AJC > Sports > Falcons > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 23
Monday, April 23, 2007
Assessing needs by position
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Falcons’ president and general manager Rich McKay recently said the team might not have as many holes as it seems. He added, though, that there are plenty of holes and they have to find at least two starters in this weekend’s draft.
The Falcons have 10 picks, three in the top 44 selections.
Let’s go position by position and see where Atlanta needs help and if it that help needs to be more immediate. Have some fun with this and chime in with your opinions on who the Falcons should take, who maybe they should dump, and if you think there is are enough quality players around to address some of Atlanta’s weak spots.
I think defensive line, secondary, offensive line and tailback, in that order, are top priorities. They might not draft that way, but in the short and long term, those are vulnerable spots.
P/PK: Michael Koenen can’t do it all, as we found out last season. The bet here is Atlanta will sign a free agent field-goal kicker after the draft to compliment Koenen, a promising punter and kickoff specialist.
QB: Vick, Harrington, Shockley/Redman. Good mix of youth and experience.
FB: Free agent Ovie Mughelli is being counted on to deliver big hits and play substantial snaps. Corey McIntyre is the backup. Atlanta could add a free agent post-draft to challenge McIntyre.
TB: Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood are a nice one-two punch but durability and age, in Dunn’s case, signal the need for backup. Coach Bobby Petrino wants a burly back. The Falcons will draft one.
TE: Atlanta is set with Alge Crumpler, Eric Beverly, Dwayne Blakley and emerging Daniel Fells. If Fells keeps progressing, Beverly could be in trouble.
LT: Wayne Gandy still has something left but Atlanta could use a high pick to groom someone to replace Gandy in a year or two. Frank Omiyale was drafted two years ago as an heir to the spot but his name has rarely been mentioned of late.
LG: An area of concern. Tyson Clabo and Toniu Fonoti are the top two guys now, but neither could be the short- or long-term answer. If a player is worthy, the Falcons could use one of their first-day picks — maybe one of their second-rounders — to address the position.
C: Todd McClure and Ben Claxton are solid.
RG: Kynan Forney is on a mission to get the Pro Bowl but his right shoulder that required season-ending surgery can’t be overlooked. Promising second-year man Quinn Ojinnaka might be used here in a pinch.
RT: Todd Weiner and Ojinnaka appear to be good enough that using a first day draft pick here seems like a reach. Keep in mind, though, Petrino does want to start acquiring bigger linemen.
WR: Free-agent acquisition Joe Horn and Brian Finneran provide some needed depth and leadership for Roddy White and Mike Jenkins. However, Horn and Finn are coming off injuries and durability is an issue. Adam Jennings had a good first minicamp but the Falcons can’t bypass a solid talent for help at it’s most unsteady position.
DE: The Falcons might use two picks here, including the No. 8 overall choice. Chauncey Davis is penciled in as the starter on the left side. John Abraham on the right. A stud young end could form a nice tandem with Davis while depth must be provided for the injury-prone Abraham. Backups Josh Mallard and Paul Carrington might be enough.
NT: Though Atlanta might not use its top pick here, a potential starting player could be needed. With Grady Jackson suing the team and not working out at the team facility this summer, the acrimony might be too great to overcome. Darrell Shropshire and Tommy Jackson are potentially solid reserves but a mammoth who can anchor the line has to be acquired.
DT: Rod Coleman’s turf toe is healed and Jonathan Babineaux is highly productive in reserve.
OLB: Michael Boley, Demorrio Williams and Marcus Wilkins are young, athletic and they can all shine on special teams.
MLB: Keith Brooking and Jordan Beck are a solid tandem but don’t rule out a mid-round pick here. Brooking is expected to play in the middle all season but he probably doesn’t want to finish his career on the inside.
CB: DeAngelo Hall is fine. Jimmy Williams is still unproven. Lewis Sanders, who’s started in the NFL, was an understated free-agent pick up. Allen Rossum did OK when tabbed last season but Atlanta needs to consider adding at least one more player here.
FS: Chris Crocker is more of a strong safety and probably is in line to replace Lawyer Milloy in the future. The Falcons want someone more trustworthy in coverage, which is why this could be where they use their top pick. Atlanta could add a second safety, since it waived reliable backup Kevin Mathis for health reasons.
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
