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April 2007
Some draftees already slated to start
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It probably was a pretty interesting scene at Falcons’ headquarters Monday when veterans came in for offseason conditioning a day after some of the 11 draft picks - and safety Jimmy Williams - were moved ahead of them on the depth chart.
The comfort zone many of them felt they may have been in after practicing well at a mini-camp a few weeks ago got real shaky after this weekend, when the Falcons added a dual-threat at left defensive end (Jamaal Anderson), two cornerbacks (Chris Houston, David Irons), a massive guard (Justin Blalock), a wide receiver (Laurent Robinson), and surprisingly, Georgia tight end Martrez Milner.
The fourth-round grab of South Florida outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas also was somewhat of a surprise until it was disclosed that weakside starter Demorrio Williams tore pectoral muscles last week while lifting weights and could be out for the early part of the season. What’s interesting is the coaching staff’s decision to work Nicholas as the starter at weakside while Williams heals, instead of moving Keith Brooking back to his natural spot and inserting Jordan Beck in the middle.
The thinking probably is that Williams should be back at some point so it’s better to have Brooking learn the middle position in Mike Zimmer’s new scheme and not have him bounce back and forth, like he has for most of the past two seasons. Still, Jordan Beck has to be wondering if he’ll ever get a shot.
Grading the draft is something I’ll let someone else do, but the Falcons did address most of their needs, especially on the first day. Anderson will replace Patrick Kerney and allow Chauncey Davis to move back to being a reliable backup at both end spots. Blalock fills a gaping hole at left guard, which was vacated with the release of Matt Lehr.
The drafting of Houston came when the Falcons could not land the safety they wanted (LaRon Landry). They went after the best defensive back available when their turn came in the second round and made the decision to move Jimmy Williams to free safety - a position many NFL personnel types is best suited for him.
The selection of Robinson (Illinois State) quietly was one of the most celebrated picks in the war room. His sure hands and big-play potential were deemed a perfect fit for what Petrino does in the passing game. If the speedy 6-2, 199-pounder can adapt quickly enough, he will be in the rotation, which puts pressure on Roddy White from now. Robinson’s arrival also was due in part to concerns about whether veteran Brian Finneran can fully return from torn knee ligaments that sidelined him for all of 2006.
Bobby Petrino’s take on Milner was incredibly positive, which probably doesn’t bode well for veteran tight end Eric Beverly. The coaching staff has been enamored with second-year player Daniel Fells and had some decent things to say about Dwayne Blakley after mini-camp. The Falcons don’t seem too concerned with Milner’s dropped passes at UGA.
Center guard Doug Datish, taken in the sixth round, is an understated pick. He did not allow a sack all season at Ohio State and he knows how to play the game. Atlanta drafted nose guard Trey Lewis and runnig back Jason Snelling to fill areas of need but they might not be the ideal fits Petrino was looking for. The post-June 1 cuts could be where the Falcons find their big nose tackle and burly tailback.
Irons and safety Daren Stone will have to shine on special teams to make it, but Irons, in particular, could have the chance to play some in nickel packages.
Drafting for needs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Falcons enter Day 2 of the draft with five picks (they dealt their second of three fourth round picks to Minnesota to move up three slots in the second round) and there are plenty of good players available.
Louisville tailback Michael Bush was a target but Oakland took him with the first pick of the fourth round. The Falcons still want a big back but they also must address their need for a nose tackle. There apparently was some discussion about taking North Carolina State defensive tackle Tank Tyler in the third round but the Falcons opted for wide receiver Laurent Robinson.
Offensive line and linebacker are other need areas that likely will be addressed.
As for the Day 1 haul, the Falcons drafted for need and, to the appeal of many fans, finally spent a high pick for a massive offensive lineman.
The choice of Jamaal Anderson at left defensive end gives Atlanta a big pass rusher to replace Patrick Kerney. The second-round pickup of Justin Blalock gives Atlanta a massive left guard who can hold the pocket in pass protection and move the pile when Atlanta runs. Blalock could emerge as one of the better picks in the draft.
