While appearing on SiriusXMNFL radio on Friday morning, Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff indicated that the Falcons might be willing to be covered this year on HBO’s Hard Knocks.

“Two years ago we were approached and decided that it wasn’t right for us at that point,� Dimitroff said. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t go down that road if it was presented to us at another time. We are much closer to being in that spot where it’s not going to be as much of a distraction as it would have been another time.

“It’s such an individual thing. Hard Knocks could be right for some of the teams that are fairly entrenched. It could be right for some team that wants to kick off some more brand recognition.�

“I truly believe that an organization has to be in the right spot to jump into something like Hard Knocks,� Dimitroff said. “I think it sheds a lot of light on our league. This is a league of entertainment. There are some traditionalists that struggle with it, but they have to work against the grain a little bit and see that this is about entertainment. Hard Knocks is a good show for the fan base.�

Some Falcon fans might be worried that the show would become a distraction, but I would trust Dimitroff. He’s smart, calculated and he wouldn’t agree to anything that he believed would hurt his team. Outside of a few names that have come and gone, the Falcons have basically had the same coaching staff in place since 2008 and their core (Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Michael Turner, John Abraham and Tony Gonzalez) remains intact. This is a grounded organization that shouldn’t be rocked by a potential distraction such as Hard Knocks.

Of course, the Falcons would be the polar opposite of Rex Ryan and the Jets. Mike Smith can get as fired up as any coach in the league, but he’s always even-keeled and calm with the media. And while Roddy White can be flamboyant from time to time, I’m not sure if Ryan, Turner and Gonzalez have dropped an F-bomb in their lives.

In other words, if the Falcons are the next team filmed for Hard Knocks, don’t expect the same foul-mouthed program that the Jets produced last year. (Not that I’m complaining – Ryan and the Jets were highly entertaining.)

Heading into this year’s draft, the overall consensus was that the Falcons would use their first round pick (No. 27 overall) on defense after they gave up 48 points in an embarrassing Divisional Round loss to the Packers last January.

But that ugly showing inside the Georgia Dome that night must have showed GM Thomas Dimitroff that he had a more pressing need than defense. One that facilitated the biggest trade so far of the 2011 NFL Draft.

It was apparent in the Falcons’ loss to the Packers that they didn’t have another receiver opposite Roddy White to stretch the defense. In fact, the Falcons had an issue all season in gaining yards after the catch. Tight end Tony Gonzalez is still productive, but he’s lost a step over the years. Michael Jenkins comes up with a couple of clutch receptions every season and is a solid blocker in the run game (an important skill in Atlanta‘s offense), but he doesn’t threaten defenses with his speed. Slot receiver Harry Douglas does have good speed, but he’s been slow to recover from a knee injury that he suffered in training camp in 2010.

So Dimitroff packaged five picks (including his 2012 first round selection) in order to move all the way up to No. 6 (which was the Browns’ original pick) in order to select Alabama receiver Julio Jones in the first round on Thursday night. Jones is the ultimate blue-chip prospect. He can break tackles, make plays after the catch and yes, stretch defenses vertically. Assuming Jones isn’t a bust in the making, defenses won’t be able to double-team White and Matt Ryan now has even more weapons at his disposal.

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I don’t fault anyone who thought the Falcons should hire two new coordinators, set fire to the Georgia Dome carpet and draft seven new defensive backs in April after the Packers torched Atlanta 48-21 in the postseason.

But that would have been an overreaction and after the Falcons went 13-3 this season, there’s no need to panic just because they were humiliated in the playoffs.

Pardon the clichéd expression but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Owner Arthur Blank had a real mess on his hands when Michael Vick was hauled off to prison and Bobby Petrino left in the middle of the night to go call hogs in Arkansas. But he made one really great decision in hiring GM Thomas Dimitroff, who then made one really great decision in hiring Mike Smith as head coach.

Smith, who has guided the Falcons to a 33-15 record in three years as head coach, was just given a well-deserved three-year contract extension. Don’t be surprised if Dimitroff were given a new deal as well, which would be smart on Blank’s part. This is a team that needs to stay the course.

The Falcons’ biggest goal is shared by all 32 teams: Win a Super Bowl. But while they want to emulate the success that the Steelers and Packers have had this season, they can’t worry about trying to model themselves after either team. The Steelers have had great defenses for decades and Ted Thompson spent years building the roster that the Packers will feature this Sunday in Arlington. Just because the Falcons aren’t in the position that Green Bay is right now doesn’t mean they need to start over.

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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.

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Roddy White deserves to be paid like a No. 1 receiver – he just doesn’t deserve to be paid like Larry Fitzgerald.

White, the Falcons best receiver and top playmaker, is currently in holdout mode in hopes of getting a new contract. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal that will pay him $2.28 million this season and if he can’t reach a contract agreement with the Falcons, he’ll be a restricted free agent next year since the owners are opting out of the collective bargaining agreement. (2010 is heading for an uncapped year.)

Last season, White hauled in 88 passes for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns while helping to lead Atlanta to a miraculous playoff appearance. But when the Falcons opened their doors for training camp last Friday, White was nowhere to be found and is reportedly working out on his own in Alabama. Making matters worse for the Falcons, they just lost slot receiver Harry Douglas (who has been subbing for White during the holdout) for the season after he tore his ACL on Wednesday.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, contract talks between White and the Falcons have soured, with GM Thomas Dimitroff indicating that the holdout could go deep into camp. With White seeking a deal similar to what Fitz got (four years, $40 million), the Falcons may soon pull their offer off the table and make Roddy play out the final year of his contract.

