Frey takes one to the house in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl

A lot of talk has been made about the Falcons many undrafted additions at the wide receiver position that could be making the roster, including burner Cody Pearcy. But a player that might be going under the radar and has just as strong a chance to make the team’s final roster is former UConn Huskie and Kutztown Golden Bear Robbie Frey. Frey won’t have an easy road trying to make the Falcons roster, but his potential as a kickoff returner could give him a significant leg up.

With the loss of Eric Weems as the team’s primary return specialist, a big part of this summer’s training camp competitions will be to find a player or two that can replace him. The Falcons will likely rest on either Harry Douglas or Dominique Franks to return punts, both having done so before. But it leaves the competition for who will take over on kickoffs wide open.

That likely will mean that any one of the Falcons undrafted receivers and Frey will have an opportunity to shine and make the roster. Unlike the receivers, while Frey isn’t blessed with dynamic speed, he is unique in the sense that he was consistently productive and the most experience kickoff returner among the undrafted crop. The only other player with his level of experience is James Rodgers, and he’s been slowed by an ACL injury that he suffered in 2010, and is now still continuing to fight back from.

The departure of Ovie Mughelli does increase the odds that Frey coudl make the roster. The Falcons aren’t guaranteed to carry more than one fullback on the roster, something they did last season. The team carried Ovie Mughelli in that role until his injury, and then Mike Cox afterwards. They could do the same with fifth round pick Bradie Ewing being the run-away favorite to be the starter this season. Last year, they opted to keep four tailbacks in Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jason Snelling, and Antone Smith. Snelling’s ability to double as a lead blocker means that the team isn’t forced to carry more than one fullback at a time. Smith predominantly played on special teams, a role he shined in late in the year. But his roster status is far from a lock. And he’ll be pushed by Dimitri Nance and Frey for a potential fourth tailback spot. If Frey can prove himself as a return man, and also a capable gunner on special teams like Smith then he has as good a chance as anyone to make the roster. Another key part to the equation will be how well he can pick up the passing game. When Nance and Smith competed directly for the reserve role back in 2010, a big part of the reason why Smith made it and Nance did not was because Smith was the more polished player in pass protection. Frey did not have a ton of experience working in the passing game at either UConn or Kutztown, but if he can show he’s a quick study the team could give him the opportunity.

But the primary value Frey can bring to the table is kickoff return specialist. And while the rule changes to kickoffs have limited the ability of kickoff returners, it is not a throwaway position. The majority of kicks go into the endzone forcing teams to settle for touchbacks. But a good returner can add value if he can take kicks that would normally be called for touchbacks and get them beyond the 20-yard line to set up his team for success. If a team can trust it’s returner to be able to take kicks five or six yards deep and then turn that into a twenty-five or thirty yard gain, it is immensely valuable to an offense to give it the best possible field position. If Frey can showcase this kind of ability, and his extensive experience should help him, then he has as good if not a better shot than anyone of landing the role and finding a place on the roster.

It’s hard to predict the final 53, certainly at this point because injuries are always a factor. Guys get hurt in camp, and thus open up opportunities for others. The team also does a nice job scouring the waiver wire at the end of August for other teams’ cuts to add to the roster. And what areas they target depends heavily on which units did not bring the sort of competition envisioned. For example, if Ovie Mughelli is limited early in camp due to his recovering from his knee injury, it could open the door for either Mike Cox or Bradie Ewing to win the starting job. And if that is the case, it’s highly unlikely the team will keep Mughelli as a resreve. And if Ewing is the one that emerges as the starter, then it might prompt the team to keep one fullback on the roster, have Snelling serve as his primary backup, and thus keep a fourth tailback like Frey, Nance, or Smith.

