Falcons

By Falcon Fan

June 17, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this

All I can say is WOW!!! This blog has surely put things into perspective. Let’s see it basically tells me that the Falcons have done a very poor J-O-B evaluating talent for the team. Let’s hope this new coaching staff is able to move the players beyond their Potential and start showing some results.

By Scott

June 17, 2008 2:44 PM | Link to this

More evidence as to poor decision-making by Rich McKay over the years. He’s proven to be an inadequate player-personnel guy, but will likely flourish behind the scenes for Arthur Blank. This will free Dimitroff to be more focused on the player side of the business early on in his tenure here.

I’m guessing we won’t be talking about all the TD-drafted players being GONE in 3 to 4 years.

I wouldn’t care if a VA Tech player was the love child of John Elway and Serena Williams, I wouldn’t draft him.

By JB

June 17, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this

Bold moves…This staff is an NFL staff.The word is out. You want to be here, come on. Bad attitude or crying and wimpering for little jimmy mora, you’re gone. I love it.

By Poor McKay

June 17, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this

The Jimmy Williams story is more about the horrific Rich McKay era and less about VA Tech players. McKay was clearly a very poor evaluator of talent, especially in the first 2-3 rounds. Oh and his evaluation of coaches wasn’t much better. It’s remarkable that he still collects a Falcons paycheck.

Hey Steve, any DTs making a noise for themselves in camp?

By Falcons Fan

June 17, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this

None whatsoever Steve. All of the debacles our team had to endure may have been better for the long term health of the franchise. As opposed to a bunch of Band Aids, we can now continue the surgery that was needed to truly make this team a yearly contender.

By Carl

June 17, 2008 3:08 PM | Link to this

Rich McKay and Jim Mora have set this franchise back for the next decade. You can’t build a consistant winner with free agents, it takes quality drafts with draft picks who make it to the field.

Best of luck to you Mr. Dimitroff.

By ricknole

June 17, 2008 3:18 PM | Link to this

Just playing Devils advocate here….

All of you who are now saying the Jimmy Williams pick shows how horrible McKay was, are the same people who were very excited that we “lucked” into getting Jimmy Williams in 2005.

Cant have it both ways people.

By Najeh Davenpoop

June 17, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this

I was so excited that year when they traded up to that pick to take Winston Justice, offensive tackle out of USC.

Of course, in true Falcons form, they passed up on the lineman and picked Williams instead.

Don’t get me wrong, I thought Williams would be a lot more successful than he ended up being. But the biggest knock I have on McKay is his refusal to invest big money/high picks in linemen. This pick was just another example.

And clearly, based on this year’s draft, Dimitroff is cut from the same mold.

Until this team gets quality people up top to get good players on the team, they are not worth rooting for.

By Tim Mcyer

June 17, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this

I love it. The new coaching staff is making it very clear: Be apart of the answer and not a part of the problem. FINALLY. Bye Bye Jimmy. All that talent and ZERO heart. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

By The Dean 21

June 17, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this

The correct solution is to make each player accountable for their actions and performances. This coaching staff is doing just that. It seems that some players think that they can just show up since they are in the NFL. Coach Smith is actually is somewhat old school which means you not only have to show up, but you have to compete in order to play. I totally agree with this method of coaching!

By ThatDude

June 17, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this

Can someone in this city explain to me how Rich McKay is still employed (in any capacity) with the Falcons??? 6 of 7 players released/traded/not resigned from the ‘05 draft, Michael Jenkins only player still with the team from ‘04 draft and only 5 players chosen in ‘06. Add to that the ridiculous acquisition of Lawyer Malloy (too old to play safety), Edge Hartwell & countless other bonehead deals!!!!

Nuff Said

By Eugene Robinson

June 17, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this

Jimmy williams is a total loser! He couldn’t carry my jock!

By JMar

June 17, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this

You need to go back and check you draft history, Steve. Both your primary article and this blog forget that the 2005 draft was the one with Roddy White, Jonathan Babineaux, Chauncey Davis, and Michael Boley. The 2006 draft was the Jimmy Williams draft; the 2004 draft was the Jenkins draft.

