FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who helped to rebuild the franchise after the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino fiasco of 2007, has been retained by the team.
After a climb to the top of the league, Dimitroff’s weak draft classes and poor free agent signings led to the Falcons downfall from Super Bowl contender status. He was stripped of some his duties last season when Mike Smith, the franchise’s winningest coach in history, was terminated.
In the reduced role, Dimitroff formed a partnership with new head coach Dan Quinn, who was given control over the 53-man roster.
Dimitroff help build the team that posted five straight winning seasons from 2008 to 2012. But he was not able to re-stock the offensive line, which led to the descent from reaching the NFC championship game to a 4-12 record in 2013. In 2014, the Falcons weren’t 6-10.
As the Falcons went 8-8 in the first year under Quinn, Dimitroff’s status was hotly debated in the local media over the past few weeks, but was clarified today with a statement by Falcons owner Arthur Blank.
“Over the last week, we have conducted an exhaustive review of every area of our team,” Blank said. “Through this process it has become very clear to me that coach Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff have built a productive working relationship over the last 11 months. There is very good alignment between Dan and Thomas on the direction we need to go to improve our team and I believe maintaining the continuity of that relationship, with Scott Pioli continuing to assist Thomas, is the right way forward.”
Some of the scouts and other personnel department members appear set to take the fall for the poor drafting.
The Falcons made a round of low-budget offseason moves that allowed them to improve by two wins, but the team missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season after starting 5-0. With the mid-season collapse of the offense and the regression of quarterback Matt Ryan’s play, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was believed to be in danger of being terminated in some quarters.
But Shanahan is being retained, too.
Quinn and his staff have stressed developing the team’s younger players and believe that’s the way to improve some of the draft picks.
Some of the bad player signings in free agency were attributed to the former coaching staff.
All of Dimitroff’s draft picks weren’t busts.
His most daring move was the trade with Cleveland to move up 21 spots in the draft to select wide receiver Julio Jones in the 2011 draft.
Running back Devonta Freeman, who was selected to the Pro Bowl, was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He amassed more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage last season.
Dimitroff has been able to find some key undrafted free agents like linebacker Paul Worrilow and right tackle Ryan Schraeder.
With direction from Quinn and his coaching staff, Dimitroff will help to pick players who fit their systems.
Some of more of Dimitroff picks who thrived have included safety William Moore, Thomas DeCoud, Freeman, Jones and Ryan have gone to Pro Bowls. Tackle Jake Matthews and defensive end Vic Beasley are off to solid starts and could turn into Pro Bowl players.
The main knock on Dimitroff has been that the selection of offensive and defensive linemen has been porous and his free agency signings have lacked the desired impact. Cornerback Dunta Robinson, defensive end Ray Edwards, offensive guard Jon Asamaoh and linebacker Brooks Reed were whiffs. Defensive tackles Paul Soliai and Tyson Jackson have been helpful.
While Quinn likes the teams’ talent level and said it was good enough to make the playoffs, there’s a perception that the Falcons lack talent. Since getting the job in February Quinn has jettisoned 11 players drafted by Dimitroff from 2008-14.
In April, Jason Lisk of The Big Lead noted that of the 27 players drafted by Dimitroff from 2009-12 one player, Jones, started at least eight games in 2014. That’s damning because those players should have been in their primes.
None of Dimitroff’s six-man draft class of 2012 plays for the Falcons anymore, and four of those players are healthy street free agents and all six are out of the league.
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