The Falcoholic

Mini Camp - Day 1 - Random Observations

jamesrael — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:32:24 -0000

Mini camp was AWESOME. I went for the afternoon practice and, I must say, Mike Smith is running a tight shift. I thought the practice was very efficient and I liked the intensity (well, as intense as it can get sans pads).

Here are some random observations:

CHAD HALL is a rookie running back who graduated from the Air Force Academy. The Falcons brought him into mini camp as a "tryout player." The dude is small (5'7 179 lbs), but he is FAST. They had him returning punts and honestly, he impressed me more than anybody else. While Chandler "I'm All That And A Bag O' Chips" Williams was busy dropping balls, Hall was straight throwing it down. Don't quote me on this, but I see a contract in his future. Not only that, I think we might have a solution to the punt/kick returner problem.

JUSTIN BLALOCK was lined up at left guard for the afternoon practice. Just thought some of you might want to know that.

RODDY WHITE looked good. Seriously folks, he made some very difficult catches look downright easy. I don't want to jinx him, but if he stays healthy, NFC South def backs might have some sleepless nights. Can you say Pro Bowl?

BEN HARTSOCK can actually catch the ball. I know we got him for his blocking ability, but homie has some hands. I don't see the TE position be too much of a problem, as MARTREZ MILNER had a nice 30 yard catch during the scrimmage as well.

THOMAS BROWN was out there on a mission today. He was making cuts that I can't ever recall him making at Georgia, at least not on a consistent basis. I'd say he has the third RB position on lock down.

DJ SHOCKLEY looked solid today. He participated in all the drills and his velocity apparently hasn't diminished whatsoever. If he can fix his issues with accuracy, I see him having a real good chance to make this team. Believe it or not, he was the most impressive quarterback during the afternoon practice today. That is to say, his passes were more accurate, he had better zip on his balls, and he showed very little hesitation. JOEY HARRINGTON looked like he always does, somewhat average. MATTY RYAN was prob the second most impressive QB during the afternoon practice. It seems like he is grasping the system well already. CHRIS REDMAN (and I know a lot of you will hate to hear this) looked surprisingly mediocre. He was more hesitant that the other three QBs and his passes didn't look especially crisp.

The Anger/Fire of a Fan

Jesse28 — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:01:12 -0000

Being a lifelong fan of the Falcons you would think by now that I would have learned to simply let things go. Ha, if only that were possible. I am inherently an angry person, a temperamental bomb without a fuse. My closest friends tell new people we meet that, "if you can see Jesse, he's angry." Hell, I can even remember back to when I was ten or eleven in Boy Scouts one of the Scout Masters asked me why I was so angry. I told him I wasn't angry at anything and why he asked that. He looked at me and said that I always look pissed off at something. I found out later on that night that I was indeed angry, but at that moment in time I just didn't know it yet, so I snatched his kid out of a tent, pummeled him a few, and left him tied to a flag pole in nothing but his whitie tighties. I guess my body language was simply projecting my future mental state. But I digress...

My anger comes on quick and when sports become involved it happens in a much higher frequency. So, with that being said, I am sure one could imagine my utter disdain with the Falcons recent foray into the drafting world. It is of my humble opinion that management, particularly GM Comrade and President McGay, are bumbling idiots who wouldn't know talent if it was bouncing up and down in front of them in a G-string. Is that a grossly over-exaggerated statement? Yes, but it is one that accurately displays my lack of confidence in their decision making abilities. Let me to expand on why I think this.

Anyone who has been reading this lovely blog/fansite of Dave's this off-season will have by now read at least one of my posts with my thoughts on the many off-season moves made by the Comrade. Letting go of the biggest names on team without getting or even attempting to get any value in return was one of the dumbest things he could have done to start his career in the ATL. You do not release a top five TE unless he goes to federal prison. The release of Crumpler wasn't the first that stoked the fire within me, but it was definitely the largest of them all. I will admit that my anger of the Coleman release was slightly premature because they did resign him for less money and to me, that makes perfect business sense and therefore is totally justified. However, the release of Crumpler was not that smart as they had to have known beforehand that there would be no way to resign him for less.

