Bleacher Report - Articles by Peyton Youmans

Matt Ryan and the Sophomore Slump? It'll Never Happen

Peyton Youmans — Fri, 22 May 2009 22:51:40 -0400

The success of Matt Ryan during his rookie campaign has brought us to the inevitable discussion of the “sophomore slump”. I have read that defenses have film on Ryan so they will be more prepared, and that it will be difficult for Ryan to perform with raised expectations. I have read about the Falcons brutal schedule that features games against all AFC East and NFC East teams. I have heard all of the arguments for a disappointing season from Ryan in 2009, but I am here to tell you that it just will not happen. Barring injury, Matt Ryan will produce a monster season in 2009 and possibly lead the Falcons into Super Bowl contention, depending on the performance of the Falcons young defense. Here are five reasons why Matt Ryan will absolutely avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump”.

Begin Slideshow

Resurrection of a Franchise: Revisiting the 2008 Atlanta Falcons Season

Peyton Youmans — Sat, 16 May 2009 11:00:03 -0400

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.

After a respectable but unspectacular showing in the preseason, the Falcons opened the 2008 regular season as three point home underdogs against the Detroit Lions. The Falcons proved to the league in that game that they were not the worst team in the league, and we all know how that turned out for the Detroit Lions.

In the next three games, the Falcons would suffer two tough road losses at Tampa and Carolina and score a nice win at home over the Chiefs. For the only time during the season, Matt Ryan looked like a rookie in the first half at Tampa.

Against Carolina, the rest of the offense looked like rookies, as the Birds experienced a litany of missed assignments and dropped passes. These tough losses were part of the "process".

The young Falcons grew up in Weeks Five and Six.

The Falcons scored a big upset win over the Packers at Lambeau Field in Week Five thanks to a balanced offensive attack and a crucial interception of Aaron Rogers late in the game. The victory raised a few eyebrows around the league, but everyone would take notice of Matt Ryan and the Falcons in Week Six.

In Week Six, the Falcons dominated the Chicago Bears for three quarters, but did not put the game out of reach due to red zone struggles. The Bears scored a touchdown on a horrible mistake by Atlanta secondary to take a 20-19 lead with only 11 seconds left in regulation.

Atlanta fans had seen this movie before. The Falcons dominate a game for three quarters then find a way to lose it in the fourth. It’s the kind of stuff that losers are made of, and for the great majority of their history, the Falcons had been losers.

Not this time.

After the Falcons returned the Bears’ squib kick to their own 44-yard line, Matt Ryan made as clutch a throw as you will ever see. With only seven seconds left in the game and under a heavy pass rush, Matt Ryan hit Michael Jenkins on a perfectly thrown 26-yard sideline route that gave the Falcons a field goal opportunity with one second on the clock.

When Jason Elam knocked that ball through the uprights to win the game, it washed away the pain of the 2007 season and all of the garbage that came with it.

The Falcons would go 6-3 the rest of the way, and they were in every game. The team finished the regular season with an improbable 11-5 record because a lot of things went right.

Matt Ryan played like a 10-year veteran instead of a rookie, and he consistently made clutch throws on third down. He helped his young line by getting rid of the ball quickly, as all of the great quarterbacks do.

The Falcons offensive line, thought to be horrible at the beginning of the season, set a franchise record by allowing only 17 sacks all season, with the aforementioned help from Ryan.

The 2008 rookie class featured no less than 6 players who made a mark. Highlights included Chevis Jackson sealing a win against the Saints with a 95-yard interception return TD and Harry Douglas completely taking over a late season win against the Carolina Panthers.

The Michael Turner signing worked out well, as he powered his way to 1699 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

The defense bent but did not break, finishing 11th in total points allowed.

The remarkable 2008 season is attributable to three primary factors: Excellent player evaluation by the front office, outstanding leadership by the head coach and rookie quarterback, and consistent and focused effort by the Falcons players.

That effort is reflected in the fact the Falcons did not give up 30 points in a regular season game, and all of the Falcons losses were a one possession game at some point in the fourth quarter.

