Brent Grimes

On July 16, the deadline for teams to sign their franchise players to long-term deals comes and goes. Which means that a week remains for the Falcons to lock up Brent Grimes to a long-term deal. If not, then Grimes will play out his one-year franchise tender in the hopes that a long-term deal will come after the 2012 season. A week ago, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports indicated the odds that Grimes receives a long-term deal from the Falcons as “fair.” La Canfora indicated that due to the money already invested in fellow corners Dunta Robinson and Asante Samuel, the Falcons may opt to take a wait and see approach to see how the 2012 season plays out between the three before handing out big dollars to Grimes.

Grimes already signed his tender in April, so there won’t be the threat of any holdout if the July 16 deadline comes and passes without a new deal. But the price tag for the Falcons will likely only increase if a deal isn’t struck sooner rather than later. Grimes will then become a free agent following the 2012 season and if the Falcons choose to tag him again, his tender will increase by 20% from the current $10.262 million to around $12.3 million in 2013. Next year, the Falcons most prominent free agents include Tony Gonzalez, William Moore, Vince Manuwai, and Todd McClure, thus making Grimes again the likeliest candidate for a tag.

Little word has been publicly noted about what type of deal Grimes is looking for. It’s likely a deal that approaches or exceeds $50 million in total value. Already this off-season, three free agents have received deals that exceeded that mark: Lardarius Webb (six years, $52.7 million), Cortland Finnegan (five years, $50 million), and Brandon Carr (five years, $50.1 million). It’s likely that Finnegan’s and Carr’s deals will be used to scaffold any potential deal for Grimes since they include the most guaranteed money ($24 and $25.5 million, respectively) and payouts over the first three years (both receive $33 million).

The Falcons gave out $22.5 million in guaranteed money to Robinson back in 2010 as part of a six-year, $57 million deal. They restructured his deal this past off-season, which makes his entire 2012 base salary of $5 million guaranteed, and $3 million of his $8 million base salary next year guaranteed if he’s on the roster on the fifth day of the league year starting in early March. Essentially it puts the Falcons in a position where they could part ways with Robinson or Grimes after this season depending on who proves to be the more valuable commodity in 2012. Robinson is a year older, but also serves the more valuable role as slot corner. For Samuel, his new three-year, $18.5 million deal only includes about $4.375 million in guaranteed money, but he has escalators in the deal tied to performance. Samuel and Grimes have similar games, both being undersized but highly instinctual ball-hawks. So if the Falcons opt to let Grimes play out his one-year deal and walk next year, they have a replacement already in Samuel. If they opt to part ways with Robinson, then it would require the team to get a new slot corner (although Dominique Franks is a possibility). But either way, the odds don’t appear to be greatly favoring the long-term viability of the triple threat of Grimes, Robinson, and Samuel at cornerback here in Atlanta.

Next year, the competition for new contracts for corners could heat up. Along with Grimes, potentially Tracy Porter (Broncos), Aqib Talib (Buccaneers), Antoine Cason and Quentin Jammer (Chargers), Mike Jenkins (Cowboys), Sean Smith (Dolphins), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Eagles), Chris Houston (Lions), Jabari Greer (Saints), and Jason McCourty (Titans) will hit the open market. Jets corner Darrelle Revis is also looking for a new deal that doesn’t seem likely to come before the 2012 season starts, but could be done afterwards which could raise the price tag of Grimes.

For now, with what is estimated to be under $3 million in 2012 cap space, the Falcons don’t need to get Grimes signed to a long-term deal and lower his 2012 cap hit. But it certainly would help and allow the team to carry over whatever savings they reap this year into next year’s salary cap. So it would certainly benefit to create as much salary cap space as possible this year to benefit them next year.

William Moore

The Falcons secondary has undergone notable changes in the years leading up to 2015.

One of the few names still around is Brent Grimes, who received a long-term extension following another strong 2012 season. In 2015, Grimes at age 32 is not as spry as he once was but has been a consistent force and leader in the Falcons secondary over the years. The Falcons bid farewell to both Dunta Robinson and Asante Samuel but the Falcons have replaced them with players that they are optimistic can have similar value.