The Hall trade was the second major showing of a total lack of knowledge in how to put together a competitive and profitable franchise. All we got was a second rounder for this year and what, a fifth next year. That's completely undervaluing Hall and his talented skill set. Was he mouthy? Yes, but there isn't a single one of us who could argue with his sentiments in regards to Coach Flash Gordon, otherwise known as Pet Rhino. And let's please not talk ourselves into believing that he was a locker room divider. That mentality is ignorant at best and borderline insane at worst. We are talking about grown men here; this isn't high school anymore and just because that is the only level of competitive sports you have ever been a part of doesn't mean that it is like that in the pros. Hall did not rally a group of men and begin a mutiny in the locker room. All of that aside though, the point of my argument is that the value returned was weak as hell compared to what he brought on the field every Sunday. Plus I am about to get into the subsequent trade of that second round pick soon, which only adds fuel to my fire.

So, as you might be able to tell by now, I had little faith in our current management going into this year’s draft. The Falcons definitive needs were on both lines followed shortly by the QB position and then the secondary; or so one would think. We are of course the Falcons and we will forever be linked to one Mr. Vick and his decision to fund and participate in illegal dog fighting and the subsequent killing of beaten dogs. Instead of this years draft being about a new beginning and improving the product that is to be put on display every Sunday this fall, our draft became one of constant reminders of the loss of Vick and how we "need a face for the franchise;" whatever the hell that is supposed to mean. Personally, I think we already have a face for the franchise, the falcon. A beautiful creature, so elegant in design, yet can be one cruel mother when stalking and attacking her prey from above. That's my idea of the face of our franchise and I want our team to emulate that every damn game.

Every talking head out there had us absolutely having to take a QB with our number three pick in the first round, regardless of who was available, and the one we should take was always the same, Matt Ryan. Ryan, who by all means is a good college QB, to me, is a one year wonder. No one in the college world was talking about him until his senior year and only then because he was the only QB in the ACC worth a damn. He is slow and he throws picks like Dante Culpepper. And let's be honest here, did anyone examine the line he played behind? Every last one of those guys were 6'-4" and 300+lbs, all upper classmen who had played together for at least three years. A monkey with an acute obsession with humping the football could sit behind that line and make throws all day. Hell, a freaking dead seal could sit in that pocket for hours before having to make a decision.

All that aside, the biggest reason to not draft Ryan with the third pick overall is not what almost every fan thinks is a complete overrated skill set, but it is more because there was absolutely no need to draft him that high as this years draft was stocked to the teeth with QB's, all capable of handling a pro offense. We didn't need to take a QB that high and pay more money than if we drafted a lineman, defensive or offensive, depending on who was there. We could have easily done one of two things, A) traded down and then picked a QB for less money or B) waited until the second round to pick a QB. Instead, McGay, Blank, and the Comrade went with the bumbling PR move and drafted Ryan even though one Mr. Dorsey was there for the picking, just because they bought into the BS about having to get a face for the franchise. Now we are going to have to pay Ryan 50+ million and wait three years before he is even any good, and that's assuming that we get some line help and a receiving corps that can actually catch a ball. Dorsey on the other hand would have been able to start immediately and vastly improve our defensive front and cost less. Good job us.

This is the point where I turned that damn TV off just to keep from breaking it. I told my friends that if we drafted Ryan over Dorsey, given that he was still there, that it would completely screw up what I thought was an obvious draft strategy. To clarify, my thoughts on that were as such; take Dorsey at three, take a QB (Flacco/Brohm) with out first pick in the second round, an o-lineman (Baker would have been there) with the third, and a DT (Red Bryant) with our last in the second, from there on fill our needs in the secondary and grab another o-lineman if a decent one is available. A very simple plan that would have ensured this years draft to be a success. Sure, things could obviously change as our picks drew near, but the plan wouldn't change much, they would just have to adapt and possibly draft someone earlier than they originally thought, and that is the same with every team. My belief was that if Ryan went first, the rest of our picks would be completely off-base and we would lose our focus and direction. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.

We took Matt Ryan with the third overall pick. You know what, fine, I'll deal with it and let the guy at least have a chance to prove me wrong. That's all I can hope for anyways. But what about the rest of our draft? Well, we then proceeded to trade away both of our early second round picks, one from the Schaub deal and the other from the stupid Hall deal, to move back into the first round to draft a recently injured Sam Baker. Baker started for three straight years at USC which should speak volumes about his talent as we all know that USC recruits the best of the best every single year and no ones job is ever safe with that kind of competition. I am also not so worried about his recent injury, but I mention it because everyone else was and he more than likely would have fallen to the early second round where we could have gotten him. This worst part of this move was what we gave up for the pick to get him in basically what amounts to Schaub/Hall for the rookie Baker. That is a gross oversight by our current management squad no matter which way you try to spin it.