The Falcons are the only team in the league that can make both of those claims, and that is not bad for a team that was the consensus pick to be the worst team in the league. I guess that is why they play the games.

The 2008 Atlanta Falcons—who swam through a river of Vick and Petrino and came out clean on the other side.

The Oakland Raiders are Not Good and Other Brilliant Observations

Peyton Youmans — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:01:46 -0400

Like many hardcore NFL fans, I get restless in the offseason. With the draft over and most free agents signed, the 2009 season can not get here fast enough. I've read all of the power rankings, draft grades, and quarterback lists that I can find, yet my thirst for all things NFL related remains unquenched. I know there are many others like me, and I am here to help. Please enjoy these random observations that are sure to stimulate and irritate, and hopefully entertain.

Begin Slideshow

The Atlanta Falcons' 20 Greatest Games of All Time

Peyton Youmans — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:45:22 -0400

The Atlanta Falcons will enter the 2009 season with arguably the most potent offense in the NFL. Matt Ryan will lead the unit through a brutal schedule that includes the AFC East and the NFC East. Matchups with the Patriots, Cowboys, and Giants all have the potential to become instant classics.

While we wait for the 2009 fireworks to begin, let's count down the 20 greatest games in Atlanta Falcons history.

20. Falcons 20, Saints 17: November 12, 1978

Down 17 to 13 with just seconds left on the clock, the Falcons lined up in a trip set, and Steve Bartkowski threw it up for grabs. Wallace Francis tipped the ball to Alfred Jackson, who scampered into the end zone for the game-winning 57-yard touchdown, and “Big Ben Right” was born.

Just two weeks later, the Falcons again victimized the Saints with Big Ben by drawing a last-second pass interference call in the end zone which led to another 20-17 Falcons win.

That pair of victories propelled the Falcons to their first ever Playoff appearance.

19. Falcons 14, Eagles 10: September 12, 2005

Tempers flared in this opening-week MNF rematch of the 2004 NFC Championship game, as Kevin Mathis and Jeremiah Trotter were kicked out of the game during pregame warmups.

The Falcons took a 14-0 lead early and held off a furious Eagles rally to get the win.

18. Falcons 41, Steelers 38: October 22, 2006

Here, the Falcons win a game in which they could have easily been blown out. The Steelers threw for 433 yards with five TD and no INT, but lost three critical fumbles.

Michael Vick threw for four TD for the first time in his career, and the Falcons won it in overtime on a 32-yard Morten Andersen field goal.

17. Falcons 27, Packers 7: January 4, 2003

The Falcons handed the Packers their first ever home-field postseason loss at snowy Lambeau field.

Michael Vick got most of the credit from the media for this one, but the defense and special teams were stellar in the upset.

16. Falcons 40, Saints 34: September 2, 1979

The Falcons and Saints both amassed more than 500 yards of offense in the 1979 season opener, and the Saints held the lead until deep into the fourth quarter. They extended their advantage to double digits on four different occasions, but could not put the Falcons away.

The Falcons were led by William Andrews, who rushed for 167 yards in his first NFL game and gave the Falcons a 34-31 lead in the waning minutes with his first NFL touchdown.

The game went to overtime tied at 34 but then ended suddenly on a fluke play. With the Saints lined up to punt, the long snapper sailed the football over punter Russell Erxleben’s head. Erxleben hustled back to the end zone and tried to pick the ball up and throw an incomplete pass, but he hit James Mayberry right in the chest, and Mayberry walked into the end zone for the game winning score.

15. Falcons 17, 49ers 14: November 11, 1991

This was an ugly football game with a beautiful ending. After Steve Bono connected with John Taylor on a 30-yard touchdown late in the fourthquarter to give the Niners a 14-10 lead, Atlanta snatched the victory on the final play of the game when Billy Joe Tolliver connected with Michael Haynes on a 44-yard hail mary.

The Falcons and Niners both finished the '91 season 10-6, but the Falcons advanced to the Playoffs while the Niners stayed home, so this play turned out to be quite important in the end.

