Dimitroff, Smith focus on making Falcons Better - AJC

Dimitroff, Smith focus on making Falcons better
GM, coach will review roster and make improvements through draft, free agency
By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, January 05, 2009

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith are done with “The Process.”

Those were buzz words the two used all season long as the team was being rebuilt and came together to win 11 games and end the franchise’s four-year playoff drought.

“Thomas and I talked many weeks about getting a new word … and we’re going to break it out today,” Smith said. “It’s the course of action. I got the list from the thesaurus and that was probably the best one.”

The course of action definitely won’t include procrastination.

Dimitroff and Smith are already working with the coaching staff to evaluate the roster. They’ll also have an extensive medical review later in the week.

Once the roster evaluation is done, they will turn their attention to free agents. Meanwhile, draft evaluations are already under way.

“Coaching starts with players,” Smith said. “You’ve got to have players to be successful in the National Football League.

“That is how we are progressing right now. There is no offseason in the NFL. We are just changing hats a little bit in terms of the coaching staff.”

Dimitroff and Smith used free agency and the draft last season to retool the roster. They released some key veterans and cleared out salary cap space after their roster analysis last season.

A similar scenario could unfold this season with several longtime veterans and key players being let go or not re-signed. Safety Lawyer Milloy, linebacker Keith Brooking, defensive tackle Grady Jackson and linebacker Michael Boley could all be jettisoned.

“There are a number of free agents,” Dimitroff said. “It’s going to be a busy time, mainly on the defensive side of the ball because they are up. There are going to be some well thought-out decisions there. They won’t be emotionally driven.”

Brooking may be the toughest. He’s played locally in high school and college and is a fan favorite.

“We made some tough decisions last year with [Alge] Crumpler and Warrick Dunn,” Dimitroff said. “Those were some tough decisions. But we came to the table without having a relationship with them in the past.

“Going forward this year, we have some very good individuals and good football players that we have some emotional ties to and emotionally tough decisions to make. In my mind we need to really separate the emotion and really look at the body of work.”

The Falcons struck gold in the draft last year, adding several key players including quarterback Matt Ryan, tackle Sam Baker, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, defensive back Chevis Jackson and defensive end Kroy Biermann.

“Right now, we finished our first set of draft meetings back in December,” Dimitroff said. “That gives us a little bit of a blueprint going forward. We still have a lot of work to do.”

The Falcons’ draft work will ramp up with the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., later this month.

After addressing their own free agents, the Falcons will look to possibly add some players. Last season, running back Michael Turner and safety Erik Coleman were major free agent picks ups.

“There seems to be a nice group out there in free agency and there is a strong draft class this year,” Dimitroff said. “We think we’ll have ample opportunity to continue to get better on this team.”
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs

I’m so bored now. I don’t even care about the rest of the playoffs…. Which is odd, because I’m usually watching what every other team is doing at this point anyway… but this year, I don’t care about the other teams.

So, all of you guys… You’ve retired your fantasy teams, hung up your Ryan jersey, put Madden 09 in it’s case, you visit the message boards, only to see tumbleweeds.

You can come back around combine/draft time… but then you have to sift thru meaningless mock drafts, and pure Mel Kiper trash. So what now?

I follow college basketball also. But it’s just not the same. Kentucky Wildcats in 2010 btw.

I’m going to miss all my people.

I’m not going to miss Rev Hal, and Vick-75.

What is there to do? Can we just hibernate till September?
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs

I respect Roddy and think he’s a great receiver.However I do not understand why this guy drops passes on big plays.He did it against Denver and cost us the game,He dropped a huge pass against the Vikings and last Saturday he dropped a very good pass from Matt.Did you see Fitzgerald on the sidelines looking like dude you shouldve caught that?Lol I have no problem with Roddy White but dude we were trying to win the game,Not saying you cost us the game ,but man you got to start back making these big plays.I aint gonna lie though i wanted to pimpslap Roddy White for dropping that pass the commentators were “what a nice pass from Ryan” “Roddy shouldve caught that” Im thinking to myself we’re in Arizona youve been considered one of the best receivers in the league dude everybody keep talking bout Arizona’s great receivers.We wanted to show them we got good receivers too.I was so embarrassed when this guy dropped that pass and they showed Fitzgerald on the sidelines.Hopefully next season he’ll stop dropping passes when they actually count.What are your thoughts on this kid dropping passes when they couldve been big plays?
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs

Here you go - these are his numbers - broken down by Game, Month, 1/2 Season vs 1/2 season , the infamous 10-3 game set, Home vs. Away - whatever you need - here you have it.

