Despite ending up 10 yards short of the Super Bowl, the Falcons had a pretty long offseason to-do-list.
With the first week of free agency complete, some of the boxes can be checked off:
- Get future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez to return. Check.
- Re-sign Pro Bowl safety William Moore. Check.
- Re-sign starting left tackle Sam Baker. Check.
- Re-sign starting right guard Garrett Reynolds. Check.
- Replace running back Michael Turner. Check.
- Get a starting cornerback to replace Dunta Robinson. Open box.
- Get a defensive end to replace John Abraham. Open box.
- Get a beefy tackle to sit in the middle of the 3-4. Open box.
The Falcons know they have holes and have watched as the competition in the NFC has made some nice moves.
San Francisco added wide receiver Anquan Boldin, and Seattle has improved its offense and pass rush by acquiring wide receiver Percy Harvin and defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett.
The Falcons countered by getting Gonzalez back and picking up former St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson.
Those remaining and glaring holes will be filled in the NFL draft, which will be held April 25-27.
“The next phase after free agency will be the draft, and that is really what our focus is on,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We have to make our team better. We can’t really concern ourselves about what other teams are doing. We’ve got to focus on the Atlanta Falcons.”
The defense finished ranked 24th overall (356.6 yards per game), 21st versus the run (123.2) and 23rd against the pass (242.3). But in today’s NFL — a passing league where the first team to 30 has the best chance to win — the key stat is takeaways. The Falcons had a turnover differential of plus-13, which ranked fifth in the league.
The bottom line is that they reached the NFC championship game with a bend-but-don’t-break defense that created turnovers. Smith knows the unit must improve.
“We have a plan in place,” Smith said. “(General manager) Thomas (Dimitroff) and his staff have done a great job in identifying it. We know there are areas of improvement, not only on the defensive side, but there are areas that we have to improve on the offensive side.
“Our goal, like every offseason, is to acquire the best talent that we possibly can, and on the coaching side (we have to) schematically work to put our guys in the best possible positions that we can.”
Former Falcons great Chuck Smith (1992-98) runs a defensive line camp where he works with pass rushers from around the country. He’s worked with some of the top prospects in the draft, players such as LSU’s Barkevious Mingo. He believes the Falcons should take UCLA’s Datone Jones, a 6-foot-4, 275 pounder, with the 30th pick.
Smith insists he could turn Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann into a 10-sack per year player if he came to his camp.
But the Falcons have been drafting at the position, and Cliff Matthews (2010) and Jonathan Massaquoi (2011) will get a shot at juicing up the pass rush.
“You build your roster to replace guys,” Mike Smith said. “We feel that Jonathan Massaquoi and Cliff Matthews are guys that are on a very nice track to this point in terms of their development. They are going to be called on in the very near a future to go out there and help us win football games.”
The Falcons have seven picks in the draft and could be awarded two compensatory picks for losing linebacker Curtis Lofton and special-teamer Eric Weems. Comp picks will be awarded during the league meeting next week in Phoenix.
In addition to addressing the front line, the Falcons are heavily scouting linebackers. Texas A&M’s Sean Porter recently had a private workout with the Falcons. He’s projected as third rounder by nfldraftscout.com.
The Falcons appear thin at cornerback. Asante Samuel and Robert McClain would have to be listed as the starters, with Dominique Franks as the nickel. They also have Peyton Thompson and Terrence Johnson on the roster.
Brent Grimes and Christopher Owens are free agents.
Dimitroff is confident that he and the scouting department can plug the current holes in the roster.
“This year’s draft has a really nice defensive element to it,” Dimitroff said. “There are some really passionate, urgent and fiery athletes. There is some nice speed in there. I think both sides of the lines — the offensive and defensive side of the line — in this year’s draft is big and strong. There are numbers as well as talent. That’s a positive thing.”
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