First let’s go through the players that are locked in, meaning they are near certainties to make the roster unless injuries occur:

Quarterback (2): Matt Ryan, Chris Redman
Running Back (4): Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jason Snelling, Bradie Ewing
Wide Receiver (3): Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas
Tight End (2): Tony Gonzalez, Michael Palmer
Offensive Line (5): Justin Blalock, Tyson Clabo, Todd McClure, Peter Konz, Lamar Holmes
Defensive End (3): Ray Edwards, John Abraham, Kroy Biermann
Defensive Tackle (2): Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters
Linebacker (4): Stephen Nicholas, Lofa Tatupu, Sean Weatherspoon, Akeem Dent
Cornerback (4): Brent Grimes, Dunta Robinson, Asante Samuel, Dominique Franks
Safety (2): William Moore, Thomas DeCoud
Specialist (2): Matt Bryant, Matt Bosher

That’s a grand total of 33 players that are locks to make the roster. That leaves 20 roster spots open. It’s likely that the following players will have the best chances to fill those:

Running Back (1): Ovie Mughelli
Wide Receiver (1): Kerry Meier
Offensive Line (2): Joe Hawley, Andrew Jackson
Defensive End (2): Lawrence Sidbury, Jonathan Massaquoi
Defensive Tackle (1): Vance Walker
Linebacker (1): Spencer Adkins
Cornerback (1): Darrin Walls
Safety (2): Shann Schillinger, Charles Mitchell

That’s 11 players that are strong probabilities that they will find their way on the final roster, leaving a total of 9 spots remaining.

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Jonathan Massaquoi

I wanted to get this up sooner, but I finally gone back and looked at tape of the Falcons newest fifth round pick on the defensive side of the ball. Massaquoi was a player that first came to my attention in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl, where he utterly dominated Ohio’s offensive line to have 8 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in that game. From that game he looked like he had the potential to be a stud pass rusher at the next level.

But after watching four games of his from this past year, I’m not nearly as impressed with him. Here are some of the things I saw on tape:

Pros: Has nice straight-line burst off the edge. He plays with a high motor and continues until the whistle. Does a good job timing snaps and getting a good jump to get the offensive tackle off-balanced. Will use his hands at times to keep blockers off him and get extension. Flashes ability as a bull rusher, able to get his hands inside and jolt the tackle off the snap. Can make the quick inside counter move to collapse the pocket from the edge. Has experience dropping into coverage on zone blitzes, and does a nice job with his backpedal and footwork.

Cons: Doesn’t have the first step or burst off the edge to really wow you. His first step is really only effective against the lesser tackles he faces. If he cannot win with his first step, he struggles to disengage and win battles. Gets pushed around too easily and knocked off his rush when tackles get their hands on him. Struggles to get leverage at the point of attack and tends to get swarmed under when you run directly at him. He doesn’t show great recognition to maintain the edge. Not a very good open field tackler because he doesn’t do a great job breaking down and ducks his head. Doesn’t change direction well when you get him in space, and can get caught out of position against the run there. Doesn’t show great hips when he drops in coverage, and is very straight-line.

I think part of hte reason why Massaquoi shined in 2010 vs. Ohio was because he was much lighter than he was in 2011. He was listed at 252 back in 2010, but appeared to play much closer to 260-265 range as a junior in 2011. That additional weight seemed to make him lose a step. While he does have decent burst, it didn’t look good enough where he was going to really beat starting-calber NFL tackles with it. The hope for the Falcons is that the burst can return once he gets a bit more used to playing at the additional weight.

Another reason is that Troy’s defense doesn’t really take full advantage of Massaquoi’s skillset. He plays left defensive end in their defense, and too often I saw him lined up in a 5-technique or over the tackle. Forcing him to use his hands rather than his speed. His hands are by far his weakest aspect. But he still managed to be productive in the four games I saw when he was able to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. But a lot of his pressures came from him being able to time snaps very well rather than him being able to simply win with his burst alone.

Overall, Massaquoi reminds me a lot of Lawrence Sidbury. Sidbury playing at Richmond also didn’t have a high degree of competition on a weekly basis. Sidbury too could prey on the weakest offensive tackles he faced. Massaquoi and Sidbury’s burst are similar, and like Sidbury I think Massaquoi can be a very good situational/rotational player. But he’ll likley be very limited in a starter’s role because of his lack of size and the fact that he doesn’t have the burst to really be a force off the edge.

