The Falcons’ revamped scouting department is attempting to pass its first test at the NFL scouting combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The players take to the field Friday to start competing in the various, strength, speed and agility drills.
With the recent addition of director of pro personnel Joel Collier and the departure of scout Billy Devaney, the Falcons’ new hierarchy is in place.
“Right now, we’ve completed our changes on our staff,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said Thursday.
In addition to Collier, the Falcons added Ruston Webster and Phil Emery, both former general managers, this offseason. Lionel Vital, Mark Olson and Devaney, who accepted a personnel position with Nebraska, have left the team. The Falcons still have some lower level scouting positions to fill.
“We still have a couple of positions on the pro side that we are honing in on and trying to decide who’s going to be the proper addition for us there,” Dimitroff said.
The Falcons are at the combine looking for players who could help improve the overall team speed and the hitting ability on defense. They also want to find help to improve their interior line play, and they will scout wide receivers. The Falcons have the 17th pick in the NFL draft, which is set for April 28-30 in Chicago.
The scouting is particularly important this offseason because the team lost its fifth-round pick as part of their penalty in the “noisegate” scandal, and they traded their sixth-round pick to Tennessee in the Andy Levitre trade.
Dimitroff is pleased with how things are coming together.
“When we talk about restructuring, we are talking about changes,” Dimitroff said. “Literal changes, adjusting areas and adjusting responsibilities, stepping back and looking at everyone’s strengths and trying to put everyone in the right spot that’s going to benefit our organization with the evaluation and acquisition (of talent).”
Most folks won’t recognize the changes at the combine.
“This is pretty consistent,” Dimitroff said. “As we are here, we’ll continue to talk about it. It won’t change our scouts’ approach to how they are evaluating the combine at all. It has much more to do with potential areas and regions in the collegiate ranks. The pro side is very different.”
Devaney, who formerly was the general manager of the Rams, left to become Nebraska’s executive director of player personnel and special assistant to coach Mike Riley. The Falcons were not surprised by the move.
“There are a number of college programs looking to bring in legitimate personnel guys from the NFL,” Dimitroff said. “I think it helps their program, and they get a good understanding about how to organize and set things up. I knew that there were a number names floating around the NCAA, and his was one of them. He was very candid with us.”
When the Falcons are not scouting, they have meetings set at night with agents of their restricted free agents.
They appear ready to put first- and second-round tenders on offensive tackle Ryan Schraeder and linebacker Paul Worrilow. Also, linebacker Nate Stupar is a restricted free agent.
“We try to decide on how we are going to project our guys,” Dimitroff said. “Do we run the risk of someone taking someone? Obviously, that has a lot to do with how we tender them. Are we all right with walking away with a first-round pick or a second-round pick?”
A second-round tender of about $2.4 million would net the Falcons a second-round pick if the player signs with another team, and a first-round tender of about $3.4 million would get them a first-round pick as compensation.
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