Falcoholic Exclusive: Kroy Biermann on new defensive scheme, coaching staff and more

Kroy Biermann is working with Publix ahead of the NFL Draft to show how P&G products such as Tide, Downy and Charmin are the solution for all home needs. For the Falcons on-field needs, he is polling fans to see what position should be addressed at the 2015 NFL Draft. Fans can voice their opinions and enter the P&G Tackle Everything Sweepstakes for a chance to win an exclusive NFL Draft Falcons fan experience, among other prizes. Biermann also took the time to speak with me about the opportunities available to fans through the P&G Tackle Everything Sweepstakes, his take on the new coaching staff, and more.

Publix and P&G have partnered with Biermann to bring Falcons fans the opportunity to meet Atlanta's first round draft pick and much more. Today is the last day to register to win this exclusive fan experience and other great prizes. "The program is a way for fans to interact and for Publix to be able to supply our fans with the things they need during the draft with P&G," Biermann said, "and it allows our fans to have a voice, which is always a good thing. And they're able to enroll in the P&G Tackle Everything Sweepstakes, and they can [tweet] who's going to be a big deal for us in this upcoming draft."

.@Bounty picks up spills, but we pick up greats. Who will we pick to #RiseUp this year? #NFLDraft #Ad pic.twitter.com/tCY223MfTU

— Kroy Biermann (@biermann71) April 15, 2015

All indications from Flowery Branch suggest that the team is really embracing the new regime, and Biermann's experience with Dan Quinn and the new defensive coaches has been overwhelmingly positive so far. "I love them. They bring intensity and they bring a fire to the building," Biermann said. "They're focused on the future, which is always an awesome thing, because that's where growth is going to take place [and] change is going to take place. And they came in ready to work and they're instilling that and that trickles down into the players, and so far, everything's been really positive, really productive."

As far as the new defensive scheme, although the team is currently very early in the install phase, it's the intensity that stands out to Biermann, and that appeals to the way he views football as a whole. "I think just the intensity. You know, that's the whole reason why I loved playing as a kid growing up and playing in college and played in the NFL," Biermann said. "It's a lot different than the offensive side of the ball, and you get in the attack mode. You're out there to hit guys and tackle them and cause them disruption and do all those things that are fun. To me, that's what football's all about. So they bring that. That's what they pride themselves on. I think that matches a majority of my teammates philosophies as well."

Quinn has implemented the use of individual "point-of-attack" tapes with defensive players to illustrate things each player is doing successfully and specific things each player needs to improve upon, and Biermann believes these are effective teaching tools for the defense. "What they're doing is they're breaking down tape and they're showing us examples of what they feel like our defense should look like - what the players on the field should look like playing in that defense," Biermann said, "and again, bringing that intensity and that fire to the defensive side of the ball, which is what defense is all about. And those breakdowns help us get a visual of that."

The coaching staff is also breaking down the fundamentals of tackling to help the players get a better grasp of proper technique and effectively stopping offensive players. The Falcons have a big need for improvement in this area, and it's rare for pro coaches to emphasize how to tackle effectively, because these are players who have been tackling for as long as they can remember, and there's an assumption that everyone knows how to do it. The Falcons coaching staff is getting back to basics, teaching players how to tackle well, safely and effectively in any situation. "I think they've got a very good systematic breakdown of showing us how and their vision of tackling. Any defense, if the defense doesn't tackle well, then you're going to break down pretty quickly and it's going to be really hard to win if you can't tackle the offensive players, because they're going to score," Biermann said.

Defensive coaches are approaching tackling instruction in a step-by-step way, making it easier for players to absorb and emulate on the field. "They do a very good job of kind of compartmentalizing the different fundamentals that it takes to make a good tackle, and the different kinds of tackles," Biermann said. "Not every tackle's the same, so they understand different ways to make tackles and the different angles ... so they've got a very good systematic approach to breaking it down and giving us visuals and showing us how to do it right."

An NFL season is physically demanding, and Biermann said he takes a couple of weeks off when a season concludes to give his body a break, but then he gets right back into his regular routine. "You can't take any time off, because when you do, you fall behind and you're not going to be a productive player or a productive team," Biermann said.

Biermann's versatility has always been part of his appeal as an NFL player, and he's not sure how he'll be used this upcoming season, though he is confident that the coaching staff will use each player in ways that best fit their strengths. "I think they're still trying to -- the staff -- feel out players and find out their strengths and where they can utilize the player to the best of his ability," Biermann said. "So I would imagine there's going to be a lot of different guys kind of bouncing around and seeing where they can be most productive at and where they can help the team the most and really contribute. So yeah, I think there's going to be a lot of different guys like that who potentially could be floating around just to kind of see where they feel like that player's going to be the best at that position."

Biermann had the opportunity to test the market as a free agent this offseason and ultimately returned to Atlanta. The owner, the front office, and the coaching staff were key factors in his decision to return to the Falcons. "I have the highest regard for our owner and the way that he runs his organization and the men that are below him, and TD and Pioli and the new coaching regiment are all great guys," Biermann said. "I met with them before I did sign, and I felt very, very comfortable with them and both what their philosophy was and what they were going to bring to the field and bring to this team and this organization. I want to surround myself with that kind of mentality and those kind of men."

Most people have a pretty good grasp of what draft day is like for players. The process leading up to that day and everything that happens so quickly after the draft, however, are things fans are less familiar with, and Biermann described the experience as a whirlwind. "It was definitely busy. There was a lot going on," Biermann said. "You go from playing your final college season to playing a bowl game, then training for the Combine. Then you have the Combine, you'll be in meetings. So it was definitely kind of a whirlwind experience.

Once the draft is done, players jump right into things with their new team, and they don't even have an opportunity to take it all in and reflect on the experience until their rookie season is completed. "Then you get drafted, and then you're right into the workouts with the new team, and you kind of hit the ground running," Biermann said. "So you don't really get a break, and you're going for almost a year, year and a half, two years before you kind of sit down and look back at the experience and you kind of enjoy it. So it's definitely a whirlwind, and it's kind of a baby step to what it takes to be the best of the best."

Let Biermann know who you think the Falcons will draft on Twitter, and be sure to enroll in the P&G Tackle Everything Sweepstakes by the end of the day! Don't miss your chance to win.