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2010 NFL Question Marks: Atlanta Falcons

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:20:58 +0000

Merry training camp season, everyone. It’s been a long offseason, but football is finally gearing up again and to celebrate I’m rolling out a new series on TSR entitled “2010 NFL Question Marks,” where I discuss one or two of the biggest concerns that teams have heading into the new season. Granted, some teams have more issues than others, but I’ll primarily be focusing on the biggest problem areas. Today I’ll be discussing the Falcons, who still have some holdover questions from last year in their secondary.

When you look up and down the Falcons’ current depth chart, you don’t see a lot of weaknesses. Their offensive core of Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez is outstanding and while their offensive line is comprised of five no-names (save for maybe former first rounder Sam Baker), they’re solid as a collective unit (even underrated to some extent).

Atlanta’s biggest question marks come on the defensive side of the ball, although they’re not as prevalent as some may think. John Abraham saw his sack total drop from 16.5 in 2008 to only 5.5 in 2009, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t effective. He still provided the Falcons with a steady pass rush – he just didn’t get to the quarterback as frequently as he did in ’08.

That said, the Falcons definitely need him to pick up his game if they’re going to make a trip back to the postseason this year. The good news is that he’ll have help in the form of Jonathan Babineaux (the team’s most underrated defensive player and best interior pass-rusher) and Peria Jerry (assuming he’s healthy), as well as two ends in Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury that I firmly believe will turn heads this season. Plus, if former 8th overall pick Jamaal Anderson ever lives up to the potential he displayed during his final year at Arkansas, the Falcons could have the makings of a great defensive line.

At linebacker, third-year player Curtis Lofton is the anchor of the defense. He’s a budding star and will soon be accompanied by versatile 2010 first rounder Sean Weatherspoon, although the former Missouri product will be eased into a starting role. For now, veteran Mike Peterson and the steady Stephen Nicholas will flank Lofton on the outsides.

That leaves the secondary as the team’s biggest question mark heading into the new season. But considering the Falcons broke the bank to bring in former Texan Dunta Robinson, it’s less of a question mark this season than it was in ’09.

Robinson is coming off a down year, but he’ll provide a dramatic upgrade over Chris Houston, who was traded to the Lions in the offseason. Some believe he won’t live up to the massive six-year, $57 million contract he signed in early March of this year and maybe he won’t, but at the very least he brings stability to a secondary that desperately needed it after having a revolving door at the cornerback position last season.

The other starting corner spot is up for grabs, although Brent Grimes flashed a lot of ability towards the end of last year by picking off four passes in the final three games. He’s undersized, but he’s also highly athletic and often turns heads with his playmaking ability. Can he become an every game starter is the question. If he can, then Chris Owens, Chevis Jackson and rookie Dominique Franks (who has received high remarks this offseason) will battle for the nickel and dime spots.

At free safety, the Falcons have an emerging young star in third-year player Thomas DeCoud. He had a breakout year of sorts in ’09 and the team is enamored with his potential.

But the strong safety position is the concern. The general consensus is that the Atlanta coaching staff wasn’t thrilled with Erik Coleman’s play last year and would love it if former second rounder William Moore overtook the starting SS position this season. Moore is a young, heavy hitter, but has been plagued with injuries the last two seasons (which includes his senior year at Missouri) and hasn’t been able to unseat Coleman yet.

Can Robinson rebound and live up to his contract? Can Grimes secure the No. 2 corner role? Will DeCoud’s stock continue to go up or will he suffer a letdown after such a productive ’09 campaign? Can Moore unseat Coleman? Assuming everyone stays relatively healthy on both sides of the ball, there’s little doubt that the Falcons are playoff contenders this season. But can their secondary become a strength or will it be the thing that holds them back in 2010?

Should the Falcons sign T.O.?

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:20:57 +0000

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution posed the question of whether or not the Falcons should sign free agent wideout Terrell Owens.

Here’s my answer: Why is this even a question?

The Falcons’ receiving corps is somewhat a concern heading into the season. Roddy White is a stud, but Michael Jenkins has proven to be more of a blocker than a pass catcher and Harry Douglas is coming off major knee surgery. Behind them is the aging Brian Finneran, special teamer Eric Weams and fifth round pick Kerry Meier (who essentially is a younger Finneran in the making).

On the surface, it might make sense to throw T.O. in the mix. On paper, giving Matt Ryan White, T.O. and Tony Gonzalez to play with might make sense. Besides, the Falcons would only sign Owens to a one-year deal, so if it didn’t work they could move on after the year and not think twice about it.

But let’s not forget that the Falcons’ strength is actually running the ball with Michael Turner, Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood (for the 11 plays he gets a year). Adding T.O. doesn’t make much sense given Douglas’ potential, Ryan’s familiarity with White and Gonzalez, and yes, even Jenkins’ blocking ability. (Fans like to rag on Jenkins for not being much of a receiver, but he’s by far their best blocker and that holds value for a team that often likes to set the tone with their ground game.)

