Dimitroff with you…idiot. And Blank as well. It is incomprehensible the absolute stupidity of these hires.
72 Million Bust
January 17th, 2012
6:35 pm
now stop using the Ravens defense excuse!
bigdon
January 17th, 2012
6:41 pm
I’m liking the Nolan hire, but don’t feel love for the Koetter hire. Seems like SOS, just a different dude. time will tell. Hopefully El Sid will get to play a little more next year. Don’t know what he did wrong, but I did notice he was in 3rd place with sacks at 4 although he played squatola for time. Every time I watch him the dude seems to be busting it. WE DO need some large charles’s on both lines. Look at the T-bones on teh Ravens’ lines and compare us with Beerman (Who I’m tired of them trotting out) and Joe Hawley. Really? Six 2 or 3 and 290 something? Really? Have you seen that guys arms? They are flacid at best. And nobody has mentined Ben Jones as a replacement center for Todd McClure. And I am starting to believe Matt Ryan has arm deficiencies. And I know Micheal Turner is low on air pressure in his tires. And Roddie White needs to cut back on the blunts so he can catch the ball.
Nativebird
January 17th, 2012
7:09 pm
Bierman? Bierman? Bierman is the answer to our pass rush problems? Are you freaking kidding me? Here’s hoping that mike Nolan will come in and immediately identify this fraud of an NFL calibur DE that he is and send him packing. 10to 1 says this hack reality TV self promoting fraud doesn’t even make another teams practice squad. Bierman and his fellow Arena league and Canadian league level football players masquerading as NFL professionals is the problem.
Delbert D.
January 17th, 2012
7:09 pm
“Outstanding” is my vote on the Nolan hire.
Dawglasville
January 17th, 2012
7:27 pm
Kramer – “Only in the south would race be interjected into a discussion about a great hire. What a bunch of losers.”
That is as ignorant as the other comments. Why don’t you just call us crackers. You need to look at the stats on hate crimes and where they occur in this country. Black and white have lived in the south together for a very long time. I think we are pretty comfortable together. Now, if you don’t like the south, as the late Lewis Grizzard would say, “Delta is ready when you are.”
That said, great hire and fire again. We fans are a little fickle on the offensive line. UGA had plenty of beef on the line and now, “we need to get more athletic.” The Falcons had plenty of athletes on the line and now, “we need to get more beef.” We need to figure out our playing philosophy and build around it.
layinlow
January 17th, 2012
7:29 pm
It’s clear to me that the real problem with this team is a lack of talent at many key positions. For the life of me I can’t understand why thomas dimitroff is getting a free pass and all of these assistant coaches are being made the scapegoats. Is it paul bordreau’s fault that TD drafted all these OL bust- sam baker, mike johnson, hawley, garret reynolds, etc. We have needed another pass rusher opposite Abraham ever since dimitroff arrived and he has delivered nothing. Ditto for a young starting corner to groom- chris owens? lol. How about two of his big free agent acquisitions? Dunta Robinson is an overpaid bust and how about ray edwards? Where is the blame for the general manager?
Jimmy The Greek
January 17th, 2012
7:33 pm
I told you this years back but all you busted my ash for telling the truth. Not one of you came to my defense because just as Col Nathan Jessup said…”you can’t handle the truth”.
Throw the damn ball to Julio!
Perspective
January 17th, 2012
7:41 pm
Nice hire. Feel like a bit less wait and see than OC. I agree with layinlow that issue now will be alent at key positions. With limited draft choices and many fairly key free agents it will be a challenge to get playmakers on D and O-line
Son Of Bart
January 17th, 2012
7:52 pm
Dumb incestuous hire after dumber incestuous hire. Falcons 6-10 2012. At best.
John
January 17th, 2012
8:01 pm
Welcome Coach Smith. Glad to have you aboard… I’ve been a great admirer of your work. I believe that by adding you to coach the defense that the Falcons now become a true Super Bowl contender.
Good Luck You Mighty Birds of Prey.