From this point on, every pick outside of the Lofton pick was a complete waste. We didn't draft a DT and we ended up with a bunch of hard working individuals who will more than likely never see the field outside of special teams. They don't call it special for nothing you know. We seemingly lost all direction and focus and in my opinion it really looked like we were flailing about just grasping at false hopes and wishes. Even the Lofton pick was questionable because we had no reason to be drafting LB's, although with the recent news of Boley, maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

So, I guess my point is that I'm completely disappointed with the decisions being made by the front office. It boggles my mind sometimes how stupid people can be when it comes to business. And as a fan, it makes it even worse because regardless of the mistakes made, I will still be watching come Sunday screaming at the TV for Ryan to get rid of the ball, for Baker to freaking pancake someone, for Turner and Norwood to run faster, for someone to please dear god hold on to the ball when it hits you in your hands, or just use your hands instead of your damned chest your freaking morons!!!!! Yes, come Sunday I will be spewing forth all kinds of love/hate remarks and regardless of the outcome this year, I will still be that same fiery angry fan because I want to see them succeed. Come Sunday, I'll still love my Falcons. Come Sunday, will you?

Biermann Is A Scary MO FO

jamesrael — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:55:14 -0000

So he may not have been the sexiest pick, but he looks damn scary here. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovNOAtJEeu

Oh, and as an added bonus, here's a clip of our boy Ryan taking a viscous hit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1DzNzE0MFM

Who cares if our offensive line is craptastic? Matty Ice can take a hit y'all!

One more clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIF5Eqdw3dE

I know that one is old. But, you gots to love it.

Dorsey Is A Trainwreck Waiting To Happen

jamesrael — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:00:14 -0000

ENOUGH!

The lamenting about the Falcons taking Ryan at three has got to stop.

Sure, Dorsey is quick and he has a great first step, but there are some serious questions about his long-term durability. Some will balk and point to the fact that he played injured throughout his entire senior campaign. I understand that most of the players in the NFL play through some sort of nagging injury week in and week out. But, what if the leg is an issue? I am just saying, IT COULD BE AN ISSUE. He chose not to go pro after his junior year because he felt that teams were looking at him as a liability, someone they weren't sure could stay healthy. Yeah he played injured all last year, but he was trying to prove something. Similarly, Ryan COULD be the next 1st round QB bust. Or, he COULD be the next Carson Palmer, but better.

Bottom line: We don't know how well these guys are going to do. We can guess that Dorsey will kick some serious butt. But what if he doesn't? What if his hammy and shin injuries are still affecting him? What if he is double teamed all year (something he struggles with) and he works out about as well as J-Mal Anderson. Or, what if he can't vary his repertoire? I mean, the dude is known for having one move. How long is it going to take NFL lineman to figure him out. I see him as a Warren Sapp at best, but I see Ryan as someone who could be very good in this league as well.

Maybe Dorsey will be a hall of famer. But MAYBE, just maybe, he won't. Maybe he'll have a few brilliant moments in between several weeks on IR. Then, MAYBE we'll all be able to get over the Ryan pick.

Matty Ice....the future is now

Matty Ice — Sat, 03 May 2008 21:18:35 -0000

What a great pick. I see a guy who will be considered one of the best in the league within the next 3 years. He's got the total package...and his arm isn't as weak as some people seem to think! With a better O-line, 2 tight-end set, and GREAT running game...how could he not succeed. We need to start Redman for the first few weeks and let Ryan into the games that Atlanta has a pretty good lead in the 4th quarter (if that happens next season) and let him get his feet wet. He'll be the starter after the bye week. Come on ya'll.....get on the Matty Ice Bandwagon!!!!! I LOVE THE FALCONS!!!!

The Hawks?

runningback — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:03:47 -0000

Has anyone noticed that the Hawks are standing on the verge of pulling off one of the greatest upsets in sports history?