And ThatDude needs to stop speaking so adamantly about topics of which he is equally ignorant. He got the draft numbers wrong too, forgets that the Matt Schaub pick provided a backup qb and two huge draft picks, Lawyer Milloy has been great for the Falcons, and at the time, everyone thought the Hartwell pickup would take the Falcons to the next level.

By Steve Wyche

June 17, 2008 4:14 PM | Link to this

Thanks for chiming in….Great stuff. Ricknole, you made a great point my man. When Jimmy was drafted, he was roundly celebrated and called a draft-day steal. Things didn’t work out here but that doesn’t mean that Jimmy Williams can’t play. This is a new staff and Jimmy wasn’t its type of player. Williams could very well catch on elsewhere and have a solid career…Regarding the question about DTs, it’s totally impossible to gauge how good any of the interior linemen are performing since they don’t hit during these offseason practices. They are still in need of the big burly DT, which could be addressed with Grady Jackson. It could be a huge gamble putting Tony Taylor or rookie Curtis Lofton in at MLB behind some of the smaller DTs they have on the roster right now.

By Rich McKay

June 17, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this

Research? Evaluation? What are those?

By Falcon Fan

June 17, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this

To RickNole,

Hey I agree with you on your statement and I’d like to add one caveat to it, when the Falcons drafted Jimmy Williams I honestly thought it wasn’t such a bad pick, I just would’ve liked to see the Birds shore up the O Line and D Line. I feel that everything starts in the trenches and if we can effectively run and pass block and get consist pressure on the QB will be fine. I mean if you look at the past Super Bowl Winners they all had Solid Lines to protect the QB and put pressure on the opposing QB. Just my .02 cents.

I just pray that we are headed in the right direction, I don’t think I can take another year like we had last year!!!!

By Ryder

June 17, 2008 4:35 PM | Link to this

Riddle me this Najeh if this new regime didn’t think highly of offensive linemen, how come they traded up two second round picks for an OL? Seems to me like they have decided to put their own blueprint on this franchise, and I like it.

Steve caught your report or First Take regarding Jamaal Anderson’s potential move to DT. What’s the story behind that?

By Great Falconi

June 17, 2008 4:41 PM | Link to this

And clearly, based on this year’s draft, Dimitroff is cut from the same mold.

Najeh,

The Falcons already had a considerable number of young, inexperienced offensive linemen to work with coming into this season. It’s obvious to me that Dimitroff, Mike Smith, and the coaching staff happened to like several of these young players before the draft. That being the case, it is OL coach Paul Boudreau’s job to mold these players (plus first-rounder Sam Baker) into a solid, cohesive group. If it can’t be done, then it will be understandable for us to bemoan missed opportunities this year to draft offensive linemen.

(Isn’t it sad that Sam Baker was the first OL taken in the first round by the Falcons since Lincoln Kennedy in ‘93? How the hell can a team that has had as poor of an offensive line as the Falcons have had over the years not draft an offensive lineman in the first round for fifteen years? Yikes.)

By Singletary

June 17, 2008 4:47 PM | Link to this

Dorsey, Ellis and several other beefy types make a lie of drafting for need. TD got bulldozed for a marketing point QB.

While I still cheer for my Falcs, I’m more braced to be dismayed than prepared to be surprised.

By Jay

June 17, 2008 4:59 PM | Link to this

Yeah, it looks a little bad for McKay and others who did the job selecting players? in their era, but it might have a little to do with the people to choose from…not much, and they never got coached to the point of production. Say it again, LEADERSHIP is all important in any organization. Blank has not yet shown that is his best quality, but he’s still heiring and fireing. we’ll see another phase of his plan soon…hope it’s different to all the others.

By Mr. T

June 17, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this

What a shame about Jimmy because like his other VTECH teamates “He was a number one stunna!” I guess him and his VTECH Posse weren’t “real” enough to make it happen in da ATL. I guess when another team picks him up, he can represent A-town and spread da Hip Hop luve!!!! Peace out A-Town!!!!

