Future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez will finish his career with the Falcons.
The team retained his rights as the NFL’s trading deadline passed quietly at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The players, had the day off, while coaches worked on their game plan for Carolina, the opponent at 1 p.m. Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.
With the Falcons’ record at 2-5, the trading deadline figured to be a time when the team could attempt to shore some holes, maybe buttress the offensive line or make a move to stockpile some picks for the future.
“We are confident in our roster and our football team,” general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “We are all aware that we have not gotten the results that we want so far, but I believe in our coaches and players.”
He’s holding out hope for a turnaround with the players on board.
“We owe it to our owner, our fans, our coaches and our players to win as many games as possible, and we believe that we have the pieces to be a good football team,” Dimitroff said. “We know we have dug ourselves a hole, but together we can dig ourselves out and that is what we are focused on.”
Dimitroff has stated that he is philosophically opposed to in-season trades unless the team is in a dire situation.
“As an organization we have three reasons why we do not believe in in-season trades,” Dimitroff said. “There is often times a reason why some players are available via trade in-season, and that does not always fit with our team-building philosophy.
“The second reason has to do with scheme-fit and the ability to pick up the system in time to contribute during that season. Often times, it can take a player a couple of weeks to get comfortable with the system and sometimes even longer. You would have to be completely confident that the player would be able to step in and play right away. Most of the time, that is not the case.
“The final piece in trades involves compensation, and that is something that we are always very mindful of.”
The Falcons never considered trading Gonzalez, according to coach Mike Smith. Gonzalez told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Sunday’s game that he would not request a trade.
“In a season where we’ve had a lot of injuries, Tony is just such a solidfying player,” offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said. “He comes to work. He prepares the same every week. He does his job.
“I’m sure Tony is a little frustrated with some of the coverages that he’s facing, but I look at that as a sign of respect that he’s given by the other teams’ defenses.”
Gonzalez wasn’t the only veteran with trade rumors swirling around him. Also, Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen, New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and Cleveland receiver Josh Gordon were discussed in potential trades.
With Julio Jones out for the season and Roddy White slowed by an ankle sprain and hamstring injury, some people speculated that the Falcons would try to add a wide receiver.
“It was nothing that we explored,” Dimitroff said of the wide-receiver market.
When Cleveland traded running back Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts earlier this season, some thought that would lead to more trades before the deadline.
The only deal was a minor one. New England picked up defensive tackle Isaac Spoaga and a sixth-round pick from Philadelphia for a fifth-round pick. With Vince Wilfork out for the season and Tommy Kelly out with a knee injury, the Patriots needed a tackle.
Leading to the deadline, the Falcons remained inactive when a couple of offensive tackles were on the market.
Baltimore made a deal with Jacksonville for left tackle Eugene Monroe, 26, the eighth pick of the 2009 draft, on Oct. 2. They sent fourth- and fifth-round picks to Jacksonville.
Also, Miami made a trade with Baltimore for Bryant McKinnie on Oct. 22. The Dolphins sent a conditional late-round pick to the Ravens for McKinnie, a player with a reputation for partying who likely would not have fit in the Falcons’ locker room.
Dimitroff, a two-time NFL executive of the year, has a rich trade history of making trades before and during the draft.
In April, the Falcons traded up to land cornerback Desmond Trufant in the first round. Dimitroff has made at least one trade in each draft since 2008, with the biggest being the 6-for-1 deal with Cleveland to move in the sixth spot to draft Jones in the 2011 draft.
However, his last in-season trade was when he sent a conditional seventh-round pick to Denver for Domonique Foxworth in September 2008.