14. Falcons 28, 49ers 27: December 24, 1995

Bobby Hebert came off the bench to lead the Falcons to a come-from-behind win in the final game of the season. He hit Terrance Mathis for the game-winning score in a contest Atlanta had to win to make the Playoffs.

Eventually, both the Falcons and 49ers would be knocked out of the Playoffs by the Green Bay Packers.

13. Falcons 33, Cardinals 27: November 9, 1980

The Falcons trailed 24-6 at halftime in St. Louis but stormed back to send the game into overtime. Steve Bartkowski threw for 378 yards, and Ray Strong iced the game with a 21-yard touchdown in overtime.

This win kept alive a Falcons winning streak that would reach nine games and propel the squad to the No. 1 postseason seed,. Unfortunately, their opportunity was wasted when the team suffered a devastating defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.

12. Falcons 27, Saints 20: December 28, 1991

Michael Haynes turned a short pass into an electrifying 61-yard touchdown score late in the fourth quarter, giving the Falcons their first ever road Playoff win.

11. Falcons 47, Oilers 27: September 9, 1990

The Falcons suffered probably the worst three-year span of any NFL team in history from 1987-1989, as the team performed miserably and suffered through three player deaths. But in 1990, Jerry Glanville was hired, and he restored hope and energy to the franchise; he changed the Falcons uniform color to black, and the team traded for a flamboyant young receiver named Andre Rison.

In the opening game of the '90 season, the Falcons took out years of frustration on the Houston Oilers in front of a rowdy capacity crowd at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. The Falcons led 21-0 after the first quarter and 34-7 after three quarters. Houston threatened to make a dramatic comeback in the final quarter with three consecutive touchdowns, but Deion Sanders iced the game with his first-ever interception return for TD.

The Falcons struggled to a 5-11 record that year, but the horrors of the Marion Campbell era had been washed away with the blowout of the Oilers.

10. Falcons 34, 49ers 17: September 18, 1988

In the third week of the 1988 season, the Falcons travelled to Candlestick Park and scored the most stunning regular-season upset in team history. For one day, Chris Miller looked like the future HOF player and Joe Montana looked pedestrian.

The Falcons intercepted San Fran's storied QB three times in the game, and the outcome was never in doubt. Of course, this was the only game the Falcons won during the first half of the 1988 season, while the Niners went on to win the Super Bowl.

9. Falcons 37, Saints 35: October 27, 2002

This game featured two spectacular touchdown runs by Michael Vick and six lead changes. New Orleans blew an early 10-0 lead, and the Falcons later blew their own double-digit advantage.

In the closing moments, Vick drove the team down the field in dramatic fashion for Jay Feely’s game-winning field goal on the final play of the game.

8. Falcons 22, Bears 20: October 12, 2008

The Bears took the lead with only 11 seconds left in the game, but Matt Ryan hit Michael Jenkins on a perfectly executed sideline pass with only one second left. Jason Elam then nailed the game winner, and the legend of Matt Ryan was born.

7. Falcons 34, Panthers 31: December 18, 2004

With the Falcons down seven points in the closing seconds, Michael Vick made an improbable touchdown run up the middle on fourth-and-goal from the 12-yard line.

Then, in overtime, Jake Delhomme threw a horrible interception to Aaron Beasley, and Jay Feely sealed the win with a 38-yard FG.

6. Falcons 37, Cowboys 35: September 21, 1986

The Falcons were a pretty horrible football team from 1984 to 1989, but the team gave fans hope briefly in 1986 by starting the season with consecutive blowouts against the Saints and Cardinals. Then, in Week Three, the Falcons travelled to Dallas to take on the undefeated Cowboys, and the teams staged an epic battle that featured seven lead changes.

David Archer hit Floyd Dixon with a miraculous bomb late in this contest to set the Falcons up for the go-ahead field goal with less than a minute left in the game. On the final play of the game, Danny White found Tony Hill on a deep crossing pattern that looked for a moment like it may go the distance. Bobby Butler was able to chase down Hill and push him out of bounds inside the Falcons' 15-yard line, sealing the win and preventing a most embarrassing ending for the Falcons.