Starting opposite Grimes is former New York Jet Kyle Wilson. Instead of re-signing a 34-year old Samuel in 2015, the team opted for the 28-year old Wilson. In the years since 2011, Wilson developed into one of the league’s best slot corners with the Jets, and hoping to get sustained production from that spot the Falcons snatched him up in free agency.

Adding depth behind Grimes and Wilson are Dominique Franks and Jordan Poyer. The same off-season when the team parted ways with Robinson, they gave Franks an extension to serve as the No. 3 corner. In nickel situations, Wilson kicks inside and Franks enters on the outside. But the team is optimistic that their 2013 draftee out of Oregon State, Poyer, will push Franks for that role. The team fell in love with Poyer, a former third round pick, due to his intensity, toughness, playmaking ability, and return skills. Poyer has spent most of his time during his first two years with the Falcons returning punts. But now that he is entering his third season with the team, they are hopeful he can make major strides defensively to push Franks and give the Falcons four quality corners. Also on the roster is Darrin Walls, who has carved out a nice niche as one of the team’s top special teams cover men.

At safety, the unit is still anchored by William Moore on the strongside. Moore got an extension following the 2012 season. And while he is not considered an elite safety, he is valued as one of the top enforcers in the league. His hard-hitting ways have earned him quite the reputation on the back-end of the field.

The team picked up free safety Nickoe Whitley out of Mississippi State in the second round of the 2014 draft. Whitley sat behind Thomas DeCoud for his rookie season, but the team cut DeCoud due to their belief that Whitley is poised for a breakout season in his second year. Whitley’s aggressiveness mirrors that of Moore, but his ball skills and potential as a centerfielder gives him more upside at free safety.

The team still has managed to retain Charles Mitchell as a reserve. Moore’s hard-hitting has cost him a few games over the years due to injuries, and while Mitchell has never developed into that much of a cover guy, he has filled in ably in run support for the short periods that Moore has missed.

Asante Samuel

The Falcons biggest off-season addition is cornerback Asante Samuel. The Falcons got Samuel at a bargain and potential steal if he performs up to his abilities, making him one of the key players for 2012.

Samuel’s impact and ability to perform with this team this year will work in heavy conjunction with previously mentioned Dunta Robinson. Samuel is expected to play on the outside while Robinson moves to the slot in nickel situations. That gives the Falcons a potentially potent trio of corners along with Brent Grimes also working into the unit. If all three players can perform up to their talent level, the Falcons could potentially field the league’s three best corners giving them a clear edge when it comes to lining up against the potent spread passing attacks that are numerous in the league today.

Samuel is considered one of the league’s premier corners. And while the Falcons have gotten excellent production from Brent Grimes the past two years, Samuel’s play has been at a higher level. Samuel is essentially a better version of Grimes. Like Grimes, he doesn’t have great size, and is not the most physical player. He has been criticized in the past for being too reluctant to contribute in run support. But where Samuel more than makes up for it is his ability to make plays on the pass and help tilt the field defensively.

According to Pro Football Focus, over the past two seasons Samuel has only allowed 47.1% completions on passes targeted against him, a mark that is sixth among corners. Grimes is not far behind with a completion rate of 48.6%, a mark ranked eighth in the league. But unlike Grimes, Samuel has been one of the least targeted corners in that span, only ranking behind Nnamdi Asomugha in terms of how many times he is thrown at per snap in coverage. Quarterbacks tend to avoid Samuel because they fear his playmaking ability.

Samuel has twice led the league in interceptions over the past six seasons, and has the most total interceptions in the league in that span, with a total of 39, an average of over six per season. Samuel likes to bait quarterbacks into throwing his way, then break on the ball to either pick it off or break up the pass. As mentioned before, most quarterbacks have learned the lesson and tend to avoid Samuel altogether. That trend is expected to continue in Atlanta, which will open more opportunities for a player like Grimes to get more action on the opposite side of the field. Grimes went from one of the league’s most targeted players in the league in 2010 to one of its least in 2011, mainly because passers feared his playmaking skills (5 picks in 2010) too. With Samuel doing his thing, it should give Grimes more opportunities to make big plays.

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Dunta Robinson

Robinson’s performance in 2012 will be counted on as being one of the Falcons’ keys for success. Like his defensive counterpart Ray Edwards, Robinson’s 2011 season was disappointing. Robinson did have his positive moments, but too often last year they seemed to be weighed down by negative ones.