By the way - one thing I noticed - other than postseason - the kid is a WINNER!!!! Winning percent is good broken down any way!

click on the image to view full size

Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs

While offense (and cheerleaders) are everyone’s favorites, TMQ knows it’s the ball stoppers that rule the NFL.
Source >> ESPN

these are the top 2 likely free agets and they are both in a position of need.

it is widely considered you build through the lines which is correct and tha a good DL can make any cb look good.

however asoumagha is the definition of shutdown corner. what he did to andre johnson in week 16 was sensational and he has been doing it all season. its like he has a piece of string attached to the WR.

also foxworth and houston are no.2 corners. when they match up with a no.1 guy they are playing bove their weight and it sometimes costs them. now with asoumagha you can completely forget about that no.1 WR. he has done this in oakland where they have a very poor DL. what he would do with abraham and babineaux on the line wold be great.

now haynesworth is a dominant DT. he demands double teams freeing up babineaux and abraham. he is a force against the run and would therefore help us control down and distance. a crucial thing on defense. however he plays next to a hugely underrated DE who should be in the top 5 in the league. he also has great LBs and DBs.

both would benefit this team alot. asoumagha however has better characternd would probably demand less money. his performance is also much more assured and is therefore a lower risk.

so message board GMs who woul you go for.

Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs

The thing about message boards, people come here to complain. Its the same with radio talk shows… people call to complain.

But for the most part, every fan I know has been ecstatic about how the season went. Disappointed with how the playoff game went, but nowhere near as nitpicky and critical as many of the “fans” that call in to 680 or post on this board.

What are your friends saying?
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs

Given the relative weakness of the Falcons’ secondary, does anyone think that (1) Von Hutchins will return from injury next year, and/or (2) that he will make a significant difference in our secondary?

Don’t know that much about him, but we could use some serious help at the safety/corner positions.

Go Falcons!

Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs

Filed under: Falcons, Patriots, NFL Coaching, NFL Media Watch

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick got one vote among the 50 members of the media who selected the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year, and that one voter is none other than NBC’s NFL studio host, Bob Costas.

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe contacted Costas to ask why he voted for Belichick, rather than Falcons coach Mike Smith or Dolphins coach Tony Sparano, who were by far the two top vote getters, with Smith edging Sparano by one vote. Costas replied:

“I thought he deserved a nod for what might have been the best, or certainly one of the best coaching jobs of his career,” Costas said. “He loses [Tom] Brady, and it’s not just losing Brady, but also that [Matt] Cassel basically never played. It’s not the same thing as losing Johnny Unitas and you have Earl Morrall. He brought the kid along.”

I don’t ever recall a coach getting any Coach of the Year recognition after a season in which his team’s win total declined by five from the year before. Then again, I don’t ever recall a coach leading a team to a 16-0 record, then losing his MVP quarterback in the first game of the following season, only to go 11-5 with a backup quarterback who had never even started a game in college, let alone in the NFL.

I probably would have gone with the plurality who selected Smith, but I don’t have a problem with Costas’s choice. The argument for Belichick as coach of the year is a legitimate one.

Bill Belichick Got One Vote for NFL Coach of the Year, Cast by Bob Costas originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source >> FanHouse

Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Falcons, NFL Playoffs

Every week during the season we take a look at some aspect of line play with Between The Lines.

Give Cardinals head coach/offensive whiz Ken Whisenhunt credit. The Cardinals’ offense took conventional wisdom and managed to tweak it to its own advantage to beat the Falcons.