John
January 17th, 2012
8:07 pm
I hear you complaining SOB. Can you offer some solutions instead? If we get rid of Arthur Blank, will you plop down the money to purchase this franchise? Probably not….. Stop your complaining and go back to your job as a street sweeper.
wait until next year
January 17th, 2012
8:10 pm
The offensive line was built for a cutback running scheme that the Falcons haven’t used in years. Perhaps, they can get one that works best with Michael Turners or considering his age, the back that will replace him. As for those fourth and short mishaps, it proved just how much the Falcons missed Ovie Mughelli clearing a path.
As for Mike Nolan, Van Gorder took the current group about as far as it could go. He did a pretty good job of covering up their weaknesses but he was pretty much out of tricks. Time for some new blood and new tricks.
Don
January 17th, 2012
8:49 pm
Get rid of Mike Smith and Matt Ryan Tim Tebow has more playoffs wins dosent matter what COS u bring in Matt Ryan suck and Joe Flacco will be in the Bowl!
tyger
January 17th, 2012
8:54 pm
O-Line Scapegoats:
With their second playoff win on the line, with 2 min left and driving, the Houston Texans could not get a 1/3 of a yard against the Baltimore Ravens. Sound familiar?
Wonder why?
1. All of a sudden their 300 lb. behemoths became Eunuchs…
2. The Houston O-line coach is incompetent…
3. The Ravens don’t play that $hit…
No. 3 is most likely correct. At this time of year, especially w/o trickery, these defenses are awesome. The Giants, like the Ravens, are not going to let anyone stuff it down their throats.
You are kidding yourself and sounding increasingly delusional.
Blank's Brain
January 17th, 2012
8:54 pm
Paul Dunn will be promoted to offensive line coach.
Iowahorse
January 17th, 2012
8:55 pm
Good hire. I like this move.
Great Sign
January 17th, 2012
9:00 pm
People always have to think something is racist when you say “black” or “white”
Wake up and stop being ignorant because it is obvious that your thought process needs to expand and outside of the box. I’m just being honest that the Falcons need another black O-lineman. What is wrong with signing/drafting a black O-lineman?
Stop pulling out the racist card and use your brain that you are wasting
Dawglasville
January 17th, 2012
9:16 pm
Great Sign – Wow. Good night.
RA
January 17th, 2012
10:38 pm
Bradley and Schulz agree on this hire? Sounds like a winner to me.
Getaway
January 17th, 2012
11:07 pm
I have no problem with these coaching hires. Coordinator positions are always in flux anyway. Successful franchises are ones that have stablilty in the GM and HC positions, regardless of how many playoff games are won in the first few years.
I think the Falcons are getting there. It’s pretty obvious that improvements have to be made on both the lines for this team to advance. But this is not going to be an easy or single season fix.
Why???
January 17th, 2012
11:25 pm
It’s funny how fans of a team that’s NEVER WON ANYTHING get on a blog and gripe about who the OC and DC is. Be a real friggin fan, support the team through thick and thin, and stop being a bunch of female dogs!! Be glad you arent the Browns, or the Jags! My goodness….
Bipolardawg
January 17th, 2012
11:52 pm
To be honest l like 3-4 defense just look The Baltimore Ravens
dawgforlife
January 17th, 2012
11:58 pm
kramer….been to NY city…been to Atlanta…prefer Atlanta…as the gentleman said, go back home where everyone loves everyone….oh wait let me make just as ridiculous a comment…only someone from the north would be that buffoonish and rude…my apologies to people from the northern mid-west. Ya’ll are a pretty level headed bunch all in all.
Tree rollins
January 18th, 2012
12:07 am
At least one half of the team got a better coach! The half that wasn’t the real problem. Better be glad we got anything better after that first hire. Pariah Jerry’s going to be a great guy in the middle of that 3-4 (not). Ok Thomas, now step up your game – don’t trade away your entire draft to move up 15 or 20 slots.
Tree rollins
January 18th, 2012
12:11 am
Someone asked Belichek if the team missed Dimitroff in New England – he spit on the sidewalk and grunted “who’s that?” and walked on by!
