FLOWERY BRANCH — After missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season, Falcons owner Arthur Blank noted that while general manager Thomas Dimitroff would be retained that the Falcons' scouting department would be revamped.
“We are going to make a number of changes to our pro personnel and college scouting departments and that process began this week,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement on Friday. “It will take some time, but we will be adding talent on the pro personnel side and re-organizing both of these groups to best align with the shared vision of coach (Dan) Quinn and (general manager) Thomas Dimitroff. I expect these changes will produce positive results for our team.”
Here’s a look at the Falcons’ scouting department and it is currently organized:
Lionel Vital, director of player personnel: He just completed his third season in this role. He was a candidate for the Tampa Bay general manager's job in 2014. He is a 25-year veteran in scouting and player personnel. Vital spent the 2012 season as the associate director of player personnel after serving as the club's assistant director of player personnel from 2007-11.
His responsibilities also include evaluating the top 150 college
player. He also grades the top unrestricted NFL free agents.
He has also worked with Baltimore, New England, New York Jets, Cleveland and the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football.
A native of Loreauville, Louisiana, Vital graduated from Nicholls State and was selected by the Washington Redskins as a running back in the seventh round of the 1985 NFL Draft.
DeJuan Polk, pro personnel coordinator: He's been with the Falcons for 10 seasons. Prior to serving as pro personnel coordinator, he spent four seasons as a pro scout and was responsible for scouting all professional leagues; including 15 NFL teams as well as advance scouting. Polk also served as a college scout for the Falcons during the 2008 season, covering the midwest region and conferences. Polk started his tenure with the organization in 2006 as pro personnel assistant and helped the personnel department coordinating free agent workouts, maintaining the "short-list" and advance scouting of future opponents.
Coached at South Carolina State and was a four-year letterman at Clemson as a defensive tackle from 1999-2003.
Bob Kronenberg, pro scout: Just finished his fifth season as a pro scout. He is responsible for providing the coaching staff with advance scouting reports for upcoming opponents, evaluating players in each year's free agency market, and maintaining the daily waiver wire.
He previously served as an area scout for four seasons with the responsibility of evaluating college prospects.
Prior to joining the Falcons, Kronenberg spent seven seasons in the Arena Football League with the Georgia Force as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator (2003-08).
Steve Sabo, director of college scouting: Just completed his third season as the director of college scouting.
He spent his first two seasons with the Falcons scouting the midwest, while scouting the Southeast in 2012.
Sabo came to Atlanta following 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns in a variety of roles, including the teams pro personnel coordinator (1998-2006), director of pro personnel (2007-08) and senior director of pro personnel (2009).
He’s also worked as a scout with the Saints.
Mark Olson, national scout: Just completed his 18th season in the Falcons player personnel department and his third year as a national scout.
Olson originally joined the Falcons in 1998 as a scouting assistant. He’s also worked with the Redskins, Vikings and Montreal of the Canadian Football league.
Shepley Heard, regional scout: Completed his 11th season with the Falcons and his third season as a regional scout. He is primarily responsible for covering schools throughout the eastern half of the United States.
Heard also served as a scouting assistant in the pro personnel department in 2005 before being promoted to a pro scout in the spring of 2006.
Billy Devaney, pro personnel scout: Devaney, former general manager of the St. Louis Rams, just finished his second season as a pro personnel scout with the Falcons.
He has more than 30 years of NFL personnel experience, including four years as the general manager of the St. Louis Rams for 2008 to 2011. Prior to joining the Rams, he served as a senior personnel executive and assistant general manager with the Falcons from 2006 to 2007.
Devaney has also worked with the 49ers, Chargers
He began his NFL career with the Redskins as a college scout in 1979 then went on to become a pro scout in 1983.
Russ Bolinger, player personnel scout: The former NFL lineman finished his second season with the Falcons after working with Devaney is St. Louis.
He’s also worked with the Redskins as a national scout and the Detroit Lions as a college scout, college scouting director, and college scouting coordinator.
He started with Jacksonville after a 10-year NFL career as a player.
Michael Ross, area scout: He just finished his fifth season with the Falcons.
He is responsible for scouting colleges in the Midwest.
In 2014, Ross split his time between college and pro scouting, covering the Northeast region as well as all professional leagues.
He joined the Falcons as a training camp intern in the player personnel department in 2008.
Anthony Robinson, area scout: He just completed his eighth season with the team.
He the Falcons southeast scout, which with the SEC and ACC is considered the top area scout position.
Robinson spent his first three seasons as a scouting assistant where his duties included day-to-day operations of the scouting department, draft board preparations and coordinating college visits and pro workouts.
He’s also worked with BLESTO Scouting as a Scouting Assistant intern from (2007-08), an undergraduate assistant coach (wide receivers) at Florida State University (2005-07) and in the Baltimore Ravens player personnel department as an intern in 2006.
Sae Woon Jo, area scout: Just completed his fourth season with the Falcons and third as the west region scout.
Prior to joining the Falcons, Jo spent nine seasons coaching the defensive line and linebackers at Occidental College (2003-2012), and one season in the AFL with the Los Angeles Avengers as a defensive assistant coach (2004).
Tokunbo Abanikanda, area scout: He just completed his third season as an area scout with the Falcons.
He served as a scouting assistant during the 2012 season where his duties included day-to-day operations of the scouting department, draft board preparations, evaluations of college and pro players, and coordinating college and pro workouts, and visits.
Scott Sika, area scout: Finished his third season with the team and first as the northeast area scout in 2015.
He spent the previous two seasons as a scouting assistant.
He joined the Falcons after three years as an intern in the athletic department at The Ohio State University.