By bigeasy830

June 17, 2008 5:11 PM | Link to this

Najeh you are absolutely right. See many of us real football fans have nothing against Matty Ice. He was just the wrong pick. You build a championship team on the lines, O and D lines. A great line can make a decent quaterback look great. But a bad line can make a good QB look very bad. See, I will go to the games next year, not to root for the falcons but, to see a cheap NFL football game. The scalpers will take a beating next year and and years to come and I will certainly be one of the people beating them. Just as I have in previous years at Hawks games. I once sat right behind the Bulls bench when Curry and Chandler were rookies for 10 bucks. Instead of trying to erase the memory of MV7 just try to build a successful team. I like Smith as coach but hate the GM and the owner. I like what Smith is doing if he is the one pulling the strings on cutting these players. Williams was a cry baby from day one. He was told by the football people that he would be better suited at safety not CB. This idiot insisted on playing CB. Not to mention the Ferrari he bought before he was even drafted. His stock fell from top 15 to second round, only the Falcons were stupid enough to draft him. Say what you will about Petrino, I believe the man did a great job with the draft last year and would have did a very good job with this team if it was not for the owner sticking his big nose into everything. The Falcons will not be worth rooting for as long as big nose owns the team. And people please quit blaming MV7 for how bad the Facons is and will be. They were bad while he was here, but his talentes overcame many of the teams shortcomings. May the force be with you Matty Ice you will need it. All these lame articles about the progress of Matty Ice and that sorry lineman from USC makes me laugh. We all know the Falcons will hand them the starting job, so what if they look great with no pads on and against other sorry players on their own sorry team. It does not matter until the regular season and the sorry birds are 2 and 14 for the year and then refuses to draft Tim Teabow or Stafford because they made a mistake by drafting the wrong player in 08 and invested to much money in that same player. I tell you people this will be the scenerio.

Holla if you hear me, Say Amen if you feel me.

By bldwg

June 17, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this

Thank goodness all the Va Tech players are gone. No matter what, never againe draft a player from this team.

By kj

June 17, 2008 6:24 PM | Link to this

I used to blame the poor picks on the Smith’s. Who do I blame now?

By Billy

June 17, 2008 7:46 PM | Link to this

Jimmy Williams should have been arrested for impersonating a defensive back anyway!

By Roswel Ed

June 17, 2008 7:48 PM | Link to this

Does this surprise anyone?

Beamer can pick a bum for sure.

Question:

Name the worst Hokie besides MV7:

Brandon Ore

MeAngelo Hall

Jim “no means no” Drunkenmiller

Marcus Vick

Jimmy Williams

The ACC has become what the SEC used to be except for the wins.

Free Shoes, Clemson(Ken Page and Bowden’s daughter-is that her in the PIX?, thUg U, and Beamer

N-I-C-E

Tell me PETER ROSE didn’t know where to go to school.

By Greg

June 17, 2008 8:08 PM | Link to this

I don’t care for the “bignose” comment, but otherwise, bigeasy830 is right on target. I’ve been watching pro ball for over 50 years and it remains true that great teams are built from the inside out. Put Joey Harrington behind NE’s or Indy’s or Pgh’s O-line and you might have had a pro-bowl q-back. That is a fact. The Falcons, much as I am pained to say it, seemed moved more by the quick-hit PR move than by the “slow-build.” That is probably a reflection of the owner. Sad. Don’t expect much this year or next. Or the next.

By D.J.

June 17, 2008 9:01 PM | Link to this

Saw this one coming a mile away. J.W. wasn’t interested in playing football. He showed that last year when he was benched for sorry play on special teams. The new regime is interested in players that come to play everyday. As for drafting a linemen (Dorsey), Dimitroff and Smith did the right thing. This is a QB league. I don’t care how good the O and D-line are if you don’t have a QB you won’t win. The teams that win consistantly have good to great QB play i.e. Colts, Pats, Steelers, Cowboys (recently) etc. The Gaints O and D-line didn’t matter until Ely Got hot in the playoffs. The Ravens won a championship with one of the greatest defensive fronts ever, but they haven’t come close since because they’ve had inconsistant QB play. Everybody believes K.C. had a great draft, but it won’t matter if Brady Croyle can’t play. Bottom line-Smith and Dimitroff realize their collective fate is tied to the QB position and waiting another year to get a QB would put them another year closer to being fired.