FanHouse: Falcons Must Spend To Keep Team Intact

by Dave Choate on Feb 1, 2011 8:01 AM EST in Falcons News

The Falcons won plenty of games on the arm of Matt Ryan. They won some on the legs of Michael Turner. Still others they won on the broad back of John Abraham.

But outside of those big names, there were games won on the fleet feet of Eric Weems, the sharp eyes of Brent Grimes and the booming leg of Matt Bryant. These are the names that shine a little less brightly, but their contributions are essential to the Falcons. All three of those guys also happen to be free agents.

Ray Glier over at FanHouse has a great point. The Falcons have only been as good as their depth and their ability to cultivate talent, and now is not the time to let terrific players like Grimes and Weems walk away from Atlanta. It's not that I doubt that Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith could find quality replacements for them, but that they could do so and have them ready to contribute immediately. The NFL is a league where you're expected to land on your feet, but the Falcons believe in nurture more than nature. Guys like Spencer Adkins and Lawrence Sidbury are living proof of that patient approach.

So why undo all the good work? Keep guys like Matt Bryant, as long as his leg is still firmly attached to the rest of his body, because he provides the kind of veteran stability the Falcons have been craving at kicker. Keep guys like Weems, who is capable of breaking the game open and fills an important niche. And by the football gods, keep guys like Brent Grimes, who are absolutely invaluable to a defense still breaking out of the eggshell of mediocrity.

It's going to cost money, but it would cost money to sign their replacements. Keeping the team's valuable commodities in Atlanta is worth every dime.

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I think guys like Grimes and Weems will be bargains for us.

If we want to go outside the team, the options are really expensive. I am hoping we can grab a Brady Smith type deal that will give us very high return on the money we put out. Ray Edwards will be the top DE and will demand way too much money.

I think we will see the best parts of 2010 still here in 2011, plus some nice improvements. Blank saying he was “pissed” leads me to believe he will listen to just about anything TTD brings to him.

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by Duff_Man on Feb 1, 2011 8:48 AM EST reply actions

And obviously by that, I meant "Touch Tone Dialing"

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by Duff_Man on Feb 1, 2011 8:49 AM EST up reply actions

I agree

The decision to keep the guys you mentioned is a no-brainer. We have a solid team. Now it’s time to give it a little flavor with a few game changers. Not to beat a dead horse but namely DE and WR/RB.

by Fear Me on Feb 1, 2011 8:50 AM EST reply actions

Interesting Advantage we have

The players seem to have bought into the White Russian philosophy of team first, building through the draft, and sustained success. That leads me to believe that a player like Matt Bryant, Grimes, Weems, even our O-line would take money below their fair market value if they believe it will help the team win.

Bryants in the heydey of his career (no more than 3-5 more seasons left, max) without a ring yet. I’d wager that he’d be willing to trade an extra couple hundred grand or more on his salary for a ring.
Grimes has been a member of the Falcons since 2006. at every level from practice squad to pro bowler, he’s been given the opportunity to shine and has earned the support of the fans and I’m sure the front office is high on him as well, and when the time is right will give him a true starter’s salary.
Weems had some issues early on learning where to put him on the field, but we’ve got a special teams man for years it seems.
Pretty much ditto to everything else on the OL.

by falconnuke on Feb 1, 2011 9:24 AM EST reply actions

I wonder if there is any good 3rd down speedy pass catchin’ RB out there in FA to be the lightning to Burner’s thunder ?

He’s always open. He catches a lot of balls. He’s un-guardable, no matter how old he is

by WarWolf on Feb 1, 2011 10:32 AM EST reply actions

I do think that was one of the big roadblocks we had this year.

I think the ideas they had for the offense kind of went up in smoke with Norwood’s knee. Would have added a lot to our offense.

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by Duff_Man on Feb 1, 2011 11:16 AM EST up reply actions

Sproles

Another Chargers backup

by Mosugo on Feb 1, 2011 1:09 PM EST up reply actions

I think the roadblock was the misuse and underuse of Snelling after Norwood went down

Running Turner into the ground when he was ineffective and not giving Snelling some run, tossing Snelling in on 3rd down and 18’s, watch him gain 15 and not see him again til 3rd and 21. Hell, even Norwood has been misused most of the time, which is why his career will be a very short, what could have been, one.

by aces666high on Feb 1, 2011 12:32 PM EST reply actions

Matt Bryant

What a difference one season makes. I and some others (including Dave) were not thrilled about having Bryant as our K. Now? I don’t want him to leave!

I am interested in this off-season for a lot of reasons: namely, what will the Falcons do, and will there even be a 2011 season? (As for the last question: I say “yes”, but it will be interesting to see what happens.)

I am a fan of the Dawgs, Falcons, and Braves...oh...and tacos, but I like the other three more.

by Jman781 on Feb 1, 2011 12:49 PM EST reply actions

Pay GrimeTime and Weems hands down. Matt Bryant is a keeper but kickers come and go and you never know when one decides to hit the mental plateau at a crucial time.

On a related note, I’m curious to see what kind of talent Weems might have as a WR. His home run ability on KR/PR couldn’t possibly NOT translate to game changing ability on offense, would it?

by PurpleDRANKnotJUICE on Feb 1, 2011 1:11 PM EST reply actions

Grimes won't be cheap.

His stats this year put him in the upper class of CB’s. Those guys aren’t cheap. His agent will get him paid and I think he’s worth it but he won’t be cheap.