There also is a whole lot of excitement about cornerback Chris Houston, who is relatively small (5-9, 185) but was the strongest pound-for-pound player at the draft combine and one of the faster players there. The Falcons think so highly of him, they did not hesitate to move Jimmy Williams from cornerback to free safety, where he could be a better fit.
DeAngelo Hall, Williams, Lawyer Milloy and Houston give Atlanta a very physical secondary.
Falcons look to Anderson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flowery Branch — Brady Quinn is finally off the board! Cleveland made a trade with Dallas (this year’s No. 2, next season’s No. 1) to move up to No. 22 to take the Notre Dame Quinn, who was this year’s Green Room slider.
Though the Browns might have given up a lot to move to No. 22, they nabbed the possible quarterback of the future after drafting the best offensive tackle, Joe Thomas (No. 3) to protect him.
Adding to things, Cleveland traded one spot ahead of Kansas City, which could have been thinking about selection Quinn.
An intriguing development the way the draft board is shaking out is that a lot of quality offensive linemen and wide receivers are still available. Though there’s a chance there could be a run on both positions, some of those players could be around with Atlanta picks at No. 7 and No. 13 in the second round.
4:10 p.m.: The Falcons’ pick of Arkansas defensive end Jamaal Anderson with the No. 8 pick — the name, not the spelling, ring a bell? — may have come as somewhat of a surprise since he wasn’t projected by most prognosticators as a top-10 pick.
However, this is a case where need overtook marquee value since the Falcons had to replace Patrick Kerney, who signed a free-agent contract with Seattle. (Coincidentally, Anderson is the first defensive lineman drafted by Atlanta since Kerney in 1999).
Anderson (6-foot-5, 288) is known to be solid against the run as well as being a fearsome pass rusher. He had 17.5 career sacks at Arkansas. He is an early entry into the NFL draft, coming out after his junior season.
Other potential targets, running back Adrian Peterson and safety LaRon Landry, were drafted with the No. 6 and No. 7 picks.
Coach Bobby Petrino said Anderson is projected as the starter, supplanting Chauncey Davis, who was penciled in to replace Kerney before the draft.
Falcons president and GM Rich McKay said Atlanta did have conversations with Detroit about moving up to the No. 2 spot so they could get a chance to draft wide receiver Calvin Johnson but those conversations never got serious. The Lions selected Johnson and there’s been more and more talk out here at The Branch that they’re going to hang on to him.
The big buzz with the draft is the plummet by Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. There was talk of him going as high as No. 1 and No. 3. It’s pick No. 20 and he’s still undrafted.
12:45 p.m.: Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson became the latest wide receiver drafted by the Detroit Lions, who selected Johnson with the second pick overall.
LSU’s JaMarcus Russell was taken first overall by Oakland.
On the surface it seems like a safe pick by the woeful Lions, who’ve had awful luck with previous WR failures Charles Rogers and Mike Williams. However, it’s being widely speculated that Detroit nabbed Johnson to dangle him as trade bait.
Tampa Bay (4th overall pick) is the team many NFL officials think will trade for Johnson. Though the Falcons, who hold the 8th overall pick, have been mentioned as trade partners, team officials continue to say that they’re not going to give up a wealth of their 10 picks to acquire the local kid.
If Johnson ends up staying in Detroit, he would greatly help a team in need of a drawing card and a player who could immediately make their team better.
Stay tuned. This is not the last we’ve heard of this.
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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.
Busy news day, no Grady Jackson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Really busy with a bunch of news, but I thought I’d drop a fresh blog on you guys today about some developments at the first day of Falcons’ minicamp.
• Tight end Alge Crumpler had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last Friday and he did not and will not participate. The procedure was the repair minor damage and clean out debris related to wear and tear. No timetable was given for his return. Eric Beverly, Daniel Fells and Dwayne Blakley are taking the reps at tight end.
