TD isn’t goign to rush his ultimate winning plan.

On the Scout.com forums, someone said that Boley would succeed far better in an aggressive D than a read-and-react D like our Cover 2. I think that sounds about right, and I’d expect him to return to form in New York, a form he probably couldn’t have returned to if he stayed here.

That said, I’m having a little trouble with this FA, not because we haven’t made a splash but all we’ve done is hemorrhage defensive players. Although considering how bad our D was last season, maybe that’s a start. I guess I’m just a little nervous that maybe Dimitroff took us seriously when we said “We might as well have no defense at all with some of these guys!” I suppose I’m okay letting Brooking, Milloy, Boley, go, but Foxworth stung. I guess the cat really wanted to be in Balitmore, but we did give up a draft pick for him. Was that draft pick really worth anything then?

I mean, he helped us for a single season, and then was out. I suppose it was smart for Dimitroff to give him a one-year deal in case he didn’t produce, but there’s no obvious long-term plan with this defense, and all I’ve got to go on is a draft that really only picked up one player on the D, and a FA that has been nothing but departures, including our best cornerback.

I wish someone would tell me what the plan was. To quote the Joker “you know what I’ve noticed nobody panics when things go according to plan even if the plan is horrifying.” I just wanna know that this is “all part of the plan.”

I think the plan is fairly clear: Target mid-to-low level free agents at bargain prices, assemble a deep draft and perhaps make one or two trades to fill remaining holes. I think the silence on the part of the Falcons only serves to confirm that, but I’ve been wrong before.

There’s nothing flashy or splashy about the way the Comrade does business. It’s frustrating because he never publicly seems to indicate any interest in the big names, the guys we point at and say “we need this dude.” Judging by last off-season and the start of this one, though, I think it’s safe to say he’s sticking to his own plan.

I just read this on SI.com. The way things stand now, the Falcons stand to clean up in compensatory picks come the 2010 draft. One of their writers said that by losing Boley, Brooking, and Foxworth, with as much guaranteed money as they have picked up, we could gain three third rounders next year. Not to say I wouldn’t love to see the team sign Sean Jones, but if we plan on really building through the draft, this strategy could pay off in spades. We have to remember, this team is years ahead of schedule. There is no reason to make a big splash in free agency and tie up a ton of money in one player. Its not like this team is looking at a one or two year window to win a Super Bowl. The team is still just at the start of a long period of competitiveness, and the plan so far clearly recognizes that.

we need to focus our free agency on aquireing small name players who on game film have done big things take a risk how about talking to the saints about shokey and defensive backs how about the big brian dawkin hello

so you can focus on linebackers and defensive takles in the draft sure it will cost alot but it will give us a much better chance next year

and the draft the 24th spot is your chose but i think we need bj raji to help our pass rush
and second round pick up a Db second day heres a player whose a play maker that will probably hide danial elerbe 4th round down im not sure but thats just me

Now why do I say gizflam?

Because it’s not like TD is going all Puppet Master and staying out of the fray. It’s not like we weren’t trying to work deals with Brooking and Foxworth. We were mentioned as looking at Haynesworth (though as a big ticket item, I didn’t think it seriously sounded like our style). We were in the running for Antonio Smith.

These don’t feel like the calculated moves of a genius at work, but losses. Of course, I said the same thing last year, and look what happened. But I stick by my story; had Matt Ryan not been phenomenal, our team would have been a long-term disaster. I hope there are some more miracles in store for 09-10.

I think there’s good arguments to be made for and against the current philosophy (or lack thereof) with regards to management. My biggest thing is waiting to see who the Falcons sign not just this weekend, but in the days ahead. Sure, a lot of your big name guys are going off the board now, but how many of them were we ever really in on?

Regardless of the draft pick argument, I’d like very much for the Falcons to sign Sean Jones. I want us to be contending annually, and we do need to fill in at least a couple of holes in free agency so we can draft well at our biggest positions of need. Safety—in my humble opinion, anyways—should be made a little lower on our priority list.

And between those of us who have put our faith in a coach and general manager that have vetted their talent to us ten fold over the past season and those that, due to the Falcons’ good/suck rollercoaster, won’t trust the fellows working the gates at the Dome.

I’m a former on both counts. As a long time fan, I have finally seen the type of leadership that will turn these Falcons into a truly competitive team.

Hi I’m new to the site and it seems that everyone has valid points but we really need to pick up somebody that can start in FA. we really can’t afford to try and get all our starters in the draft as no matter how good you evaluate prospects its still very hit or miss (Mattie ice= hit, Jamal Anderson= miss)

Don’t look for TD to do too much in FA guys, big exciting names just aren’t part of the plan. The NE way is to sign unheralded, maybe under utilized players that live and breathe football and work within the system to make an impact. I don’t see that changing regardless of who leaves. The great thing about the NFL is there is plenty of talent available for everyone, the difference between winning and losing is finding the right guys for your system. Defense is all about the team aspect and handling your role. Unlike offense, where you must have quality execution on every play from your QB for your team to be successful, the defense does not have to rely as heavily on one player. That is why the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That being said though, having an impact — by that I mean big hitting, as well as field general — safety is a key component on winning teams and will most likely be the only position TD might spend some money on. I myself like Jermaine Phillips from TB, but I trust TD to find the guy that is going to best fit into our system. The guy knows his personnel and whether I think the signing is sexy or not, the bottom line is how they perform this fall not whether you know who he is and THINK he’s good. Seriously, was anybody excited about the Foxworth signing last year? Hell no, and he turned into one of my favorite players. I hate to see him go but I trust TD and Coach Smith to make sure his shoes are filled capably. We FINALLY have football people at the core of this organization, not the flavor of the month coach or GM coasting on the successes of his scouting staff. We are in a good place and I only hope it gets better.

Good job, Dave. The AJC’s Mark Bradley linked to you in his “Bradley’s Buzz.”

http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2009/03/02/bradleys-buzz-ranking-stafford-and-creeping-socialism/

Props Dave.