This situation could have been avoided had White and his agent showed a little more trust and humility from the start. While White certainly has put up fantastic numbers these past two seasons (171 receptions, 2,584 yards, 13 TDs), he also shorted the Falcons during the first two years of his contract when he only caught 59 passes for a messily 952 yards and three touchdowns.

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According to the National Football Post, the Falcons are interested in trading for Chiefs’ tight end Tony Gonzalez.

Lombardi reports that the Falcons may be willing to give up their second round draft pick (#55 overall) in order to obtain the services of Gonzalez.

The move makes sense as Justin Peelle, the Falcons top tight end target from 2008, caught only 15 passes for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns in 16 games last season.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez is coming off another Pro Bowl season in which he hauled in 96 receptions for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns.

More on this story as it develops.

If you’re looking for a connection, Atlanta’s GM is Thomas Dimitroff, who used to be the Director of College Scouting for the Patriots under former New England general manager and now current Kansas City GM Scott Pioli.

But even with that connection, this rumor is still a little far-fetched. None of the major media outlets have had anything to say about a possible trade and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that so far, there’s ‘nothing concrete about the rumor.’

Yes, the Falcons do want to give a pass-catching tight end to quarterback Matt Ryan. But to give up a second round pick for Gonzo is a steep price when you consider how many holes Atlanta has on the defensive side of the ball. The Falcons haven’t been major players in free agency this offseason, instead choosing to wait for the draft to fill their needs. It’s unlikely that Dimitroff would give up his second round pick when there are pressing holes at linebacker, defensive tackle, safety and defensive end. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be a good trade, it’s just seems a little unrealistic at this point.

So I’m watching ESPN News the other day and this scrolls at the bottom of the screen: Falcons sign LB Mike Peterson.

Not a bad move.

Considering they lost Keith Brooking and Michael Boley to other teams in free agency, the Falcons were in desperate need of linebackers and Peterson is familiar with head coach Mike Smith and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder from their days in Jacksonville. Plus, Peterson surely came cheaper than Brooking, which was part of the reason Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff allowed him to walk when he became a free agent last week. (Brooking wanted to re-sign with Atlanta, but eventually signed a three-year, $6 million contract with the Cowboys when it was clear the Falcons wanted to go in another direction.)

Then I read the details of Peterson’s contract: Two years, $6.5 million.

So the Falcons didn’t want Brooking back because he’s a 33-year old linebacker with deteriorating skills and is weak in coverage. Yet they signed Peterson (for more money mind you), who is a 32-year old linebacker with deteriorating skills, is weak in coverage and was suspended one game for pissing off his head coach (Jack Del Rio) last season?

Chiefs fans got an early Christmas present Monday night when it was reported that general manager Carl Peterson will resign at the end of the season.

Kansas City Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt today announced that Carl Peterson will step down as President, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer at the end of the 2008 season.

“On behalf of my family and the entire Kansas City Chiefs organization, I want to thank Carl for his two decades of service to the Chiefs,� Hunt said. “Both Carl and I agreed that immediately initiating the search for the next Chiefs General Manager would be the best thing for the future of the organization, and he will be resigning following the 2008 season.�

Peterson joined the Chiefs in 1989, and guided the club through one of the most successful eras in its history. During his 20 years at the helm, the Chiefs amassed a 176-141-1 record, won the AFC West four times and reached the AFC Championship Game in 1993.

Hunt said the search for a new General Manager will begin immediately. Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Denny Thum will serve as the Chiefs interim President and General Manager.

Chiefs fans have to appreciate what Peterson did in the 90s, because he did construct some solid teams. That said, his moves of late have been disastrous and his unwillingness to fix the offensive line over the years has doomed this team’s chances of survival. The Dolphins and Falcons turned their fortunes around in just one season and they did so by first hiring quality football men in the front office (Bill Parcells and Thomas Dimitroff, respectively). The Chiefs can do the same thing, but it all starts with Clark Hunt finding the right GM to rebuild through the draft.

Each year the NFL provides examples of how teams can rise from the basement to the penthouse in just one offseason. 2008 is no different, as the Ravens, Falcons, Dolphins and Jets have all won as many games this year as they did all of last season.

Here are four ways NFL teams can turn around their misfortune in just one offseason along examples from the 2008 season.

1. Get a strong, football-minded front office person to construct the team.
2008 Example: Miami Dolphins
It’s safe to say at this point that Bill Parcells knows what he’s doing. He’s won everywhere he’s gone and it would have been naïve to think he wouldn’t turn around the Dolphins at some point. But the fact that he’s done it this quickly is remarkable and speaks volumes for how necessary it is for teams to have good front office people in place to run the day-to-day operations. Parcells is a football-minded guy and he can judge talent. He parted ways with long-time veterans Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor because he knew they weren’t going to play key roles in Miami’s future. Sure the Dolphins lost veteran talent, but they also were focused on moving forward. Parcells also went out and found a competent quarterback in Chad Pennington and drafted a franchise left tackle in Jake Long. Now the Fish can compete on a weekly basis, unlike last season when they were dead in the water (no pun intended) before games even started. Teams can’t win if their front office makes huge draft mistakes and can’t fit individual pieces into one big puzzle. Credit the Dolphins for spending big on a proven winner in Parcells. They might not make the playoffs this year, but they’re competing again and soon enough, the postseason will become a reality.