And thusly, like Sidbury, I don’t see Massaquoi doing a whole lot his rookie season. And may not be a guy that will contribute until his third year. Unless he can add strength and learn how to use his hands better, it’s hard to see Massaquoi doing much more. One thing I did like about him that could be developed is his bull rush. He could at times get his hands inside and jolt tackles off the ball. He still hasn’t quite mastered the ability to lock on and drive the blocker into the backfield, but that can come in time.

Overall, I believe Massaquoi is a nice depth option for the Falcons that can be developed to help out the rotation in time. His potential to play in coverage might be a little better than the Falcons current group of edge rushers, but it’s probably not a skillset that will be developed to any high degree.

Lamar Holmes

When the Falcons drafted Southern Miss offensvie tackle Lamar Holmes, I’m sure I was among many Falcon fans that were perplexed. Holmes had been designated by many draft sites as a late round project, and here the Falcons a team that desperately needed a left tackle had just taken him in the third round. It suggested they thought much more highly of Holmes than many of the so-called experts.

I’ve learned over the years, that when it comes to rookies and draft prospects, you shouldn’t have any strong opinions about them until you’ve seen them play. Guys that are initially judged as reaches can often become studs. And others that are deemed sure-fire studs and can potentially become busts.

I went back and watched three games of Southern Miss on ESPN3.com to form my own impression of Holmes. I saw him from this past year against Virginia, Houston, and Nevada.

Pros: The first thing you notice about Holmes is his size. He has very good size for an NFL tackle with the long arms and bulky frame you want. He is a fairly good athlete that is able to move his feet and slide in pass protection. His technique and footwork are pretty solid. His long arms allow him to get extension in pass protection, as he’s able to initiate contact with pass rushers on the edge. He bends his knees well and can get leverage at the point of attack as a run blocker. He can drive his feet when he does lock on as a run blocker to get some push. He is able to block on the move and does a nice job getting downfield to hit assignments on the second level. He also flashed nice potential as a cut blocker.

Cons: Holmes lacks great feet. He can struggle at times with speed, mainly because while he does a good job initiating contact on the edge, the contact is lackluster. He tends to push rather than punch pass rushers, which allows them to continue to work their way around the edge. He doesn’t do a great job locking on which prevents him from maintaining his blocks. And he doesn’t possess the short-area power as a run blocker that even when he gets leverage he is able to consistently push defenders off the ball. Doesn’t do a great job finishing his blocks either because of his inability to lock on. Doesn’t dominate smaller defenders in a short-area the way a guy with his size should.

Holmes is expected to compete right away for the left tackle position for the Falcons. But in watching Holmes in these three games I do not think he’s quite ready to be an NFL starter. While he is technically sound in the sense that you can tell he’s been well-coached, he hasn’t quite polished that technique to make him effective against speed. He needs to refine his technique, and getting at least a year in the weight room and on the bench should help him go a long ways towards doing that.

But even if Holmes does get a year to learn and improve, I’m still not convinced he’s ideally suited to play left tackle in the NFL. At least not a high level. He looks more like a player that is better suited to playing right tackle in the league because of his struggles against speed.

Whoever plays left tackle for the Falcons this year is not going to have an easy task over the first half of the season. Likely matchups include going against Tamba Hali (12 sacks in 2011), Elvis Dumervil (9.5 sacks), Shaun Philips (3.5 sacks), Charles Johnson (9 sacks), Brian Orakpo (9 sacks), Matt Shaughnessy (7 sacks in 2010), Trent Cole (11 sacks), and DeMarcus Ware (19.5 sacks) over the first 8 games.

That’s not going to be an ideal situation for a player like Holmes. I believe Holmes can be a good player for the Falcons, but probably not in 2012. In time, he can potentially become a Donald Penn-caliber of left tackle. He won’t set the world on fire, but is more than capable of doing more good than bad if he can be developed. That should begin with patience from the Falcons.