The Cardinals only ran the ball on 34 percent of their offensive plays during the regular season, and they have one of the best passing offenses in the league. The Cards had struggled to run the ball all season, but with the exception of some occasional pass-protection breakdowns, the passing game has been one of the league’s best.

So what did the Cardinals do on their second possession of the game? They hand the ball to Edgerrin James on three straight plays, setting up a flea-flicker touchdown. And it wasn’t a one-drive ruse. The Cardinals ran the ball on 28 of their 60 snaps. And they ran effectively, despite the fact that their longest run of the game was 10 yards.

But the most important aspect offensively was the Cardinals ability to slow down the Falcons’ pass rush. Coming into the game, I thought that Abraham would turn right tackle Levi Brown into a doorman on his way to Kurt Warner. Instead, Abraham finished the game with two tackles, two quarterback pressures and no sacks. Warner was never sacked by any Falcon, and he was rarely pressured.

So how did they do it? In going back and rewatching the tape, there’s a lot of credit to be shared. Whisenhunt’s play calling and use of formations played a part, while Brown and left tackle Mike Gandy did an excellent job. And Warner’s tendency to get rid of the ball quickly made the offensive line’s job much easier.

Abraham was questionable with a shoulder and thigh injury coming into the game. It’s easy to blame the problem on the injuries, but Abraham’s shoulder didn’t seem to bother him, as his bull rush was his best move–he once bowled over Gandy and would have gotten to Warner if not for a quick release.

There is a chance that Abraham’s thigh injury robbed him of some of his explosiveness. Abraham had success with bull rushes, but he never beat Brown or Gandy around the corner on a speed rush, which is surprising considering that Abraham is one of the fastest defensive ends in the league. He actually only tried to turn on the jets on four pass plays all night, which is a sign that he didn’t have his normal speed.

But a lot of it had nothing to do with Abraham’s health. Coming into the game, I wondered if Whisenhunt would go away from his normal practice of leaving his tackles alone on islands to block opposing defensive ends with no help. Whisenhunt generally stuck to his philosophy, but he did mix in a couple of double team blocks that helped slow down Abraham.

The nastiest attempt to slow down Abraham came in the second quarter. The Cardinals sent fullback Terrelle Smith out wide, like a wide receiver, then brought him back to the line in motion. He was still moving toward the line at the snap and he continued like a heat-seeking missle at Abraham’s legs. Although Smith got a great blind-side shot at Abraham (that was completely legal by the way), Abraham recovered hopped up and chased after the play. The Cardinals also brought a tight end over to help Gandy on the flea-flicker touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald in the first quarter. Since it was a slow-developing play, Whisenhunt was smart to give Gandy some help to ensure Abraham was taken care of.

But generally, the Cardinals let Gandy and Brown handle the Falcons’ best pass rusher. They slowed him down with some formation help by positioning a wide receiver or tight end just off the tackle’s shoulder on some plays, and they also had running backs cut just off the tackle’s outside shoulder on their way into the pattern. They weren’t chip blocks, as most times the backs or wide receivers never even touched Abraham, but if Abraham had tried a pure speed outside rush, they would be in his way.

It worked. Warner threw 32 passes, Abraham was on the field for 23 of them. Of those 23 passes, he lined up 14 times against Gandy and nine times against Brown. He dropped into coverage on three different pass plays, and was double-teamed on four plays. He got close to Warner only three times. Once he flushed the quarterback and helped force him to throw the ball away, once he got a hand on Warner to help pressure him into an incomplete pass and once he got in Warner’s face, but Warner still completed a pass to Fitzgerald for 15 yards.

It was a great effort by Gandy and Brown. They get another test this weekend when they faced Julius Peppers and the Panthers. While Gandy handled Peppers pretty well in their first meeting, little-noticed end Charles Johnson beat Brown for a pair of sacks. After shutting down Abraham, Brown should have a little more confidence for the rematch.

Between The Lines: How the Cards Stopped Abraham originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source >> FanHouse