Entries Tagged 'Transactions' ↓

By: T. Love

The Atlanta Falcons have cut 11-year veteran and starting defensive tackle Grady Jackson on Tuesday in a move is puzzling at best.

Jackson, who led the NFL in tackles for loss a season ago, currently leads all defensive linemen on the team with 21 tackles which places him seventh overall for the squad. The Falcons currently rank 22nd against the run, giving up 126.4 yards on the ground per contest. Having a behemoth in the middle of the defensive line is a good way to stop the run, but apparently the “Blank Brain Trust” wants to start the rebuilding process now and see what the youngsters on the roster can provide.

Rookie DT Trey Lewis out of Washburn College (Topeka, Kansas), will take over the starting spot. Lewis was drafted in the sixth round and was expected to see minimal playing time this season. However, the rookie has shown flashes of brilliance and at 6-3, 320 pounds, Lewis could provide a “young” plug in the middle of the defense. DC Mike Zimmer and GM Rich McKay will see how the youngster competes, playing a majority of the snaps and evaluate if this guy is a starter or more suited for a backup role.

The move to cut Jackson was a bit surprising and the timing is strange coming during a bye week, but it provides validity to Alge Crumpler’s assessment that Bobby Petrino is in the midst of a youth movement.

Following a 20-13 loss versus the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, tight end Alge Crumpler vented, “It’s weird. This is a young guys’ game we’re playing now. It’s been taken out of our hands. … It’s just been taken out of the veterans’ hands. When we get into situations, we’re not being given opportunities. Crumpler continued, “It just seems like the agenda that we have offensively is preparing the guys that we have in this locker room for the future. I’m not saying the coach isn’t trying to win the game. But there just seems to be too much going on.”

Alge may have been on to something. The young guys might be taking over and this team is going to have Petrino’s stamp on it. Either fall in line and produce or you’ll be gone. Seems like a fair philosophy to me.

I just hope that Petrino’s stamp is worth Mora than the last head coach’s.

By: T. Love

“I think Joey is playing a little conservative and playing not to throw the interception, stated Bobby Petrino. Therefore, it’s causing him to hold the ball. He needs to open up his confidence and play to win the game.”

Well, I guess Bobby P. and Rich McKay do not have too much confidence that Joey is going to do these things and have scooped up former Jacksonville Jaguar Byron Leftwich. As I stated in my earlier post, the Falcons should make a move on Leftwich, but after two weeks it’s apparent that he isn’t even going to save this team.

The offensive line is terrible, the receivers struggle to get open, the running game is non-existent and the defense is average at best. Byron is less mobile and has a slower release then Joey.

I really do appreciate the move by the front office to get a quarterback in here to compete and alleviate all fear that Chris Redman will actually touch the field. Nonetheless, we should really just save the money (because we aren’t getting shit from Vick) and use it towards free agency next season.

Byron has completed 789-of-1,344 passes (58.7 percent) for 9,042 yards, 51 touchdowns and 36 picks. Not too bad, but not much better. I really don’t expect Leftwich to ever wrestle the position away. Just give the team a change of pace to keep Joey from folding like a cheap lawn chair every time he sees a blitz.

The silver lining? Both Byron and Joey have two-year contracts which make both on the roster next season. Let these two tussle in the grass like school girls for the starting job this year and next, while Darren McFadden runs up to speed in 2008. Then a quarterback the next year and the Falcons are back in business.

You heard it hear first!

Welcome to Atlanta, Byron. Don’t let Donovan McRibb discourage you, we love black quarterbacks here.

By: T. Love

Just by the number of comments, I can tell that I was truly missed. Since the mighty Mountaineers of Appalachian State knocked off the Michigan Wolverines, a lot has happened in Flowery Branch as the Falcons prepare for their Week 1 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings.

On Sept. 1, after a promising preseason in which he rushed for 172 yards on 39 carries, seventh-round pick Jason Snelling was cut in order to make room for Artose Pinner who was recently released by the Vikings. Last season, Pinner rushed for 190 yards on 43 carries with three touchdowns. As a traditional running back, Pinners’ 5-10, 232-pound frame is the typical size of a power back in Bobby Petrino’s offense. I thought that Snelling could be that guy, but obviously Petrino and GM Rich McKay saw more in Pinner.

I think it is safe to say that McKay’s seat is getting hotter. I’ll get to him about midseason, but another one of his great picks is looking for a job.

A third-round pick in the 2005 draft, linebacker Jordan Beck was handed his pink slip on the first as well. This guy had some incredible special teams play during the preseason, but never managed to find his way onto the field during the regular season. Not a huge surprise here, especially with the emergence of undrafted free agent Tony Taylor out of Georgia. However, you could assume that a third-round pick would be able to hold on with a team for longer than two seasons. I said he was a reach back when the Falcons took him and looks like I was right.