Rule #1: Double tap.

by Ball Hawk on Feb 1, 2011 1:16 PM EST via mobile reply actions

I’d rather dish out the dough on a product of the Falcons than the same amount of money on an equally or even more talented FA. Although I can see Grimes declining some as he ages (considering his superior athletic ability is what gets him to make plays), I wouldn’t be opposed to moving him to free safety down the road as he loses a step (hopefully a long long long time from now). He could become the next Ed Reed and QBs would be afraid to throw the ball deep because of his ballhawking ability.

Point being: I’d like Grimes to retire a Falcon.

by PurpleDRANKnotJUICE on Feb 1, 2011 1:25 PM EST up reply actions

RE: Grimes

If Rotoworld is right, Grimes was set to be a Restricted Free Agent this year, meaning the team could control him for one more year at a reasonable salary, if they didn’t want to do long-term yet for whatever reason (all depending on what happens with the CBA, of course). But you aren’t kidding when you say he won’t come cheap, whenever they do give him a long-term deal… I figure Tramon Williams is a pretty good comparison (originally Undrafted, now one of the better CB’s), and he just signed a 4-year, $33 Million deal ($8.25M per year).

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by orang3b on Feb 2, 2011 10:03 AM EST up reply actions

M-O-N-E-Y

No way you let guys like Weems and Grimes get away. Bryant is a yr by yr evaluation, at some point you gotta draft a guy or sign a guy maybe he’s on practice squad for a season maybe he’s a younger vet. The release or trade of Coleman 3 mill salary in 2011and Anderson 3.5mill salary in 2011 would help in the acquisition of a Ray Edwards. Depends on CBA as to what happens in free agency so you may have to wait till after draft to have free agency begin. I believe the biggest need right now is DE and WR and OL come next. To be a champion it’s gonna cost OK… everybody loves a bargain but the type of players needed to wins rings cost money. Mr. Blank the billionaire is the owner, he writes the checks, I as a fan have never tried to look at it from a “whats cheapest for the team” standpoint…it is a business but it’s not my business. LOL

by Kushion on Feb 1, 2011 7:22 PM EST reply actions

must be able to win

The Atlanta Falcons are a team that can virtually win on any given Sunday. Yes, they need to keep the “hardcore players” as long as they can play. I hope the Falcons resigns everyone, I really do. Eric Weems is one example that we CANNOT LOSE. He can run, plus he plays well at WR. The kicking team was good this past season. I hope the Falcons keep Matt Bryant, he’s still got the distance. I’m glad he’s not 38 or 39 yrs old. Brent Grimes is another defensive player that well be better in the years coming. If he’s not signed, boy it could hurt our secondary. John Abraham was a tough LB and if he’s gone, the whole defensive line will be revamped. The Falcons have money, Arthur Blank WILL spend, unlike the Smith’s family, Blank will find a way to keep this team intact.

Kavin

by kavinc on Feb 1, 2011 7:48 PM EST reply actions

I get why people want to keep Eric Weems

Having an explosive returner is important in field position and momentum swings. But it seems to me that return men are like the relief pitchers of football – they can be great one year, and then disappear the next (I’m speaking subjectively; not basing this on stats). There’s not necessarily any rhyme or reason to it. Dante Hall went from the greatest returner in history for a few years to dropping off the face of the map. Deltha O’Neal was all-pro in his second year, and was never a good returner again after that. Allen Rossum seemed like a stud when we got him, but after a few so-so seasons with the Falcons, we couldn’t wait to get rid of him. Michael Lewis would be the best example of boom to bust, but he started playing pretty late. Anyway, point being that even the best returners seem to last only three or four years, if that, so you’d better be certain Weems can contribute as a receiver if you’re going to give him that much money.

by JMar99 on Feb 1, 2011 8:22 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Weems won’t command as much guaranteed money considering he’s a WR with little to no playing time and hardly any offensive contribution. His contract might be bigger but much of it would be conditional based on performance. I doubt Dimitroff would unload the bank on him.

What I’d like to see (after we resign him of course), is Weems at WR out of the slot or as the fourth receiver or even out of the back field on passing downs. Something to incorporate him into the offense. I liked the end around in the Pro Bowl. Have him run an end around then on another play, fake the end around and pass the ball to him on the swing, he’ll already be running at full speed and would be on a linebacker.

Given his explosiveness in the return game (3 TD returns), the game has slowed down for him and might translate to offensive play making ability. He just needs to be placed in the correct role. If anything he deserves a shot at some playing time considering this season’s contributions.

by PurpleDRANKnotJUICE on Feb 1, 2011 9:20 PM EST up reply actions

Rossum was great.

The only reason people hated him was because we had to start playing him at CB, which was a total disaster.

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by Duff_Man on Feb 2, 2011 11:44 AM EST up reply actions

Bryant is a keeper, he was way too good this year to let walk away, altho I was down when they cut Hauschka. Weems is replacable, Douglas can return punts and don’t forget franks returned kicks in college. We could also still draft someone. Weems is a special teams player and I don’t really want to see him go b/c if he leaves he will get bounced around the league for a couple years before disappearing. Grimes is kinda a need to resign as well, and it sucks to think of the money locked up at our CB positions. Maybe if Dunta has a 1 INT season next year they can renegotiate. I am kinda more concerned about the OL. To have them locked up would be huge, these guys have all played together for like 3 years with exception to Baker.

So we view all of these needs for resigning and we still need to make a move or something at the DL. If Abraham blew his knee out in the off season we’d get picked apart for sure…

by CRFalco13 on Feb 2, 2011 8:15 PM EST reply actions