While I applaud Ledbetter for trying to drum up conversation now that OTAs are underway, this topic should be put to rest immediately. T.O. won’t be a Falcon. It isn’t worth it for the team to sacrifice Douglas’ development in the offense and who knows what would happen if Ryan didn’t get Owens the ball enough. Atlanta just doesn’t need a potential distraction like that, especially with Ryan heading into his third year.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Turner due for a bounce back year in 2010?

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:20 +0000

Michael Turner didn’t want to hear about the “Curse of 370” heading into last season, but after ankle injuries limited him to only 871 yards on 178 carries, it appears as though “the Burner” is well aware of the damages a full workload can have on a running back.

And so are the Falcons.

Turner recently admitted that he fell out of shape last offseason, which may have contributed to his slow start. Turner didn’t really resemble the ’08 version of himself until a Week 8 Monday night effort against the Saints in which he rushed for 151 yards on 20 carries with one touchdown. Until that point, Turner didn’t appear to be hitting holes with much authority and even looked slow at times.

But Turner apparently learned a lesson from last offseason, because he reported to a recent Falcons mini-camp in great shape according to several reports. Head coach Mike Smith was even quoted as saying his running back was in “outstanding shape” and was moving “extremely well” in his first day back. That’s great news for Turner, the Falcons and a handful of fantasy owners that were burned (no pun intended) by the running back’s production (or lack thereof) last season.

That said, even though he’s healthy and in shape, ESPN’s John Clayton reports that the Falcons still plan to limit Turner’s carries to fewer than 300 this season. Atlanta may have realized that his workload in ’08 was too much and with the emergence of Jason Snelling last season, there’s simply no reason to overwork Turner in 2010. Don’t forget that the Falcons still have Jerious Norwood in their backfield as well, a speedster that can provide a nice change of pace when he’s healthy. (Not that he’s ever healthy.)

If Clayton’s report is true and the Falcons are intending to keep Turner under 300 carries this season, it might be a situation that works out best for everyone. The Falcons can have a fresher Turner throughout the year and hopefully, into the playoffs, while Snelling will continue to get carries and provide Atlanta with another bruising back that can wear down defenses late in games.

It’s early, but things look good so far for “the Burner” getting back on track.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Reason No. 4,049 why I don’t get some athletes

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:53:35 +0000

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Falcons’ defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux was arrested Thursday night for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. He was also nailed for having suspended tags and driving without a license.

This is devastating news for an Atlanta team that 1) is hosting the best team in the league on Sunday and 2) is already crippled by injuries to Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and three-fifths of their offensive line. Babineaux might not be a household name, but he’s been far and away the Falcons’ best defensive linemen this season and the only one that provides a consistent rush at the quarterback.

Babineaux is the same player that was arrested a couple years ago for allegedly killing his girlfriend’s dog (what’s with dog-killers in Atlanta?), Kilo. Given his most recent arrest, “Kilo” is an awfully ironic name for the dog.

With the Saints coming to town, one would think that Babineaux would be a little more focused – especially considering the Falcons’ playoff hopes are on life support. Instead, he’s out trolling the streets with expired tags, no license and enough pot on him for the cops to charge him with intent to sell.. I’m shocked the moron didn’t have a sign outside his window that read: I’M HAVE POT IN THE CAR.

I just don’t get it. And the sad part is, we’ve heard a similar song and dance before when it comes to athletes.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

No need to hit the panic button on Matt Ryan

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:08:19 +0000

In his first four games of the 2009 season, Atlanta Falcons second-year quarterback Matt Ryan had a QB rating of 98.0, 122.2, 82.3 and 110.0. He was off to a fantastic start and people started to assume that he would have Tom Brady-like numbers every game.

But in his last three outings, Ryan has QB ratings of 68.4, 66.1 and 46.6 and now all of a sudden he’s drawing comparisons to Rex Grossman. (Okay, so Ryan has never been compared to Grossman, but you get my feeble attempt at exaggerating my point.)

After his three-interception game last Monday night against the Saints, I’ve read at least two articles from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about how Ryan doesn’t look like the same player he was as a rookie. The overall tone of the articles was that the Falcons should be worried, because “Matty Ice” hasn’t played well in three games.

But people need to take their hand off the ejection button, because Ryan is fine – he’s just going through typical growing pains. He had one of the best (if not the best) rookie season of any quarterback to ever play in the NFL, while leading what many believed was a 3-13 team to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. Entering his second season, the expectations were sky high and now that he’s not playing well, some want to question whether or not last season was a fluke.

I’ll admit that following his performance in New Orleans on Monday night that he hasn’t looked like the same player he was last year or at the beginning of this year. He seems to be rushing his throws more and making bad decisions. His cool, calm pocket presence has turned into a rushed dance where he doesn’t always work through all of his progressions and set his feet to throw. He also seems to be locking in on Tony Gonzalez or Roddy White and therefore throwing a high number of interceptions. (He’s thrown eight in his last four games.)