The next week, the Falcons beat the Buccaneers to improve to 4-0, but a brutal home shut out at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week Five brought the team back down to earth. Atlanta stumbled their way to a 7-8-1 record on the season, and head coach Dan Henning was fired in favor of Marion Campbell.

5. Falcons 14, Eagles 13: December 24, 1978

The Falcons trailed the Eagles 13-0 in the fourth quarter of their first-ever postseason game, but the offense came to life in the closing moments of the game, and Steve Bartkowski threw touchdown passes on consecutive possessions to secure a 14-13 Falcons lead.

Ron Jaworski drove the Eagles down the field for a potential game-winning field goal, but Eagles punter Mike Michel, filling in for injured kicker Nick Mike-Mayer, missed the 31-yard attempt to seal the victory for the Falcons.

4. Falcons 30, Vikings 24: December 1, 2002

Even though Michael Vick broke several NFL rushing records in this game, it is mostly remembered for the last play: Vick’s breathtaking 46-yard touchdown run to win the game in overtime.

3. Falcons 31, 49ers 19: November 15, 1998

The Falcons took a 24-6 lead early in the fourth quarter only to see the Niners storm back into the game with long touchdown passes to Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice. Then, with the Falcons on the verge of a monumental collapse, Dan Reeves made probably the gutsiest call of his entire coaching career.

Chris Chandler hit Terrance Mathis for a game-clinching 78-yard touchdown pass that propelled the Falcons to a 14-2 record and on to the Super Bowl.

2. Falcons 28, 49ers 24: November 20, 1983

This was a well-played contest on both sides that the Falcons won on the last play of the game with a hail mary to Billy “White Shoes” Johnson. This play was doubly sensational because Steve Bartkowski did not get the pass to the end zone; Billy caught the deflected pass on the five-yard line and had to weave his way around and through several 49er defenders before stretching to reach the ball into the end zone.

It was a very close play that might have been called differently if the league had replay in 1983, but thankfully for Atlantans that was not the case.

1. Falcons 30, Vikings 27: January 27, 1999

Despite entering the NFC Championship game on a 10-game winning streak, the Falcons were huge underdogs to the 15-1 Vikings. Minnesota looked well on their way to blowing out the "Dirty Birds" until Atlanta forced a Randall Cunningham fumble right before halftime. Chris Chandler hit Terrance Mathis on the next play to pull the Falcons within six points (20-14).

The Falcons would get another huge break in the final few minutes of regulation when Gary Anderson suffered his only missed field goal of the season. Chandler then hit Terrance Mathis with the second game-changing TD in the closing moments of regulation, and we all know how the story end...or at least Falcons fans do.

That is how I see the Falcons' 20 greatest games of all time up until this point, but I fully expect this team to knock a couple of these games off the list this year with more terrific play.

Who Will Stop the Atlanta Falcons Offense?

Peyton Youmans — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:07:36 -0400

The Atlanta Falcons offense had a remarkable season in 2008, finishing 10th in the NFL in points and sixth in yards, while breaking in a rookie quarterback and left tackle.

They are only getting started.

The Falcons addressed the one and only deficiency on the offense on Thursday in the most spectacular of ways by acquiring the greatest receiving tight end to ever put on a football uniform. The addition of Tony Gonzalez completes an offense that has seemingly overnight accumulated a devastating amount of talent.

Let us take stock of that talent.

Matt Ryan

The NFL Rookie of the Year showed poise and leadership from the first snap in 2008, and he threw for over 200 yards in nine straight games during the Falcons' playoff push.

Michael Turner

The free agent acquisition finished second in the NFL in rushing yards and TDs while leading the league in carries. Turner proved to be every bit of the power running terror the Falcons expected when they signed him to a lucrative free agent contract.

Roddy White

Roddy validated his breakout 2007 season with an even better year in 2008. Roddy made his first Pro Bowl while finishing ninth in the league in receptions, fourth in receiving yards, and 13th in the league in yards per reception.

