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(We are just two weeks away from the NFL Draft. The Cover 9@9 is here every Wednesday at 9 a.m. We’ll try to get to everything about the Atlanta Falcons from who really turned up the noise at the Georgia Dome to exactly who's going to play left guard. -– D. Orlando Ledbetter)
1. The case for Bud Dupree: The Falcons are sitting in a pretty tough spot with the eighth overall pick.
The two players that are the best fits for them, Florida’s versatile Dante Fowler Jr. and Clemson’s all-time sack leader Vic Beasley, could be gone by the time the Falcons are on the clock on April 30 in Chicago.
That would leave them with selecting Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, who flunked a drug test at the combine, or Missouri’s Shane Ray. There's some talk that they may make a big reach for Kentucky’s Bud Dupree, who starred at Wilkinson County.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Chicago picks in front of the Falcons and could go for an edge rusher.
“If we're talking about edge rushers, I think Shane Ray is a candidate there for (Chicago defensive coordinator) Vic Fangio at (seven), there is a possibility he could be there,” NFL Network analyst Charles Davis. “I think Fowler is gone at that point.”
Dupree had a strong combine.
Dupree, a 6-foot-4, 269-pound defensive lineman, is projected to play outside linebacker in the NFL. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds, which was tied for third among linebackers at the combine.
He ranked first among linebackers with a broad jump of 11 feet, 6 inches.
“Does Bud Dupree elevate into the top 10?,” Davis said. “I have not been willing
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
to put him up there myself, but I hear more and more people putting him up there. He is a big, strong, physical guy and a heck of a player.”
Some are linking Dupree to the Falcons.
"The Falcons brought in former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as head coach to bring some intensity and pass rush," according to Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com. "Dupree isn't as technically refined yet as some of his competitors, but he has the tools Quinn can develop."
Cleveland could be interested in Dupree at the 12th spot.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
“I think Dupree has a very good chance of being there (at 12), even though I keep hearing him being elevated,” Davis said. “If there is a run on pass rushers, someone may elevate him up there. I'll put it to you this way, if Atlanta is sitting there in (the) eighth (slot) and Fowler, Ray and Beasley are gone, Bud Dupree could be bounced into that top 10."
The Falcons shouldn't reach for Bud Dupree. They should take the best player available or trade back and still get Dupree.
2. NFL Draft -- Position by Position series: We kicked off the position-by-position series with a story on Miami linebacker Denzel Perryman , who had 351 tackles over his college. We took a look at the top inside linebackers in the draft.
2015 POSITION-BY-POSITION DRAFT SERIES
Today: Inside Linebackers
Thursday: Defensive tackles
(Leonard Williams' Rugby skill will become handy in the NFL)
Friday: Defensive backs
Saturday: Special teams
Sunday: Edge rushers (defensive ends/outside linebackers).
Monday: Offensive line
Tuesday: Wide receivers
Wednesday, April 22: Running backs
Thursday, April 23: Quarterbacks
Friday, April 24: Tight ends
ICYMI: Here's a link to last year's Position-by-Position series.
3. Unemployment line: The Falcons have several former players on Pro Football Talk's All-Unemployed team. This is the list of the best veterans who have not been signed yet in free agency.
Wide receiver Michael Crabtree was plucked off the list by the Oakland Raiders on Monday.
Quarterback Michael Vick, defensive end Osi Umenyiora, running back Steven Jackson, tight end Bear Pascoe, left guard Justin Blalock, cornerback Javier Arenas, safety Thomas DeCoud and kicker Jay Feely all made the team.
The Falcons were high on tight end Jermaine Gresham when he was coming out of Oklahoma. When he recovers from herniated disc surgery, perhaps he’d be on their radar. Most insiders are not real impressed with the tight end additions of Jacob Tamme (30) and Tony Moeaki (injury-prone).
Also, Davin Joseph (31) was once considered one of the top guards in the league. It couldn’t hurt to kick the tires on the former two-time Pro Bowler.
4. Cearns receives promotion: The Falcons promoted Brian Cearns, who's set to enter his 10th season with the team, to Director of Football Communications.
Cearns, formerly the manager of football communications, has worked his way up from being the media contact for the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League since 2006.
On three separate occasions (2008, 2009 and 2010), Cearns volunteered with the NFL at the Super Bowl. While he was there, he worked closely with NFC representative Randall Liu on daily media access with the NFC team.
Cearns has also served as the Falcons public relations representative for each Draft pick since 2009. He was responsible for all local and national media requests for the drafted player, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and the head coach throughout the entire Draft Weekend.
Cearns is a 2005 graduate of Kennesaw State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport Management.
Congrats to BC!
5. Schooling Coach Dan: Somebody is going to have school Quinn about tweeting from the Swamp.
He might really think that the Stadium at the University of Florida is a great place, but he’s in Georgia now. Some of my Twitter followers thought he could have keep that tweet to himself.
http://bcove.me/5hragew2
6. Beasley a winner at the polls: In last week's poll, we asked "Who should the Falcons take with the 8th overall pick in the 2015 draft?"