Timmy
January 18th, 2012
12:19 am
I don’t care about offensive or defensive … I need Matt Ryan to step it up. Stop thinking so much and turn it loose. You’re not Peyton Manning … Start making some plays. If he can’t get it done, then it’s time to start over. Just sayin … by the way, I do care about the offensive and defensive lines, I just need my quarterback to step it up!!! I want to believe it Matt Ryan. I just need to see it!!!
cmc
January 18th, 2012
12:43 am
great choice…good move…BOTH the firing and the hiring…the offensive line was awful on so many levels this year and much of the struggles on offense at times I felt was tied to them..let’s find us another winner and get this team blocking again
Tree rollins
January 18th, 2012
1:10 am
And what is it that Rich McKay does again? I’m told his main duties now are to rub talcum powder on Arthur’s arse whenever Arthur pee’s himself during the exciting parts of the games.
clay
January 18th, 2012
4:10 am
So who do you think they will hire as the new QB coach?
RedandBlackPeachy
January 18th, 2012
6:23 am
1. Love this hire. @ D3, this also was my choice so I truly can understand the sentiment. 2. We are just as far away from a good 4-3 as we are a good 3-4 so that doesn’t concern me. 3. Nolan has installed a hybrid of the two defenses in the past so running a 4-3 would not be an issue for him. 4. The few guys coming out of college that can fill the NT position are projected to start going in the second round so that doesn’t put us out of it. 5. Not all stupid comments are racist. Wasn’t offended by Great Signs comment; just rolled at my eyes at the ridiculousness of it. Let’s move on.
Bill
January 18th, 2012
7:36 am
Great sign,
Perhaps it would help if I explain why your comment was racist. You said first that we need more Black OLs. Is Black the characteristic that makes a different. Later, you said that they were stronger and tougher. This makes sense. Tougher and stronger are the key characteristics. If Black was the important characteristic, the we could just move Jacquizz Rogers to the OL. Clearly, Black is not what matters. Why not just say that we need OLs who are tougher and stronger and leave race out of it, since it is of no consequence.
elroy
January 18th, 2012
7:36 am
fire bradley & most of the other columnist, that would be a productive day for the AJC
GT
January 18th, 2012
7:53 am
There was the inch against the Saints earlier this year too. Never understood why they didn’t sprint one of those runs wide. Everybody was bunched up in the middle, but a pro team of any quality should be able to get an inch and it defined our year.
GT Grad '08
January 18th, 2012
8:00 am
IF, and granted this is a BIG IF, we can get a 3-4 nosetackle through draft or FA, then why not try the 3-4? Can Sidbury drop back to a 3-4 outside LB w/ Witherspoon? He seems atheletic enough. Make Babineaux a 3-4 DE. Let Abraham go and use that $ to pick up another 3-4 lineman and it could work. Our linebackers are already the strength of this team why not make them the full focal point?
Adam
January 18th, 2012
8:19 am
@ Paddy
January 17th, 2012
5:26 pm
Hmmmm…..
Were you watching any of the games this past weekend?
Tree rollins
January 18th, 2012
8:54 am
Pariah Jerry is the big powerful DT we need to anchor that 3-4! Just ask Thomas – the guy that spent our first round pick on him.
Call it like it is
January 18th, 2012
9:00 am
Want make any difference, Falcons got no heart. Ever notice with the teams that are winning, how they react with their fans? Run along the wall giving high fives, jump into the stands after TD’s. They want to win, they want to please their fan base. The dome is a sterile environment and so are the Falcons. Tired of blowing my money on a team that has never produce a ring.
crossdawg
January 18th, 2012
9:14 am
CMR could learn from Smith. Go Dawgs
Vince Butts
January 18th, 2012
9:37 am
KOETTER WON’T IMPROVE THE FfALCONS OFFENSE.I THINK WE TOOK A STEP BACKWARDS..TIME WILL TELL.