But all of this doesn’t mean the young man is doomed or that what he accomplished last year was a fluke. Normally it takes a quarterback two or three full years before they start performing at a high level, so it’s understandable that Ryan is suffering a bit in his development. Plus, he has already shown that he has great work ethic, sound technique and can go through all his progressions while hitting a receiver in stride. He’s a good player and truth be told, his protection hasn’t been that great the past two weeks, which also aids in him rushing his throws and being off the mark.

Don’t forget that Michael Turner took a lot of pressure off Ryan last year and outside of his 151-yard performance against the Saints, he hasn’t been the same player either. But if Turner can get going, the offense will become more balanced and teams can’t pin their ears back and pass rush Ryan knowing that the Falcons have to throw.

Through all of this, Ryan has the Falcons at 4-3. If his O-line can give him a tad more protection and Turner can build some momentum off the New Orleans game, I have a feeling we’ll start to see better play out of “Matty Ice.”

Falcons lose first round pick Jerry for the season

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:02:29 +0000

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that defensive tackle Peria Jerry, who was the Falcons first round pick in April, will miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury in a win over the Panthers on Sunday.

This might not sound like a significant loss given that Jerry was a rookie and defensive tackles are rarely in the limelight, but this is a blow to the Falcons’ defensive line. Jerry was quickly emerging as a solid interior pass-rusher and offered a nice complement to John Abraham and Jonathan Babineaux on Atlanta’s D-line.

The Falcons rotate their defensive linemen on game days, so Trey Lewis, Thomas Johnson and Vance Walker will all see playing time at the tackle position next to Babineaux. Unfortunately, none of the three provide the pass rush that Jerry does, although maybe the big-bodied Lewis (who was impressive as a rookie in 2007 before a knee injury sidelined him for the entire ’08 season) can help the Falcons fix a leaky run-defense that is allowing 5.1 YPC.

This is a bad time for the Falcons to lose a pass rusher with a trip to New England and a pissed-off Patriots team on the docket.

Did the Falcons give up too soon on Robinson?

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:06:34 +0000

When the Atlanta Falcons selected receiver Laurent Robinson out of Illinois State in the third round of the 2007 draft, they envisioned the 6’2, 194-pound receiver becoming either a solid No. 2, or possibly even a No. 1 if Roddy White (who struggled in his first two years) failed to develop.

But after caching 37 passes for 437 yards and a touchdown his rookie year, knee and hamstring injuries limited Robinson to just five receptions in six games last season. With the emergence of second-year receiver Harry Douglas, Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff traded Robinson to the Rams this past April. In exchange, the Falcons and Rams swapped fifth and sixth round picks in the ’09 draft.

It’s hard to criticize anything Dimitroff has done in his first two offseasons in Atlanta. After all, he hired a solid head coach in Mike Smith, signed free agent Michael Turner, drafted franchise quarterback Matt Ryan, and traded for future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. It’s no wonder why Dimitroff was named the 2008 NFL Executive of the Year.

But a couple of years down the road (or possibly much, much sooner), I have a feeling that Dimitroff will look back on the Robinson deal as one of his bigger goof ups. And I don’t say that only because Douglas suffered a season-ending injury in camp this year and Atlanta is in a bit of a bind at slot receiver; I say it because Robinson could emerge as a quality playmaker very soon.

In two preseason games, Robinson has caught seven passes for 117 yards and has vastly outplayed Keenan Burton for the No. 2 receiver position in St. Louis’ offense. With his play thus far, Robinson is earning a starting job opposite Donnie Avery, as soon as Avery comes back from the stress fracture injury he suffered a couple weeks ago.

Some folks are probably reading this and thinking to themselves, “Wow Stalter, the guy has caught seven passes for 117 yards in two preseason games and you’re ready to compare him to Jerry Rice.”

I realize that Robinson has a long way to go to prove himself, but call it a hunch that he’s going to develop into something more than just a slot or No. 2 reciever. In the Rams’ second preseason game last Saturday against (ironically) the Falcons, Robinson was better than the stat sheet would indicate. He created separation from the defensive backs, caught everything that was thrown his direction, used his body well in traffic and on balls he had to jump for, he caught them at their highest point. In other words, he flashed all the skills necessary to become a quality receiver in the NFL.

I hate to criticize Dimitroff, even in the slightest. But chances are that he got robbed in the deal for Robinson, because the third-year wideout will probably be worth more than what Dimitroff got in return.

Traditionally, the WR2 in the St. Louis offense has been pretty productive. But Mike Martz is long gone, so how will Robinson fare if he is indeed the starter? Marc Bulger is still semi-capable when healthy, and with Steven Jackson in the backfield and Donnie Avery on the other side, defenses will not be able to focus on stopping Robinson. The Rams are likely to be playing catch up about 90% of the time, so I fully expect Robinson will rack up receptions and yards late in games. I wouldn’t expect too many scores, however, so he’ll hold more value in PPR leagues than in standard or TD-heavy formats. Considering what the Falcons got in return, Robinson’s 2009 campaign should make them regret their decision to trade him away.