With the team’s addition of Asante Samuel, expectations are high for the Falcons secondary this year. With that addition and the team placing the franchise tag on Brent Grimes, Robinson is largely a forgotten man in the defensive backfield. Robinson is expected to move inside in nickel situations, a role he played with the Houston Texans prior to coming to Atlanta. New defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will be looking to take advantage of having three skilled starting corners on the field to potentially give the Falcons a stronger pass defense.

But much of that rests on exactly how well Robinson plays on the inside. The Falcons nickel corner spot has been a problem area for the team throughout Mike Smith’s tenure. In 2008, Chevis Jackson played the role fairly well. But in 2009, he took a major step back and the team was forced to sign and plug in Brian Williams. Williams got hurt early on, and Jackson resumed his mediocrity for the remainder of the season. In 2010, the team signed Robinson and hoped that Chris Owens’ move inside would fix the problem. That did not prove to be the case, and the team inserted Williams once again, who was middling. Last summer, Owens and now Dominique Franks vied for the position. But both struggled in camp, and the team then signed Kelvin Hayden. Hayden was an improvement, but still was nothing special in the role. He then went down with injury midway through the season, and the team was forced to turn to Franks, who also looked miscast in the role.

If Robinson can step up and give the team strong production in the slot, then it will be a huge boost to the Falcons defense. Over the years, the Falcons have struggled to cover the middle of the field due to coverage issues at nickel corner, linebacker, and safety. If Robinson can pull his weight, that’s one less issue the Falcons will have to try and solve.

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Ryan and I give our thoughts on the Falcons State of the Franchise address from this past week including debating what may come of the Falcons new stadium, and the buzz it could create among the fanbase and whether or not it matters all that much. We also discuss what changes they can realistically expect with new coordinators, and what level of influence does Mike Smith have on those chances. We discuss Jason Snelling and his potential role with the team as well. Later, we talk about the NBA playoffs, including quite a bit on Ryan’s beloved Indiana Pacers against the Miami Heat. We also talk about wrestling, boxing, and MMA. Ryan professes his love for the women of TNA, while I stick by the old standby in Kim Kardashian. The topic without a doubt turns to stalkers and Vince McMahon’s profound philosophical insights before it’s all said and done.

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Duration: 1 hour, 20 minutes

If you have any questions and comments, you can hit us up on Twitter, post in the forums in the podcast thread, or drop Ryan an e-mail at: ryan-valdez@live.com. Don’t forget to drop by every week to hear our live broadcast at: justin.tv/didziojo

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Recorded on May 7, Ryan and I are back to talk some Falcons including the impact of some of the Falcons newly acquired rookies and free agents, as well as Brent Grimes contract status. But mainly it’s our time to discuss some non-football topics including NBA playoffs, professional wrestling, and Ryan’s thoughts on The Avengers. There are some movie spoilers for the nine of you out there that have yet to see the movie, so if you want to avoid getting spoiled, skip ahead to about the 16-minute mark of the podcast. Hope you enjoy it and we’ll be back with some more Falcon-centric episodes in the near future.

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Duration: 55 minutes

If you have any questions and comments, you can hit us up on Twitter, post in the forums in the podcast thread, or drop Ryan an e-mail at: ryan-valdez@live.com. Don’t forget to drop by every week to hear our live broadcast at: justin.tv/didziojo

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. You can also subscribe directly to our feed at the following URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/falcfans/LXSt

The team announced today that cornerback Brent Grimes signed his one-year franchise tender today. Grimes will now have the $10.281 million salary he is slated to receive this year fully guaranteed as a result.

Grimes is coming off two rock-solid seasons, including a Pro Bowl appearance following 2010. He was plagued by a knee injury late this past season, causing him to miss 4 games. The team placed the franchise tag on Grimes just prior to the start of free agency in March when long-term contract talks broke down.

The news of Grimes signing the tender is interesting given that news broke this morning per FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer that the Falcons had entered trade talks with the Philadelphia Eagles over cornerback Asante Samuel. Samuel, who turned 31 in January, is expected to be dealt prior to this Thursday’s draft according to reports. The Eagles made big acquisitions for cornerbacks last summer in acquiring Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and rumors have been rampant ever since that Samuel was on his way out. Samuel is due $21.5 million over the next two seasons he is under contract, but it is likely a deal for him won’t be struck until he reduces that number. Samuel is still widely considered one of the top corners in the league. He has collected 19 interceptions in the past three seasons, and 39 in the past six seasons, both being the highest in the league in their respective spans. He has a career total of 45 of nine seasons, the last four with the Eagles after five with the New England Patriots where he collected two Super Bowl rings.