DEFENSE WE ARE A BETTER TEAM WITH NOLAN ..
VAN GORDER A GOOD GUY BUT MORE OF A COLLEGE DEFENSIVE COACH. HE WILL IMPROVE AUBURN. BAD NEWS FOR DAWG FANS.
duronimo
January 18th, 2012
10:04 am
Nolan is a good choice. I always hate to see people fired because think of their families. It’s about as tough being an assistants coach as it is being and assistant in come church.
colelinski
January 18th, 2012
10:05 am
Fans will be suprised at how much better Matt Ryan will be with a decent OL. Give him time to throw and he’ll do very well.
As for the defense, I don’t think the Falcons are that far away fromm having the players to play a
3-4. Nose tackle would be the biggest concern. But maybe someone now on the team could fill the position.
Is’nt Ratliff,the Cowboys NT on the the light side. I think he’s around 300lbs. and plays pretty well.
St Simons - we're on Island time
January 18th, 2012
10:22 am
Flacco’s still playing
Flacco’s still playing
This cements that GM as maybe the worst talent scout in NFL history
a half century of futility in loserville continues
RM
January 18th, 2012
10:36 am
Can Boudreau take most of the O linemen with him? Clabo was absolutely terrible this year. they reallly screwed up by signing him instead of Dahl. Dahl provided the nastiness and they really missed that this year.
James
January 18th, 2012
11:24 am
Why don’t AB really open up in pocketbook and splurge on the QB coach and go get Steve Young, Kurt Warner, Steve Bartkoski, someone who was known how to throw down field with accuracy! These coaches have enough to fix already and this way he can be taught one-on-one and they can concentrate on what they have to do @ hand! Last but not least can you say NOSE GUARD.
Sid
January 18th, 2012
11:26 am
Michael January 17th, 2012 4:57 pm
This is a football blog, anybody who comes on here talking about race needs to get shunned.
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Blog police, every one be cool.
David
January 18th, 2012
11:28 am
I thought the o-line coach did a good job considering the talent he had to work with.
Sid
January 18th, 2012
11:30 am
Son Of Bart January 17th, 2012 7:52 pm
Dumb incestuous hire after dumber incestuous hire. Falcons 6-10 2012. At best.
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Say, how is Mr Simpson anyway??
Falcon Realist
January 18th, 2012
11:41 am
Draft and sign terrible offensive linemen. Let your best OL, Clabo, leave via free agency and throw the OL coach under the bus.
Sid
January 18th, 2012
11:43 am
Notice how the Peeshwank trolls from the Bayou will barely come out………….and if they do it’s Falcon trash talk under a different handle. No mention of their team going down in flames and being snuffed out in a wispy cloud of smoke off of the Pacific.
The anticipation of eating crow tastes almost as bad as the crow itself. C’mon back, we only want to kick you while you are down.
SAL
January 18th, 2012
12:12 pm
let’s all coeleste
t_height
January 18th, 2012
12:35 pm
The play calling had nothing to do with the O-Line coach. It was all Matt Ryan and Mularky. You have to have some type of designed plays other than just trying to find a hole to run through.
Season Ticket Holder
January 18th, 2012
12:39 pm
Geaux Saints! OH, I’m sorry. They are no longer in the playoffs
DawggoneFalcons
January 18th, 2012
1:32 pm
@Mark Bradley,
Who do you think the Falcons are looking at, as far as, a new Offensive Line Coach?
Hillbilly D
January 18th, 2012
2:09 pm
Changing the O-Line coach is a step in the right direction.
Thoughts on the release of Paul Boudreau | Falcons Focus – Atlanta Falcons Blog, Opinion and Analysis
January 18th, 2012
3:40 pm
[...] line took a significant step backwards this season, which is why some view the release of Boudreau as a good thing. But it’s hard to fault Boudreau (who is a good coach) for the overall lack of talent that was [...]
joh
January 20th, 2012
10:54 am
Harvey Dahl – GONE- Falcons cannot gain less than a yard- Any Connection ?
Oh yeah-he is white……