The Falcons exited their fourth consecutive draft without using a single pick on a tight end. They are among three NFL teams which have not selected a tight end since the 2008 draft. Those other teams include the New York Jets, who used a first round pick on Dustin Keller that year, the Carolina Panthers who added Gary Barnidge in the fifth round. That year, the Falcons selected Keith Zinger in the seventh round. Only three other teams have used less than two picks on tight ends in the past four drafts (New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Buffalo).

The Falcons squandered an opportunity because of the extreme likelihood that 2012 will mark Tony Gonzalez’s last season in the NFL. The Falcons could have taken advantage of Gonzalez’s veteran presence to help develop a young tight end. But alas, the Falcons will likely enter the 2013 will little at the position. They do still have Michael Palmer, who has served as a competent backup. But Palmer is limited as a receiver, as very few of his 15 career receptions have come when he had to beat and separate from man coverage. Until Palmer develops that ability, his prospects as a starting tight end don’t exceed that of Justin Peelle when he served in that role in 2008.

The Falcons added Adam Nissley as an undrafted free agent to join ones from last summer in Ryan Winterswyk and Tommy Gallarda. But all three are primarily blocking tight ends, leaving the Falcons devoid of any pass-catching presence to succeed Gonzalez next year. Next year’s free agent class is slated to feature Jared Cook (Tennessee), Fred Davis (Washington), Keller (Jets), and Heath Miller (Steelers). And Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert, Iowa’s C.J. Fiedorowicz, and Stanford’s Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo (all rising juniors), along with senior Joseph Fauria (UCLA) are likely to be considered top prospects in the 2013 Draft at the position. All that means that the Falcons could very well wind up with a good starting tight end to replace Gonzalez next year, but still the team missed an opportunity to have Gonzo’s vast knowledge, experience, and work ethic rub off on some promising youngster this year.

Ovie Mughelli

The Falcons used a fifth round pick on Saturday to take Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing. And it caused a lot of speculation that Ovie Mughelli’s tenure as an Atlanta Falcon will come to an end. And while that is certainly a possibility, given Ovie’s age (32), the fact that he’s coming off a knee injury, and cutting him can clear about $3 million off the Falcons 2012 salary cap. But if the Falcons are looking to make the best football decision, then keeping Mughelli is a must.

I’ve been vocal in the past about Michael Turner’s potential to have a detrimental effect on the Falcons offense. A big part of that is that Turner and Mughelli are tied at the hip. When Turner has big games, it almost always coincides with Ovie having big games as a blocker. The pair have worked together for four years, and much like the relationship between a quarterback and a wide out goes the relationship between a tailback and his lead blocker.

The Falcons are intent on keeping Turner, and having Mughelli block for him is the best strategy to getting the most out of Turner in 2012. While Ewing is a solid lead blocker, as a rookie he’s not likely to add significantly more value as a starter than Mike Cox would. Ewing just is not a physical, smashmouth pile-clearing lead blocker that Ovie is. And that style of football has made Turner one of the more productive runners over the past four seasons, and earned Ovie a reputation for being the league’s top blocking fullback alongside Vonta Leach.

Ovie’s knee injury is a concern, but unlikely to have lingering effects. All reports indicate that Ovie suffered an MCL tear which is not nearly as grievous as an ACL tear. In fact, most often MCL tears do not require surgery to properly heal, although Ovie did undergo season-ending surgery last season.

And while Ovie’s age might seem to indicate he is nearing the end, giving the longevity that other Pro Bowl fullbacks like Mack Strong (last season was at age 36), William Henderson (35), Lorenzo Neal (38), and Tony Richardson (39) in the past decade, there’s no reason to expect that Ovie has several years left in the tank.

