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In December of 2007, Bill Parcells used the Atlanta Falcons and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen to squeeze a little more money out of the Miami Dolphins. For Bill Parcells it was just business, but for the Falcons it felt like a last brutal kick in the face for a franchise that had taken a terrible beating in 2007.
It may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened for the franchise.
The Falcons recovered from the Parcells fiasco by hiring little known Thomas Dimitroff as General Manager and even lesser known Mike Smith as Coach. For outsiders, it might have looked like the Falcons had hired the only men willing to accept those jobs.
If that is the case, the Atlanta Falcons made the two luckiest hires in the history of labor management. Everybody knows who these guys are now.
Dimitroff swiftly and dramatically began reshaping the Falcons roster. The Falcons parted ways with former Pro Bowl players Rod Coleman (released), Warrick Dunn (released), Alge Crumpler (released), and DeAngelo Hall (traded).
The Falcons appeared to be sacrificing any chance of winning in 2008 in the name of getting younger.
In reality, the Falcons roster still contained a lot of young talent in players like Jerious Norwood, Chris Houston, Roddy White, Justin Blaylock, and Jonathan Babineaux. Talent is easily overlooked when the team is 4-12.
In March, the Falcons made their first splash in free agency, signing Michael Turner to a six-year contract with $15 million in guaranteed money.
As the 2008 draft approached, fans and media speculated that the Falcons would use the third pick in the draft on defensive tackle Glen Dorsey, despite the Falcons’ glaring need at quarterback.
The Falcons bypassed Glen Dorsey on draft day for Matt Ryan, counting on him to not only fill the teams need at quarterback, but also allow the franchise to move on psychologically.
Of course, that would only be possible if Matt Ryan produced on the field.
Following the selection of Ryan, the Falcons used the remaining draft picks to methodically address needs while acquiring good value. Dimitroff traded back up into the first round to draft Sam Baker to protect Matt Ryan’s weak side.
The Falcons selected Curtis Lofton in the second round to play in the middle of the Falcons defense, and he started all 16 games in 2008. The team picked up explosive wide receiver Harry Douglas and cornerback Chevis Jackson in the third round, and promising players Thomas DeCoud and Kroy Bierman in the later rounds.
Even with the seemingly positive direction the franchise seemed to be heading, the most optimistic Falcons fan thought the young team would struggle badly in 2008. The team sported a new coach, new coordinators, and rookie starters at the critical QB, LT, and MLB positions.
The best case scenario looked to be that the 2008 Falcons might be the reincarnation of the 1989 Dallas Cowboys, which featured rookies Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin on an offense that included Herschel Walker.
The 1989 Cowboys defense featured Jim Jeffcoat and young linebackers Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton. Those Cowboys were coached by rookie NFL coach Jimmy Johnson, who would lead the squad to consecutive Super Bowl wins following the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
The 1989 version went 1-15, and that is about where people expected the 2008 Falcons to finish.
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