Talking About The Falcons 2011 NFL Draft...Seriously

Tony G won’t be around forever. Unless one of our other tight ends step up (which is hard to do without an injury to Tony G), we’ll be looking at tight ends come next off season.

1. OLB opposite Spoon
2. DE
3. TE
4. LT – to back up or replace oft injured starter
5 K

i almost feel like it’s gotta be DE. even if Sidbury and Biermann come along, you know Abraham isn’t gonna be around forever, so you’ve gotta start thinking about that. and since we didn’t do much to upgrade the D-line in the draft this year, i’m sure it will be next up on the list.

i’m a big believer in building a team around the lines, so i’d have no problem continuing to throw picks at the D-line and O-line.

TE is obviously going to be an area that needs to be addressed next year or the year after too.

If Baker has a good year, no problems. But another injury-riddled year with the franchise quarterback suffering injuries as a result of poor blocking….well I think the Comrade looks elsewhere. Now that I think about, this is not a very strong claim, that could be said about any position…

I would say that we need to target

DE- Look at the giants the year they beat the patriots, that fierce rotation of osi, strahan and tuck. How amazing would it be to have a rotational guy to take pressure off of Bierman and Sidbury? Face it guys, Abe is only going to be around one or two more seasons, it happens to every veteran… Davis is ok and JA98 is more suited for DT. I am not saying we need to spend a first rounder on this, but we can for sure use a 2nd or 3rd.

TE- Gonzo is like Abe, he’ll be around for a few more years, but we want sustained success, not a 3 year window and then rebuilding.

WR- You saw what happened when HD went down… We signed Marty Booker… Finneran I think will be lucky if he makes the team this year, which is sad to see :( But if something happens to HD again or Roddy I want more assurance than Jenkins and Weems starting. I think Meier could be solid, but this is a position that you really need to see how this year plays out before you can judge.

LB- for depth. Once Peterson is gone we have Spoon, Lofton and Nicholas. Could be a very great bunch of young backers, but I would like to see some depth behind them. and also maybe use some more 4 backer formations. I think a back up like Spoon, one that can cover TE’s and such.

LT- I do like the argument for a LT. I think it’d be wise to pick one up.

Already looking forward to the draft, especially with the format from this past season with 3 days.

This year is a critical year for figuring out what you have on D almost across the board and a few on the O side. There are a lot of draft picks that thus far have not played much or showed much when they did play,

1) Can Robinson perform to his contract level, which is one of the premiere corners in the league? Often times in Houston, he did not.
2) Can someone play well consistently opposite Robinson at the other CB spot?
3) Can Moore play safety in the NFL? Can he stay healthy?
4) Will Perry ever play? Will he be any good if he does? Can he stay healthy if he does?
5) Will Spoon be an impact player?
6) Can Nichols man the other OLB spot consistently?
7) Will anyone emerge as a pass rusher opposite Abraham?
8) Will Abraham rebound?
9) Can Peters at least work himself into the rotation or was he a multi-round reach that many think he is?

So, what can we count on for the D? Lofton for sure, our DT rotation should be at least medium with all the bodies we can throw at it, Abraham if he gets a little help from somebody else on the Dline, DeCoud and hopefully he continues to improve

So, if you are looking at draft picks for 2011 on the D side, DE for sure, OLB for sure, DT, CB and safety needs are more dependent on how the multitude of players and draft choices at those positions play in 2011. We may be fairly well off at those spots or in real need of help.

Offense

1) Can Baker stay healthy?
2) Can Douglass come back from his knee injury?
3) Will Jenkins continue to regress?
4) Can Norwood stay healthy and contribute? Can we put him in spots to succeed?
5) Can Turner rebound to 2008 form?

Obviously the O is in much better shape than the D, with the personnel being on the roster and the question is health and rebounding to previous performance levels.

2011 draft – TE for sure and OL depth for sure. If something happens to Baker or he continues to exhibit health issues, a LT maybe as high as 1.

I’m a firm believer that every team should draft an OL every year, even if it’s 3rd or later round.

I do feel we need to ensure that Ryan has all the help he needs, and keeps the help he needs. Last season, our ground game was horrid in comparison to the years previous. Turner had a great initial season with us, but his production last year was lack luster in my opinion. Norwood is a great back, but very injury prone. In my opinion, the jury is still out on Snelling. I think we need a great RB from the draft next season, even more so if Turner repeats his performance from last year. I do not feel that TE is a major need right now, Tony G still has a couple of great years left in my opinion. We need more defensive help than anywhere else. LB, DL, and S. The biggest priority, in my opinion, is RB. Michael Turner has not shown me he is a great consistent back, Jerious Norwood gets hurt if someone sneezes on him wrong, and Jason Snelling hasn’t had a chance to show he can be consistent either. I would love it if Mark Ingram, from Alabama, goes pro next year and ends up in Atlanta. After getting that great RB, we need more LBs primarily followed by DLs. S is not a major concern, but the combination of age and talent at the S position does warrant some attention.