As for the money issue, given that Ovie is entering the final year of his contract, the Falcon could easily lower his cap hit by adding another year to the deal. Ovie has a 2012 cap hit of $3.733 million, with $3 million of that being base salary. As a 10th year veteran, the minimum salary is $925,000. If the Falcons were to lower his 2012 base salary to $925,000, and add another year in 2013 for the same price, and then convert the difference ($3 million – $925,000 = $2.075 million) into a signing bonus, they could almost nearly cut Ovie’s 2012 cap hit in half. The savings of nearly $1.8 million would allow a much more palatable contract for the Falcons to handle this season.

Two of the more memorable moments of the Falcons 2011 season were their futile attempts in short-yardage during their Week 10 overtime loss against the New Orleans Saints and against the New York Giants in the opening round of the playoffs. Well it appears the Falcons have taken steps in the 2012 draft to correct those issues, by using their two picks on the second day of the draft on a pair of beefy offensive linemen. Wisconsin center Peter Konz was the Falcons second round pick (55th overall) and Southern Miss tackle Lamar Holmes was taken in the third (91st overall).

For more than a decade, center Todd McClure has been a fixture as the anchor of the Falcons offensive line. McClure, undersized by NFL standards at 6’1? 296 pounds, could potentially give way to the 6’5? 314-pound Konz in the future. Holmes standing at 6’5? 323, also is considerably larger than either of the men he could potentially replace in the future at left tackle: Sam Baker (6’5? 301) and Will Svitek (6’6? 308). Earlier this off-season, the team also signed free agent guard Vince Manuwai, who sports a 6’2″ 333-pound frame, the bulkiest on the team.

Konz is expected to immediately compete with Manuwai for the vacant right guard spot. Both McClure and Manuwai’s contract expire after the season, and it’s possible Konz could kick inside to center. Or he could potentially remain at right guard if Joe Hawley continues to improve. Holmes should be in the potential three-way competition at left tackle, but likely will be expected to fill in as the team’s swing tackle. With Tyson Clabo entrenched on the right side, that could mean that Baker and Svitek could be competing for a single roster spot this summer.

If the Falcons don’t manage to get push this upcoming season, it won’t be because they lack the beef to do so. It appears that the Falcons are planning on recommitting themselves to running the football this year, and in the future. But the added bodies via the draft, certainly will shake up competition and presumably at this point in time only McClure, Justin Blalock, and Clabo are assured roster spots among the incumbents. The rest of the lineup could be in a state of flux.

On Saturday night, Curtis Lofton agreed to a five-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. The following day Lofton had some interesting quotes in an article written by Mike Triplett of The Times-Picayune. Those quotes probably riled up many a Falcon fan that read them. But I have taken a different viewpoint. I don’t read Lofton’s statement(s) as ones meant to slight the Falcons or their fan base.

Here are the key excerpts of what Lofton said to Triplette:

Lofton, who turns 26 this summer, admitted that he didn’t expect to even become a free agent. After being a full-time starter and leader for the Atlanta Falcons over the past four years, he thought the Falcons would try to re-sign him and continue to build their defense around him.

“I was told they wanted me to start my career as a Falcon and end as a Falcon,” Lofton said.

Once he hit the open market, Lofton wound up taking only one free agent visit and he knew that New Orleans was the place for him. He admitted that the market was surprisingly slow-moving for middle linebackers, but he also was being patient, turning down some overtures from several teams.

“I wanted to go to a team that, No. 1, had a chance to win a Super Bowl, had true fans, a great defensive coordinator. Then once the Saints called, I was like, ‘Wow,’” Lofton said. “When I took my visit there, I loved it. I knew I was going there. I didn’t need to visit anywhere else. I told my agent that.”

Lofton said he is a “loyal guy,” so he wanted to give the Falcons a chance to keep him. But he liked what the Saints were offering better, so he wound up switching sides in the NFC’s South’s most heated rivalry.
Although that was a tough decision to make — and he has been hearing plenty of criticism from Falcons fan — Lofton said it was for the best.

