NFL Draft 2011: 10 Things We Learned about the Atlanta Falcons
Another year, another NFL Draft has come to a close. Even if we don't see any other football action for a while that doesn't involve court cases and appeals, it was certainly a memorable weekend for the people down at Flowery Branch.
I've never been a believer in the whole "Winners and Losers" category, and we'll get to the reasons why later on in this column, but for me this draft meant a lot of things for the Falcons franchise going forward. So in the following we'll explore what this draft signifies for the reigning NFC South Champions!
1. Julio Jones Was Worth the Risk
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Let's stop pretending that Atlanta mortgaged their entire future on this draft when they traded away multiple picks to Cleveland for the rights to select arguably the best receiver in this draft.
Jones is a physical presence (much more so than fellow WR draftee AJ Green) that will be able to contribute immediately. He is used to playing in a conservative offense at Alabama so he should easily get acclimated to the NFL style of offense.
Remember the old adage I stated in my last column "Sometimes the best defense is a good offense?" This is especially true in today's NFL that is a QB-WR league. He opens up the field for a bevy of Atlanta's other receivers such as Roddy White, TE Tony Gonzalez and Michael Jenkins.
Also, Jones is going to play hurt, which will earn him a lot of respect in the locker room. Too often we fans think that every team should go the traditional route to a championship. Ask the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions how that has worked out so far. When you have a chance to get elite talent, you do it, no questions asked.
2. Atlanta Will Solve Their Defensive End Issues
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This is Atlanta's John Abraham wondering and praying, "Can I help some help please?" He's no spring chicken, so it made sense to a lot of people that Atlanta would draft his eventual replacement.
The problem was that there was no eventual replacement in this draft. We can complain that De'Quan Bowers or Adrian Clayborn would've fit that bill, but with this team in win now mode, they were looking for an impact player on defense. Outside of Von Miller, who went No. 2 overall, they weren't finding it in this draft.
Atlanta is looking to make a splash in free agency and when the lockout ends, look for them to go after Minnesota's Ray Edwards as a replacement. Now this may not work as Atlanta has tried to solve their defensive issues in free agency before (see Ike Reese) but if they don't feel that the No. 8 defensive end in the draft is worth building around, then sometimes we as fans need to trust their judgment.
3. Atlanta Got Much, Much Faster on Offense
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Score one for the home team! Sick of waiting for RB Jerious Norwood to heal up from numerous injuries, Atlanta decided to get a player who can replace him immediately and create havoc on the field. Oregon State RB Jacquizz Rodgers was selected in the fifth round (one round more than I predicted, thank you very much) and will fill a major need.
Face it, Atlanta was considered slow and methodical on offense. If they got behind by 14 points, it was pretty much lights out. They needed a burner (not Michael Turner) on offense, especially on third downs. Rodgers will enable them to have a true pass catcher out of the backfield that will keep defenses honest.
I like Turner and Jason Snelling, but they aren't exactly Reggie Bush in the open field. The Falcons needed someone who can light up the Georgia Dome grass turf and Rodgers is exactly what they needed. He also has a propensity to break tackles so he will be a lot of fun around the goal line as well.
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4. Defense Needs to Execute Better on Defense
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See Kroy Biermann. See Kroy get to the quarterback. See Kroy unable to wrap up said quarterback.
This was the ongoing problem for the Falcons in their loss to Green Bay. Coach Mike Smith stated that it wasn't so much the inability to penetrate the offensive line that caused them to lose, as it was their poor execution.
What he is basically saying is that he believes in their defensive front's ability to create havoc on the line against the better offenses of the NFL. Yes, they had a hard time tackling the likes of Kevin Kolb, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers, so he's putting the onus on them instead of blowing a draft pick on a rookie who may not be ready, and then what are we going to say. Draft yet another lineman next year?
Sometimes you have to place your veterans in a spot where they need to step up and wrap up the QB, and that's why Atlanta waited until later to draft DE Cliff Matthews in the seventh round (another selection that yours truly got right). If Abraham, Biermann and Peria Jerry can actually get their hands on the QB then all of these complaints will cease.