Michael Jenkins

The former first round pick had the best year of his career as the complementary possession receiver to Roddy White, while having a starring role in two of the most memorable plays of the season. He scored a 62-yard TD on a skinny post on Matt Ryan’s first career NFL pass, and he made a clutch sideline grab against the Chicago Bears.

Tony Gonzalez

Gonzalez has already had the best career of any tight end in NFL history by a wide margin, and he’s rarely had surrounding talent in the Kansas City passing game to take pressure off of him. The Falcons have a bruising running game and a superstar wide receiver, which will free space for Tony to operate.

The Offensive Line

The Falcons' offensive line is a mix of young high draft picks and young undrafted free agent tough guys with the token savvy veteran in the middle. The group really came together in 2008 and helped the team finish second in the NFL in rushing while establishing a franchise record for the fewest sacks allowed in a season with 17.

The Extras

The Falcons have absurdly talented players coming off the bench at the offensive skill positions. Jerious Norwood, the backup to Michael Turner, is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. He led the league in yards per rushing attempt in his rookie season among RBs with at least 80 carries.

Just to show it wasn’t a fluke, he led the league in that stat again in 2007 before “slumping” to fourth in the league in 2008.

In the passing game, the Falcons have the electrifying Harry Douglas working in the slot. The Falcons broke Harry in slowly in 2008, but he showed the ability to completely take over a football game in Week 12 against the Panthers, when he scored a TD on a reverse, converted a critical third down with a 69-yard reception, and then sealed the game with an electrifying 61-yard punt return TD.

There are very few players in the NFL riding the pine with that kind of ability to take over a game.

The numbers that the Falcons' young offense put up last year while learning a completely new offense were impressive, to say the least, but we have not seen anything yet. With the only change being the insertion of the greatest tight end in NFL history, this team is going to blow up scoreboards in 2009, and for years to come.

Ten Intriguing Questions for the 2009 NFL Season

Peyton Youmans — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:29:27 -0400

The 2008 NFL season played out as one of the most intriguing seasons in NFL history. The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots, overwhelming preseason favorites in their conferences, each failed to reach the playoffs. The Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins, regarded as the two worst teams in the NFL, each won 11 games and made the post season. The Arizona Cardinals, thought by many to be the worst playoff team in league history, surprised everyone but themselves by playing their way to the Super Bowl. The season finished with a Super Bowl that will live forever as one of the most exciting and controversial games in NFL history. The drama of the 2008 NFL season makes 2009 one of the most hotly anticipated seasons in league history. As we approach the 2009 NFL draft, here are 10 questions regarding the 2009 season that we are all anxious to have answered.

Begin Slideshow

The Atlanta Falcons' 12 Defining Draft-Day Moments

Peyton Youmans — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:43:59 -0400

The Atlanta Falcons are 116 games under .500 in the 43 year history of the franchise. The team has been to the playoffs only 9 times and has never managed consecutive winning seasons. The ineptitude of the team throughout it's history can be directly attributed to bad decisions on draft day. The Falcons have passed up Hall of Famers for malcontents, and that is the stuff that futile franchises are built on. Here is a list of the Falcons 12 most defining draft day moments.

Begin Slideshow

Atlanta Falcons: Targeting a Tight End in the First Round?

Peyton Youmans — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:24:03 -0400

The Atlanta Falcons approach the 2009 draft having lost five starters from a defense that ranked 24th in the NFL in 2008, and zero starters from a young offense that ranked 6th. Even with the Falcons' areas for improvement seemingly obvious, some observers believe the Falcons will target a tight end with the 24th pick of the draft.

Thomas Dimitroff has apparently mastered the art of pre-draft posturing.

The masterful misdirection perpetrated by the GM this year should not come as a surprise. Last season the Falcons entered the draft with a massive hole at the most important position on the football field, yet Dimitroff had many believing the Falcons would draft Glenn Dorsey.

The idea of the Falcons drafting a tight end with the first pick is so insane that I am not going to waste any more of my time, or the readers’ time, debunking it.

The Falcons will go defense in round one, and I suspect they will stay on that side of the football for rounds two and three as well. Because the Falcons lost both Michael Boley and Keith Brooking to free agency in the offseason, many pundits have the team targeting linebackers in the first round, but there are compelling reasons to think the Falcons will look in another direction.