Clemson's Vic Beasley was the winner with 42 percent of the votes followed by Dante Fowler Jr., with 25.8 percent of the votes.
Georgia running back Todd Gurley received 19.5 percent. Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory was fifth with 8.6 percent and Missouri’s Shane Ray was last with 2.6 percent.
"Other" received 1.6 percent of the votes.
7. Troy Polamalu is a Hall of Famer: It makes some cringe when folks just instantly tag a player as a first-ballot hall of famer. Peter King of TheMMQB.com gave a tribute to Troy Polamalu and cited the problems of getting safeties in to the Pro Football Hall of Fall.
Nothing is automatic in that room.
Former Tampa Bay safety John Lynch, a nine-time Pro Bowler, has had trouble getting much traction. The great Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News is quoted by King on how the committee has to stop ignoring the contribution of the position.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn is a big Polamalu supporter.
8. New jersey numbers: The Falcons released the jersey numbers for the new players. For some reason, fans are into these jersey numbers.
There was some trading that took place: WR Nick Williams - No. 15;
CB Phillip Adams - No. 20; LB O'Brien Schofield - No. 50; LB Justin Durant - No. 52; LB Allen Bradford - No. 53; LB Nate Stupar - No. 54; LB Brooks Reed - No. 56; OL Jared Smith - No. 64; G Mike Person - No. 68; TE Tony Moeaki - No. 81; TE Jacob Tamme - No. 83; WR Leonard Hankerson - No. 85; LB Prince Shembo - No. 91; DE Tyson Jackson - No. 94; DE Adrian Clayborn - No. 99.
9. Projected Depth Charter: Here's what my projected depth chart looks like heading into the draft. I juggled the offensive line around a little bit. I moved Sam Baker (knee) to left guard, returned Jake Matthews (foot) to left tackle and bumped Ryan Schrader back up to No. 1 right tackle.
DEFENSE
DE – Adrian Clayborn, Malliciah Goodman, Cliff Matthews
DT — Paul Soliai, Ricky Havili-Heimuli
DT -- Jonathan Babineaux, Tyson Jackson
DE — Ra’Shede Hagemen, Kroy Biermann, Stansly Maponga
SLB — Brooks Reed, Prince Shembo, Jacques Smith
MLB — Paul Worrilow, Nate Stupar
WLB — Justin Durant, O’Brien Schofield, Marquis Spruill/Joplo Bartu, Allen Bradford, Tyler Starr
LCB — Desmond Trufant, Jordan Mabin, Brandan Bishop
SS — William Moore, Kemal Ishmael, Sean Baker
FS – Dezmen Southward, Charles Godfrey
RCB — Robert Alford, Phillip Adams, Ricardo Allen
NCB — Phillip Adams, Ricardo Allen, Dezmen Southward
OFFENSE
WR — Roddy White, Leonard Hankerson, Freddie Martino, Nick Williams
TE — Levine Toilolo, Jacob Tamme, Tony Moeaki, Mickey Shuler, Kyle Miller
RT – Ryan Schraeder, Reid Fragel
RG — Jon Asamoah, Peter Konz
C — Joe Hawley, James Stone, Peter Konz
LG — Sam Baker, Mike Person, Harland Gunn, Adam Replogle
LT — Jake Matthews, Lamar Holmes
WR — Julio Jones, Devin Hester, Eric Weems, Bernard Reedy
FB — Patrick DiMarco
RB- — Devonta Freeman, Antone Smith, Jerome Smith, Ronnie Wingo
QB — Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK — Matt Bryant
P — Matt Bosher
KR — Devin Hester, Eric Weems
PR — Devin Hester, Eric Weems
LS — Josh Harris
NFL DRAFT CORNER
D. Led's Mock 2.0: Falcons select Randy Gregory with the 9th overall pick
D. Led's Mock 1.0: Falcons select Todd Gurley with 8th overall pick
Falcons set to work on Vic Beasley in Clemson
Stanford's James Vaughters to participate in Falcons' locals day
FALCONS COMBINE MEETINGS
Oregon DE Arik Armstead talked scheme with the Falcons
Falcons met with Alabama quarterback Blake Sims
Falcons to meet with Florida DE Dante Fowler Jr.
Falcons met with Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson
Falcons met with Alabama safety Landon Collins
COLLEGE PRO DAY VISITS
SOUTH CAROLINA: Ex-Gamecock Davis leans on brother for NFL help
SOUTH CAROLINA: RB Mike Davis (Stephenson High) has strong showing
GEORGIA: Todd Gurley reflects on his career in Athens
GEORGIA: Quarterack Hutson Mason has solid showing at Pro Day
GEORGIA: Chris Conley performed well in position drills
GEORGIA TECH: Synjyn Days hopes to run to daylight in NFL
GEORGIA TECH: VIDEO -- Head coach Paul Johnson
ALABAMA: Amari Cooper aiming to be top wide receiver in the draft
ALABAMA: VIDEO: Amari Cooper on his draft status
ALABAMA: Lineman Austin Shepherd has met with the Falcons
CLEMSON: Vic Beasley would love to play for the Falcons
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