One thing I know from playing against this team and from talking to them, they’re rallying together. It’s us vs. them. And this team is a winner. And from just talking to Vilma and everyone, I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Without context, these quotes seem to slight the Falcons and their fanbase. That the Falcons lack “true fans.” I don’t think that is what Lofton said one bit. Let’s look at the facts:

Curtis Lofton

• Lofton first visited the Saints on March 18
• Lofton signed with the Saints on March 24
• Lofton only visited one team, the Saints

By examining the facts, they clearly show that Lofton wanted to remain a Falcon. Overwhelmingly so, he gave the Falcons essentially six days between when he visited the Saints and signed with them to get back into the derby. Now you could certainly argue that Lofton was disappointed that the Falcons didn’t make a better offer to him and he felt slighted, and thus lashed out. But you could also read that Lofton was just looking for the same qualities he saw in Atlanta in another team, and the Saints were the only team that fit that description.

His criteria of finding a team that had true fans, capable of winning a Super Bowl, and a great defensive coordinator also can be used to describe the Falcons. Why else did it take him six days to sign in New Orleans? It doesn’t normally take six days to negotiate a contract. A day or two, or in the rare cases when you’re dealing with huge Mario Williams money, it could take three days.

I think most of that six-day period was used with Lofton and his representatives playing chicken with the Falcons. And I think the Falcons called his bluff.

I don’t blame the Falcons one bit for making that decision. I think it’s one of their bolder decisions, and unlike the Julio Jones trade, I think it makes a lot more football sense. Curtis Lofton is a good, young middle linebacker that is coming off arguably his best season as a pro. But Lofton also is not a player that has shown a ton of improvement over his career as a Falcon, particularly the last three years. He is better than he was in 2009, but not by a huge degree. And in reality, it’s unlikely he’ll become a significantly better player over the next three years.

Lofton has his strengths and has his weaknesses, and they will likely remain so for the rest of his career. He is a good run defender. He is a mediocre at best pass defender. He has improved in the latter phase, but he’ll never reach a point where it’s a strength of his game. He lacks the speed, quickness, and agility to match up in man coverage, and he is still prone to being caught out of position when working in zone as well.

Lofton is often applauded for his leadership. And while he is a very good leader in terms of leading by example, he’s a very, quiet ho-hum guy. The guy that is more willing and able to take the bull by the horns for that unit was Mike Peterson. I do think if Peterson was not re-signed, Lofton could assume some of that mantle going forward. But I do think he and Sean Weatherspoon would have functioned primarily as co-leaders of that unit. Tatupu has many of the same leadership traits that Lofton exhibits, and I don’t think the Falcons are going to take any step back in that department.

Because of Lofton’s issues in coverage, I don’t think the Falcons needed to bend over backwards to keep him. That coupled with his departure won’t cripple the locker room due to Tatupu’s presence, it was a bold move for the Falcons, but a smart one. They didn’t need to spend market value for a player that is not really going to improve over the next four to five years. In fact, he is a player that could have just peaked in 2011. The league is a passing league, and the Falcons need more linebackers like Sean Weatherspoon that are true everydown playmakers, rather than players like Lofton who are not.

I applaud the Falcons decision to pass on Lofton. And I also hold no ill will towards Lofton for signing with the Saints. If I had been in his shoes, I probably would have signed with the Saints as well.

The Falcons are a needs-based drafting team. They tend to focus their draft on adding guys that can immediately make the roster. After all, if a player cannot make the roster then he isn’t going to add very much value to your roster.

That’s why in re-examining the team needs from previously, I have paid more attention to the Falcons current depth chart to see what holes/weaknesses remain on the roster. I believe for the most part, the Falcons have the vast majority of the 53 prospective players that will be on this year’s team currently on the roster. But a few holes remain…

Free Agency Needs

These are needs that likely will have the team opting for veterans to fill.

Left Tackle: It seems very likely that at the least the Falcons want to bring in some competition at this position. While the team could probably live with Will Svitek and Sam Baker competing for this spot, it does not seem likely they want to. This was a position that was a weakness all year last year, and to expect that not to change in 2012 is foolhardy without any changes to the roster.