The Falcons thought enough of Coy Wire at the end of 2008 to give him the starting nod over a healthy Michael Boley, and the Falcons signed veteran LB Michael Peterson from the Jaguars in the offseason. Throw promising third-year LB Stephen Nicholas into the equation, and the Falcons need at OLB appears less urgent. The other factor is the deep draft class itself as Atlanta can acquire a similar caliber of player with the 55th pick as they would be able to draft with the 24th pick. This is not the case at other positions of need.

The Falcons have an obvious need at safety, but there is not a safety in this draft worthy of first round consideration, so the Falcons will look elsewhere with their first pick.

The two positions the Falcons will likely target in round-one are defensive tackle and cornerback. The Falcons have one solid young starter at each of those positions in Jonathan Babineaux and Chris Houston, with the balance of those roster positions filled by journeymen type players. The cornerback situation is a bit more stable as Brent Grimes played well at CB for the Falcons in the first half of the 2008 season, and Von Hutchins is returning from injury.

Against this backdrop, I predict Peria Jerry is the player the Falcons will target with the 24th pick of the draft. Jerry is an athletic player with excellent measurables to go with outstanding production in the toughest conference in college football. He will fill a pressing need in the middle of the Falcons defensive line and be a fixture on the Falcons' defense for years to come.

Most importantly, there is an enormous drop off in the draft class at Defensive Tackle after B.J. Raji and Jerry are gone. This makes him the easy choice if he is on the board.

If Jerry is not available when the Falcons pick, I believe the second choice will be CB Vontae Davis from Illinois. If both Jerry and Davis are off the board, and that would be unfortunate for the Falcons, the team might look at CB Darius Butler of Connecticut or look at trading down to the top of the second round for more draft picks.

This is how the first four rounds of the Falcons draft might play out, with alternative picks in parentheses –

1^st round – pick 24 – Peria Jerry (Vontae Davis, Darius Butler)

2^ndround – pick 55 – Clint Sintim (Ron Brace, William Moore)

3rd round – pick 90 – Chip Vaughn (Macho Harris, Sen’Derrick Marks)

4^thround – pick 125 – Bradley Fletcher (Jonathan Casillas, David Bruton)

In round-five, the Falcons will finally get their Tight End when they draft John Phillips from the University of Virginia.

In 2008, the Falcons laid the foundation for the Falcons offense by drafting Matt Ryan, Sam Baker, and Harry Douglas. This draft will be used to do the same for the defense.

Atlanta Falcons Staying the Course With Dimitroff and Smith

Peyton Youmans — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:15:20 -0400

Hey Falcons fans, do you remember last year? Do you remember the Falcons hiring a general manager that nobody ever heard of? A GM that looked like he should have been on a surfboard instead of running an NFL franchise?

Do you remember asking "Mike who?" when the Falcons announced their head coach. Do you remember that feeling of despair when the Falcons rid themselves of four Pro Bowl players in the offseason?

Most of all, do you remember everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY, picking the Atlanta Falcons to be the worst team in the NFL?

Apparently alot of Falcons fans and Atlanta media have short memories, because I see a lot of second guessing going on with regards to the Falcons offseason. Based on the improbable season that just took place for the Birds, I think I am going to give Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith the benefit of the doubt.

When Dimitroff hired Smith, we were told that building a champion would be a process. Mike Smith used the word process so many times you would have thought he had a bonus clause in his contract for saying the word.

The Falcons brain trust set out to transform the Falcons into a young team built for sustained success, and an absolutely incredible thing happened in the first year of this process—the Falcons won football games.

Winning has made Falcons fans and media forget "the process", and now Dimitroff is being criticized for not being more active in free agency.

If the Falcons are going to achieve the sustained success that all Falcons fans crave, Dimitroff and Smith have to stick to the plan, the same plan that produced the best draft in the NFL last year by a wide margin.

They have to stay the course even if it means taking a small step back this year. Hopefully, the Falcons faithful will be able to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I think they have earned that much.