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FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons are ready to turn over a new leaf.
The team has not been shy saying they want "high character" players, but after hearing two of the team’s high-ranking officials indirectly discuss Nebraska defensive end/outside linebacker Randy Gregory, it’s reasonable to conclude that they could decide his failed marijuana test at the combine is not that big of a deal.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Falcons coach Dan Quinn indirectly discussed Gregory's issues on Thursday. General manager Thomas Dimitroff pondered the subject recently on a local radio show and assistant general manager Scott Pioli, who’s much more involved in this year’s draft, drafted former Georgia standout Justin Houston, who also failed a drug test.
If the Falcons conclude that they can put a support system around Gregory and that he has a personality trait that won't allow him to let down his teammates, he could be their selection with the 8th overall pick.
Dimitroff wouldn’t say that the team would not consider Gregory with the eighth pick in an interview on 680 The Fan recently.
“I think for most general managers, if not all, anytime someone breaks the law, it’s cause for concern,” Dimitroff said. “I think it’s cause for more research and trying to figure out at so many levels what the player is about. It comes down to much of the discussion about judgment.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Gregory is considered one of the top pass rushers in the draft. The Falcons, who worked him out in late March, are seeking to improve their pass rush in this draft. They have Flowery Branch interviews set up for Florida's Dante Fowler Jr, who won't be there at eight, and Kentucky's Bud Dupree, who'd be a reach at eight. They reportedly met with Dupree and Clemson's Vic Beasley, who also won't be there at eight, on Thursday.
The Falcons plan to do more research on Gregory, who’s been training in Duluth.
“We all know that we can discuss at so many levels in our own worlds about the judgment of making decisions,” Dimitroff said. “Going into the combine, making certain decisions, has always been something that we’ve looked at as management. Whether if it’s (marijuana) or it could be the way that someone approaches interviews or someone getting into a fight or altercation before the combine.
“We all like to think that the people are going to walk a straight line before they get to their interview and it doesn’t always happen.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Dimitroff didn’t sound like Gregory would get an automatic “black” dot and be removed from the team’s draft board.
“Usually, a situation like this warrants a lot of extra work,” Dimitroff said. “We have to drill down and try to figure out exactly what a player is about.”
Quinn repeated a variation of that theme on Thursday, while discussing the offseason program.
“You really base it on the individual case because it’s such a broad topic of off-the-field issues,” Quinn said. “What would be the support system to ensure that player has all the support that he needs to be at his best. Really on those topics it’s really individualized. Everybody has a story and some background. Part of it is finding out about that as well.”
The scouts will do that investigative work.
“You rely on the scouts who can go and dig and find all of the background information,” Quinn said. “They are a huge part of this. For me, that was an important part of my job early on to connect with our own scouts here to find out what unique stuff those guys had to go and find the information.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Gregory’s doesn’t really fit the “bad kid” profile. He’s more “B-Rad” from Malibu’s Most Wanted as opposed to having a really challenged soul. His parents met in the Air Force in Italy. They moved around a lot as his father kept earning military promotions. He's a military kid, who indulged in the hip hop culture a little too much perhaps.
Here's Gregory talking about moving around so much, which included stops Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio, Missouri and Indiana. His parents now live in Michigan.
“It was difficult initially I think,” Gregory told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was almost every two years. Like clock work, we’d be moving to some place new. It was hard to adjust.
“Football was actually my way of making friends and adjusting to the new situation that I was in and the new environment. I think it kind of prepared me for my time out on the West Coast, in college and being away from home because I was always moving and seeing different people and things like that.
“A lot of kids can’t say they went through that. I’d like to think it’s a unique situation, but I think it helped me out in the long run.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
“I had to force myself to be outgoing. Naturally, I’m a hermit. I like to stay indoors. I don’t like to go out that much. It just depends on the vibe and the feel. But growing up, I went out a lot. Growing up, I think being in Nebraska and always having the attention on me any time that I went anywhere kind of changed my perspective on going out. Now, I don’t do it.”
Last week, we had Gregory going 15th to the San Francisco and the Falcons taking Georgia running back Todd Gurley. Also, based on Mike Mayock's switch, we've flipped Marcus Mariota to the top spot, with Florida State's Jameis Winston landing with the New York Jets.
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Here’s how my Mock 2.0 stacks up:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
- Tennessee Titans. Leonard Williams, DE, USC
- Jacksonville Jaguars. Dante Fowler, OLB, Florida
- Oakland Raiders. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
- Washington Redskins. Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson
- New York Jets. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
- Chicago Bears. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
- Atlanta Falcons. Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska
- New York Giants. Brandon Scherff, G, Iowa
- St. Louis Rams. La'el Collins, OT, LSU
- Minnesota Vikings. Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
- Cleveland Browns. Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
- New Orleans Saints. DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
- Miami Dolphins. Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
- San Francisco 49ers. Shane Ray, OLB, Missouri
- Houston Texans. Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
- San Diego Chargers. Bud Dupree, DE, Kentucky
- Kansas City Chiefs. Danny Shelton, DT, Kansas City
- Cleveland Browns. Melvin Gordon III, RB, Wisconsin
- Philadelphia Eagles. Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
- Cincinnati Bengals. Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
- Pittsburgh Steelers. Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
- Detroit Lions. Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
- Arizona Cardinals. Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
- Carolina Panthers. D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
- Baltimore Ravens. Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
- Dallas Cowboys. Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
- Denver Broncos. Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
- Indianapolis Colts. Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
- Green Bay Packers. Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
- New Orleans Saints. Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas
- New England Patriots. Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
NFL DRAFT CORNER
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