• Coach Bobby Petrino officially declared Joey Harrington the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Michael Vick. He said Chris Redman, James Kilian and D.J. Shockley would compete for the No. 3 job. With Petrino’s familiarity with Redman, Shockley’s status has become somewhat precarious.
• Petrino said that Keith Brooking is the starting middle linebacker, for now. Michael Boley and Demorrio Williams will start at the outside spots. Petrino said Brooking could be moved to weakside backer, his natural spot, if the Falcons pick up a middle linebacker in the draft.
• No surprise, but nose tackle Grady Jackson was a no show. Jackson is suing the team for defamation and invasion of privacy for allegedly releasing medical information without his consent to the media last summer. Nose tackles Darrell Shropshire worked with the first team, Tommy Jackson with the second unit and Anthony Bryant with the No. 3 group.
• WR Brian Finneran, CB Jason Webster, S Chris Crocker, OT Todd Weiner and RB Warrick Dunn either did not participate or took part in limited drills.
Pre-draft chatter about defense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hey folks,
Before I get started, the Falcons announced their preseason opponents today - the Jets, Bengals, Ravens and Buffalo. The only game with a set date is the Aug. 27 home game with Cincinnati, a Monday night game that will be nationally televised by ESPN.
Atlanta opens at the Jets and plays at Buffalo the next weekend. It closes out the preseason with the Ravens. Dates are forthcoming. The regular season schedule will be announced this Thursday.
Moving on, I spent much of last week at the NFL owners’ meetings in Phoenix, hearing about new commissioner Roger Goodell’s player conduct policy. Word among many of the football types there is Goodell is very concerned about the league’s image and is trying to remedy the situation in a major way before sponsors and fans start applying some pressure.
Goodell meets with Pacman Jones and Chris Henry Tuesday and I don’t think either guy is going to come away feeling too good about being allowed to play in all 16 games next season. Goodell said he’ll take up to 10 days before levying punishment for both players’ repeated off-field run-ins with the law, but the thinking is that Jones and Henry will receive suspensions, with Pacman probably having to watch more than half the season on TV.
In terms of the Falcons, coach Bobby Petrino was very insightful about some of his plans and goals as well as how he’s going to use personnel. This week, I’d like to address defense. Next week, as the Falcons prepare for their pre-draft mini-camp, we can look over the offense.
Jimmy Williams is going to have every chance to retain the starting right cornerback job that is being awarded to him, Petrino said. Jason Webster seemingly doesn’t fit into the team’s plans and could get waived, maybe after June 2 to defray salary cap costs until the 2008 season.
The decision not to move Williams to safety clearly leaves open the likelihood Atlanta will draft LaRon Landry to start at free safety.
The Falcons seem prepared to use last year’s free safety, Chris Crocker, as a nickel back and backup to Lawyer Milloy at strong safety. Crocker was strong in run support and is a decent ball player, as long as he doesn’t have deep coverage. So not bailing on him and playing to his strengths seems like a wise move.
Petrino also said Chauncey Davis is the guy to replace Patrick Kerney at left end, for now. However, there is no doubt the Falcons will draft a defensive end with one of their 10 selections. Though Josh Mallard and Paul Carrington were pretty effective having to play as many snaps as they did last season, Atlanta is looking for somebody to groom as the starter on that left side.
I’d also expect Atlanta to draft a nose tackle. There are some mock drafts projecting the Falcons taking 19-year-old Louisville DT Amobi Okoye in the first round, but that might only happen if Landry, Adrian Peterson, Levi Jones, Jamaal Anderson and Reggie Nelson are gone.
With NT Grady Jackson suing the team for allegedly releasing his medical records to some media last summer, that marriage appears to be unhealthy and the Falcons need to add somebody who can play and acquire someone who might be able to be an anchor on the D-line for years.
On a sidenote, don’t pay much mind to the talk about the Falcons trading for cornerback Deltha O’Neal. Cincy is not trading him. Plus, he is a left cornerback, where the Falcons’ already have a pretty good one in DeAngelo Hall. Petrino did say Atlanta likely will add a cornerback, but most likely through the draft.
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