How Grimes re-signing impacts any potential trade discussions is unknown. It’s possible their negotiations with the Eagles was meant to be leverage to get Grimes to sign on the dotted line, and now potential trade discussions are dead. Or it’s possible that a Samuel trade is still on the table.

Mario Williams

The more I think about it, the more it’s hard to imagine a good reason why the Falcons shouldn’t pursue Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams on the open market come next week.

Williams is likely to be one of the most coveted free agents in recent memory. Teams are constantly looking for top pass rushers, and few would argue that Williams is not one of the best currently in the league. The Texans did not slap him with a franchise tag, and thus are likely to lose him to the highest bidder.

Given recent deals that Julius Peppers, DeMarcus Ware, and Elvis Dumervil have signed that included $40 million or more in guaranteed money, the market likely will dictate that Williams will make more. Basically, Williams will make as much money as a franchise quarterback, exceeding the guaranteed dollars that Philip Rivers and Eli Manning have received in recent years and potentially approaching the guaranteed dollars of Tom Brady ($49 million).

In fact, if the Falcons attempt to extend the contract of Matt Ryan in the next 18 months, Williams’ contract could potentially rival Ryan’s for who is the highest paid player on the team. And so the question becomes can the Falcons afford two players on the roster that are guaranteed $40-50 million. Especially in an off-season where the Falcons are likely to pay premium dollar deals to cornerback Brent Grimes ($20 million-plus guaranteed), and Curtis Lofton (potentially approaching $20 million).

I think the answer is yes, but the Falcons have to be smart about their spending. Let’s examine the biggest contract for a defensive end signed by Julius Peppers with the Chicago Bears in March 2010. That deal was worth $84 million over six years with $42 million guaranteed. Another $7.5 million could be earned via incentives. Any deal with Williams, is likely to be structured similarly.

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The Falcons announced today that they have decided to place the franchise tag on cornerback Brent Grimes, an impending free agent. The deadline for declaring franchise players is Monday. Grimes franchise tender will cost the team roughly $10.6 million, which if he signs his tender before a long-term deal can be worked out will be fully guaranteed. The Falcons are planning on working out a long-term deal with Grimes.

If Grimes does not have the exclusive version of the franchise tag, he can sign offer sheets with another team. If the Falcons do not match that offer, then they will be compensated with two first round picks. The Falcons last used the franchise tag on punter Michael Koenen in 2009.

Grimes first joined the Falcons in 2006 as an undrafted free agent. He was cut in his first camp but re-signed and spent the following spring playing in NFL Europe. He spent most of the 2007 season on the teams practice squad before making the final roster in 2008. That year, he started 6 games before poor play forced him to be benched. The following year, he started 8 games had 6 interceptions. In 2010, he was promoted full-time to the starting position and recorded 5 tackles, and was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternative. This past year, he only had 1 interception, missing 4 games down the stretch with a knee injury.

Ryan and I get together in this first part of a two-part episode to talk Falcons off-season once more with some updates on free agency, draft, and the Combine. We run down our thoughts on several current Falcons including Sam Baker, Michael Turner, John Abraham, and of course the obligatory Joe Hawley argument. We also share our thoughts on which free agents and draft prospects the Falcons should target in order to improve the team in some key areas. We also give our perspectives on whether the Julio Jones looks better or worse with the value of hindsight.

In part two, we talk about Brent Grimes and Curtis Lofton and their futures in Atlanta as well as comparign Thomas DeCoud and Reggie Nelson. We also talk about a bunch of non-football topics including UFC, dating, technology, social media, and about past and future guests on the show.

Part 1:

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Duration: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Part 2:

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Duration: 1 hour

If you have any questions and comments, you can hit us up on Twitter, post in the forums in the podcast thread, or drop Ryan an e-mail at: ryan-valdez@live.com. Don’t forget to drop by on gamedays to hear our live broadcast at: justin.tv/didziojo

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. You can also subscribe directly to our feed at the following URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/falcfans/LXSt