Class A GM must improve grade on D

Flowery Branch —- Here we see the ancillary benefits of having signed a free-agent tailback who tied for second in the NFL’s MVP voting and having drafted a quarterback who was offensive rookie of the year. Give or take a tight end, that platoon is set. And now the general manager who aced his first offseason can muster all resources in the effort to fix his defense.

For 16 games, the Falcons schemed around inherent liabilities, but they were exploited to the max in a playoff loss on a Saturday afternoon in Glendale, Ariz. The Falcons ranked No. 11 in a 32-team league in scoring defense, but that was a tribute to the brainpower of Brian VanGorder and the ball-control work of Michael Turner and Matt Ryan. In every other category they were substandard —- 24th in total defense, 21st against the pass, 25th against the run.

To go further, the D must improve. And here’s the good news: Thomas Dimitroff nearly has a blank slate. He has unrestricted free agents he can discard, Keith Brooking and Lawyer Milloy and Michael Boley chief among them, and he has free agency and the draft to help him restock.

Regarding the latter, Dimitroff was asked Monday if he’s apt to draft even one offensive player come April. “Yes,” he said, smiling. “One-plus.”

Something to know: The Falcons are very happy with John Abraham, duh, and the rookie linebacker Curtis Lofton. Beyond that, there are no givens.

Milloy, who was elected one of the defensive captains Sunday, figures to want too much money and will wind up signing elsewhere. Boley could fit into the same category. If Brooking returns, it almost certainly won’t be as a starter. And Jamaal Anderson, who has had two sacks in two seasons as an end, could well become a full-time defensive tackle.

In his former life as a defensive coordinator, head coach Mike Smith regarded tackles as the core position. The Falcons see Jonathan Babineaux as a comer, and they like Trey Lewis, who missed the season due to knee surgery. And they could well bring back Grady Jackson for another tour. Regarding defensive end, the rookie Kroy Biermann showed much late in the season —- did Dimitroff have a great first draft or what? —- and the sheer number of bodies up front available could mean that the Falcons won’t draft a D-lineman in Round 1.

If you’re betting, bet on them using their first pick —- they likely will have the 25th choice in Round 1 —- on a cornerback. They’re prepared to try Chevis Jackson, another rookie who played nickel back, on the outside, but clearly the secondary is the area most in need of upgrading.

“We will make calculated decisions,” Dimitroff said. “They won’t be emotion-driven.”

We saw last spring that Dimitroff wasn’t shy about shedding big names: DeAngelo Hall, Warrick Dunn, Alge Crumpler. We’ll see it again soon. That’s the Patriots Way —- lop a guy a year too soon, as opposed to a year too late —- and Dimitroff learned it in New England.

As warm and fuzzy as the season just completed was, the months ahead are a time for the cold and clinical. As much as Brooking and Milloy have done for this franchise, they were still culpable in the three biggest plays made by the Cardinals. (Milloy was beaten on two touchdowns, and Brooking whiffed on the tight end on third-and-16 inside the final three minutes.)

The new regime has made the brightest start possible, and Dimitroff is just getting going. He has already reconfigured the offense, and now he gets to redo the D. And we, once again, get to stand back and watch the man work. Prepare, once again, to be impressed.

mbradley@ajc.com