Center: Right now besides Joe Hawley there is no other center on the roster. The team could tinker with the idea of moving Andrew Jackson to that position. New position coach Pat Hill’s praise of Jackson’s leadership and intelligence was one of the reasons which drew the Falcons brass to him as a seventh round draft pick a year ago. But the team might also look to add a veteran later in the off-season to provide depth. A player like Brett Romberg is likely to remain available, but he’s always been a Paul Boudreau guy, and it’s possible Hill will prefer another option.

Draft Needs

These are needs which the team will focus on adding young talent to fill via the draft. The Falcons are slated to only have five draft picks this April, which gives them more limited options of players they could target.

Tight End: Last year’s third tight end Reggie Kelly is a free agent, that almost no one has talked about re-signing. The Falcons extended Tony Gonzalez’s deal by one year, but he has made no secret that 2012 will be his last. Michael Palmer is a capable reserve, but has done little to nothing to show he has a future as a starter in this league. Expect this position to one of the team’s higher priorities come draft day. They will look for a guy that can add some immediate value as depth, but also offer starting potential in 2013 and beyond.

Quarterback: The Falcons re-signed Chris Redman for one more year, and John Parker Wilson is expected back. But the Falcons might be looking at more than just adding a fourth arm in camp, they might be looking for a guy that can immediately push/replace Wilson for the No. 3 spot, and have the upside to replace Redman as the No. 2 guy in 2013 and beyond. If the Falcons do eyeball a passer in the draft, they’ll likely take a flyer on someone in the late rounds.

Defensive Tackle: Peria Jerry has given this team little and Vance Walker is entering the final year of his deal. Coupled with the fact that Jonathan Babineaux is no spring chicken, an infusion of youth and depth at this position definitely will not hurt the Falcons. Someone that can bolster the rotation could be a mid or late-round target.

Outside Linebacker: The Falcons have never been married to Robert James, who currently is their top reserve on the strongside. While it’s likely that if Stephen Nicholas went down with injury, Spencer Adkins would be tapped to play the role, the team is probably looking for another reserve linebacker that can add some depth, be developed for the future, and contribute on special teams.

Draft/Free Agency Needs

These are needs that could be filled via the draft or free agency.

Return Specialist/Wide Receiver: While the team could probably get by with some combination of DOminique Franks and Harry Douglas manning this position as replacements for Eric Weems, it seems unlikely that the Falcons won’t look to bolster competition in camp. It’s likely that the team will look to add another wide receiver to compete with Kerry Meier for the No. 4 position that can offer some value in the return game, ostensibly replacing Weems niche/role on the roster.

Strong Safety: The Falcons need to add a backup safety behind William Moore. Having reliable depth at safety is often critical for success because safeties are generally the least durable position on the defense across the league. Moore missed some time last year, and has been injured in 2 of the last 3 seasons. The team could always settle on re-signing James Sanders later this off-season or a comparable veteran player as well. But they also probably would not shy away from adding a young backup in the draft that can also play on special teams.

Jones stiff arms a defender

The good people at The Falcoholic provide one of the best Falcon blogs out there. Everyday you can read something interesting in order to get your daily Falcons fix. So this is by no means meant to slight that site or the people that write for them.

But recently, one of their writers, one Caleb Rutherford wrote an interesting piece about Julio Jones trade, which has been a topic of division among the Falcon fan base since the day it was done. Some view that the Falcons gave up too much. Others view that the trade was well worth it. And probably even more, no longer care and just have learned to live with it. I fall into the former group.

One of the problems with disliking the trade for Julio Jones is that you are accused of disliking the player that is Julio Jones. And for me, that coudln’t be further from the truth. I like Julio Jones the player. I like him a lot. But at the same time, I’m not going to make him out to be bigger or better than he actually is. I think Julio Jones is going to become a very good NFL player and one of the better receivers in the NFL over the next several years. But even if that occurs, I still do not think the trade was worth what the Falcons gave up.

One of the problems I have with Mr. Rutherford’s article is that some of the arguments he made supporting the trade I think are misleading if not outright false.

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