Honestly I hadn't even thought about the Hawks in at least a few years and when I happened to catch game 2 while channel surfing I noticed that they had even changed uni's since I last thought of them (when did that happen?).

I forgot which article it was. but the reporter mentioned that Phillip's Arena the past couple games have been the loudest crowds he had heard while covering the NBA. Pretty exciting stuff, I think I am actually looking forward to watching game 7.

So I guess my point is that if the #8 seeded Hawks, who went 37-45 can give the number 1 seeded Celtics (66-16) a run for their money, then why can't the Falcons make an improbable run of some sort? Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but this Hawks run is pretty neat.

Should Matt Ryan Begin the Season as the Starter?

jjestes — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:23:05 -0000

A question I keeping asking my water cooler football buds is:

Should Matt Ryan begin the season as the starter?

Should the Falcons try to go with Redman and see if he plays the same as he did at the end of last season?

I say why not find out now if he is another Marino or Manning...or worse Carr or Leaf!! I know, I know. Everyone says throwing a quarterback into the fire to early is detrimental to their careers, but the good thing about Atlanta is none of us are expecting to be near the playoffs next year. The fan base already knows that this year is a wash.

If this is a year of growing and developing, then why not grow and develop your franchise quarterback now?

Your thoughts?

Draft Thoughts

Blue Falcon — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:49:49 -0000

I really like (but don't love) our first 3 picks. I'm content with our next 3 picks. But I'm downright cross-eyed over our final four picks. I understand that beyond the 3rd round teams are generally drafting for either future "projects" or special teams. Apparently in our case Dimitroff & Smith decided we need a lot of special team players. I mean for the love of all things holy we could have taken at least one project. We could have had big-ole Frank Okam(DT), DeMario Pressley(DT), Roy Schuening(OG), Carl Nicks(OT) or Kellen Davis(TE) in the 5th rd!!! I understand some of these players may have had character issues, but so what...they are 5TH ROUNDERS!!!

I want to hang with Sam Baker

SG Standard — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:34:07 -0000

Hundreds of parking tickets. Hamburger meat. Weight belts. A "Red Dawn" shout out. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our new left tackle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgefGxYwMSI&feature=related

I may have to go buy his jersey on the basis of this video alone. This is just awe inspiring. Much thanks to EDSBS for linking to this beauty. At the very least, the team seems to have landed a good guy with Baker.

Welcome to the new The Falcoholic and SB Nation

clockwerks — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:20:06 -0000

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Matt Ryan's new nickname

Hamburger — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:52:24 -0000

It is difficult to keep coming up with these, but after Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo, and "Comrade" Dimitroff, I beleive I've struck gold again and found the most appropriate nickname available for Matt Ryan. If you have not seen Team America World Police, you won't get it, however if you have, I motion that Ryan's new nickname mimick Matt Damon's only lines in the aforementioned motion picture master peice....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTzyU5MFgM

Maaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttt RYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

Poll

Nickname for Matt Ryan?

A some what over looked QB Prospect

Hamburger — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:43:50 -0000

With all the coverage Matt Ryan, Brian Brohm, Joe Flacco, and to a lesser extent Chad Henne have received in the leadup to this years draft, there is one very good QB prospect who seems to have avoided the wide spread media attention.

I'm not sure all of you have heard of him, and I'm sure a number of you will discount him immediately because he runs a 4.4 forty, but heres who I'd nudge Comrade Dimitroff to pick if I was an advisor.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce Josh Johnson, QB, San Diego Toreros. He of swift feet and 43 td passes. Oh yeah, he only threw 1 pick the entire year.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=166992

Sure, he didn't play against many big time programs, but neither did Flacco. In my opinion He's worth a shot, he's one hell of an athlete, and the stats make it fairly apparent that he makes pretty good decisions...

He was tutored in college by Jim Harbaugh, a guy who knows a thing or two about quarterbacking in the NFL...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sITaJVOX0BQ

Matt Ryan is way overrated

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:22:33 -0000

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Matt Ryan will be a bust in the NFL. We keep hearing about his "upside" and "intangibles" but what about his downside and tangibles? Sure his completion percentage was decent at 59%, but shouldn't it be higher? All the kid did was throw short, touch passes. He's incapable of throwing the deep ball, which means opposing corners will jam his receivers at the line all year. And he throws a TON of interceptions. The last I checked that is a very, very bad quality in a QB. I don't mean to be overly pessimistic, but I just don't see what's so great about this kid. All in all, it looks like a weak QB class. If I had to pick one, it'd be a toss up between Brohm and Henne. Brohm put up ridiculous numbers last year, yet for some reason keeps sliding down the draft board. Henne was a four year starter and put up decent stats in a run first offense. Plus he was looking across the line a a lot more NFL talent on defense than any of the other guys. But what the hell do I know? Only time will tell.