5. They Believe in Matt Ryan
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This league is about three things: who's your quarterback, enabling your quarterback and getting to the quarterback. The Falcons' Matt Ryan has had one of the most impressive resumes for a starter in his first three years in the league. However, like Napoleon had his Waterloo, Ryan has had his playoffs, whether it was in Phoenix in 2009 or this past January at home.
Drafting players like Julio Jones and Jacquizz Rodgers gives Ryan the speed on the outside that he needed to conduct this offense to perfection. The Falcons have shown that they have all of the confidence in the world in Ryan and by taking this risk they are putting him in position to join the elite QBs of this league. Imagine having the option to go underneath to Tony Gonzalez or up top to Julio Jones the way Tom Brady would pitch it to Randy Moss.
6. Akeem Will Be Able to Put a "Dent" in the LB Corps
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It's always a refreshing feeling to see the hometown player get drafted, and LB Akeem Dent will continue to wear red and black, but it will be for the Atlanta Falcons instead of the Georgia Bulldogs.
He was a presence for the Bulldogs lineup, and more than likely Stephen Nicholas will be leaving via free agency when the lockout ends, meaning Dent will be able to make his case to start for his favorite team. Since Atlanta has a young corps of linebackers (Curtis Lofton, Sean Weatherspoon) Dent may be more of a force on special teams as well, displaying his versatility for a team that desperately requires it.
7. Atlanta's Special Teams Just Got a Bit More Special
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Face it, one of Atlanta's greatest strengths was in their special teams last year. Whether it was Matt Bryant kicking another game winning FG, or Eric Weems returning kickoff after kickoff for a TD, that was one area where Atlanta can boast one of the league's best units.
This draft signified that they increased the strength of their special teams when they brought in both Rodgers and Dent, two guys that can use their versatility to play special teams in case of injury to any starters.
8. Atlanta Needed to Match Up on Offense, Hence the Risk
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Again, this goes back to the fact that there was no way they were going to simply shut down the Saints, Packers and Eagles regardless of who they drafted on the lines this year. They needed to find a way to keep up and force other teams to deal with their offense, which was stagnant at best.
I love this team, but realistically they were a 10-6 team that masqueraded as a 13-3 squad. Take away Roddy White's fumble recovery, a missed Garret Hartley field goal in New Orleans, and Rodgers fumbling at the goal line last year, and Atlanta could've easily missed the playoffs in the very competitive NFC.
Drafting a player of Jones' elite talent gives them an opportunity to make sure that their games aren't won by a simple miscue by the other team, but instead based on their roster's ability to execute on offense and defense. Now teams will no longer feel comfortable if they get out to a 10 point lead on the Falcons, but now will have to wonder how soon the comeback will take place.
9. Atlanta's Time Is Now
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This is an image I hope we don't see too often, but I thought it made sense considering we may not see Tony Gonzalez in a Falcons uniform if the lockout somehow wipes out next season. That being said, the Falcons realize what many teams don't in the NFL: that you only have a three to four year window to win a championship. Unless of course you happen to have Tom Brady or Peyton Manning as your QB.
Gonzalez is in the twilight of his career, and many of the Falcons players (White, Turner) are in their prime, with Ryan yet to get there. They needed a player that can potentially make them a Super Bowl contender, and not a team that gets by on the skin of their teeth.
I know there are teams that go for it all only to crash and burn (Minnesota, 2010) but it says a lot about this organization that is no longer satisfied with just making playoff appearances; they think this is their time to hold the Lombardi Trophy.
Instead of complaining about what they gave up, just remember the Rankin Smith days where 4-12 was considered improvement.
10. No One Knows for Sure Who Will Be a Winner or a Loser for Years to Come
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I read that ESPN's Mel Kiper and a host of others blasted the Falcons for their draft day trade to get what they felt was a No. 2 receiver at best. It's funny how these draft experts are always declaring winners and losers as soon as the draft is over. I'm sorry, but Detroit and Cleveland have been drafting for years at the top of draft and I don't see them any closer to a Super Bowl do you?
These are the same people who thought that Ryan Leaf and Tim Couch would be 10 year NFL quarterbacks, so I'm not exactly going to jump on their bandwagon.
This team did what they felt was best for them, and no one can tell for sure which team's draft is going to be successful for at least three years. That's why I'm not grading the Falcons draft; I never do. Let's just wait until the season actually unfolds to see if this was a risk worth taking.
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