Vick & Blank are Pen Pals

Hamburger — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:26:31 -0000

Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he has been in touch with Michael Vick. "Michael has written a couple times. I've written him back," Blank said. "We have that kind of relationship. Despite the mixture of frustration, anger and disappointment in him, I believe in second chances and redemption. I would love to see Michael pay his debt to society and come out and play again in the NFL. I think he could also be a big help to ... speak to people about some of his choices."

Oh boy....

Trading in the draft

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:51:51 -0000

Today's mock draft got me thinking. Even though trades arent allowed, its something that we should think about anyway. Are there any situations where you would be ok with the Falcons trading down? Can you see it happening? Personally, I would only be ok with it if we don't move too far down. We are flush with draft picks already and really need to get as close as we can to a sure fire top caliber superstar. A trade out of the top 12 or so would really have to knock my socks off.

Additionally, how would you guys feel about using one of our second rounders as the centerpiece of a deal to get back late in the first round? Its probable that either Brohm or Flacco (and possibly both) will be gone by the time the Falcons pick at #34. Is it worth sacrificing a pick to move up and ensure the team gets the QB it covets?

Chris Crocker scouting report

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:23:15 -0000

Hey all,

I'm the writer over at The Phinsider. Incase you haven't heard, the Dolphins signed Chris Crocker today. I was wondering if you could share some thoughts on the kind of player Crocker is.

Thanks, all!

#3 Wide Reciever??

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:23:52 -0000

I know the Falcons have holes in a lot of positions going into this year,but do the Falcons really see Jenkins as a 3rd receiver? or Finneran who's coming off back to back knee surgeries?
There were quite a few WR's in the free agent market that would've been a upgrade from Jenkins in my opinion.I know he's in his final year and we all know that unless he has a Randy Moss type year that he's gone next year.
Just seems like that after White had his break out year and Robinson has the abilities to be the #2 it would have been nice to upgrade there.
Maybe they will pick up a WR in the draft to compete with Jenkins but I feel like the Falcons overlooked a position that they are quite shallow at.

Starting Over

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:34:55 -0000

For those of us that read this blog site daily or for those just dropping by to read the latetest Falcons news and noticed that the past year has been filled with many negative stories!!.
I want to be on record as saying that the departure of Crumpler and soon to be Hall and the aging Dunn has opened the door for younger players to prove their worth and it also helps signal an end to the "Vick Gang".
The team has a new GM and new coach and pretty much a whole new coaching staff and by the way this regime has begun to clean out all the old ways of doing business I look forward to seeing where our beloved franchise goes.After this past year it's hard to go anywhere but up!!
We all have our own feelings for certain players and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the veterans let go yet but if it makes my favorite team a better team then I say do whatever it takes regardless of how we might feel now.In the end we as fans know that players and coaches come and go but it's the team we stick with and we learn to love each new set of players for what they bring to the team.I love the Falcons and no player leaving or coach quiting will change that.Here's hoping the best years as a Falcons fan are yet to come!!!

Bracket Anyone?

runningback — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:52:25 -0000

So I am not too into NCAA b-ball but I like to join a bracket every year for the heck of it. Is anyone interested in creating a Falcoholic group on Yahoo? Does anyone already have one that I can join?

No money, I just like playing for the heck of it.

Youth Movement @ Kicker?

runningback — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:35:31 -0000

Alright, so we saw what has happened the past couple of years when the Birds have tried to find a youngster to replace Uncle Morty. It seems that the trend is continuing this year perhaps:

Denver Post reports that Jason Elam will be visiting ATL.

""I am going to be taking a trip to Atlanta," Elam said."

It's pretty amazing when a 38 year old, 15 year veteran is a spring chicken compared to our current kicker. I for one would like to see Morty return but the fact that a popular veteran like Elam would even consider Atlanta makes me feel warm and fuzzt for some reason.