The Falcons also added help on both lines with the addition of DT Remi Ayodele and offensive lineman D’Anthony Bastiste.

Ayodele was recently released by the Dallas Cowboys, who incorporate a 3-4 defensive scheme. He was originally signed by the Patriots in 2006, who also run a 3-4. Obviously this guy is more suited in the 4-3 scheme and any additional help the Falcons can get on their paper thin offensive line is welcome.

Batiste, 6-4, 318 pounds, was inactive for nine games last season with the Carolina Panthers. He began the 2006 season with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League and also competed with the Bossier City Battlewings of af2 in 2004.

The Falcons also put together their practice squad which consists of quarterback Casey Bramlet, defensive back Brent Grimes, wide receivers Eric Weems and Todd Watkins, offensive lineman Kurt Quarterman, linebacker Travis Williams and tight end George Cooper.

By: T. Love

Yep, I called it. The Atlanta Falcons announced their 53-man roster for the 2007-08 season on Saturday afternoon when the mandatory rosters were due to the league office. The most shocking (not to me) aspect of the depth chart is second-year Adam Jennings as the No. 1 kickoff and punt returner. Former return man Allen Rossum was dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2008 conditional draft pick. Just like I predicted, maybe not this way but Rossum was shipped out of Atlanta.

Jennings has been impressive this season in kickoff returns averaging 33.8 yards per return with a long of 48. This move for Jennings was not only about getting younger, but about salary cap manage. Prior to the 2005, Rossum signed a new deal with the Falcons which rewarded him for his performance against the Rams in the NFC Divisional playoffs the previous season. No. 20 hasn’t really lived up to the contract since then and when that happens, you get replaced.

Former UGA standout Tony Taylor also warrants some attention in depth chart news after working his way to the No. 2 position at middle linebacker after being an undrafted free agent. Taylor has great awareness while in the game and he has playmaking skills. The only knock is his size and obviously this has not been an issue. 2005 third-round pick Jordan Beck makes the roster by the skin of his teeth, but this guy has not lived up to his billing. He’ll see a ton of action on special teams.

As for the fallen 22, quarterback Casey Bramlet, running backs Arlen Harris and Justin Vincent, wide receivers Vincent Marshall, Eric Weems, Otis Amey and Noriaki Kinoshita, tight ends George Cooper and Daniel Fells, offensive linemen Bo Lacy, Kurt Quarterman and Frank Omiyale, defensive ends Nic Clemons and Paul Carrington, defensive tackles Tommy Jackson and Darrell Shropshire, linebackers John Leake and Travis Williams and defensive backs Tony Franklin and Brent Grimes.

By: T. Love

The roster trimming continues as the Atlanta Falcons have released linebacker Orlando Huff and offensive tackle Leander Jordan.

Huff, a seven-year veteran, signed with the Falcons in June after playing the previous two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Huff’s ability to play all three linebacker positions and special teams prowess were his selling points. Well, after about two months with the Falcons he is gone. Another great signing by our terrific GM Rich McKay. I’ll talk about him later.

On a positive note for Mr. McKay, the drafting of South Florida’s Stephen Nicholas in the fourth round made Huff expendable. Nicholas is currently second on the team in tackles with nine behind fellow rookie Daren Stone. Maybe I shouldn’t hate on McKay so much, but this is just the preseason.

Also, the emergence of undrafted free agent Tony Taylor from Georgia could also be a reason for Huff being handed his walking papers. Taylor is currently listed as second behind Keith Brooking at the middle linebacker position.

The knock on Taylor coming out of college was his size. Brooking is getting a bit long in the tooth and I seem to remember the guy he replaced was knocked for being a little small as well. A football player is a football player and Taylor is that guy. It also helps that Atlanta’s linebacker coach is Brian Van Gorder, who coached Taylor for a while in Athens.

Jordan originally signed with the Falcons on May 8 and was brought in to bring more competition to the tackle position. Obviously he did not bring much competition. The starting offensive line is set and Jordan was battling for a backup position.

Good luck to him as well as Huff in the future.

The Falcons have two preseason games remaining and a couple more people will be handed pink slips as the team needs to trim the roster down to 53 men.

By: T. Love

Since signing a contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons in March of 2005 following a career year in which he had a combined 1,707 return yards, including a punt return to put the game out of reach just before halftime of the team’s 47-17 win in the NFC Divisional playoffs against the St. Louis Rams, Allen Rossum has not done shit for this team.

Marred by injuries and terrible decisions on when to return the ball or call a fair catch, Rossum managed 847 return yards in 2005 and 1,370 yards in 2006. The 2005 NFL’s fastest man, Rossum is also a liability in pass coverage and can’t tackle all too well.

In Atlanta’s first preseason game, Rossum had one return for 26 yards while second-year player Adam Jennings averaged 29 yards per return on three attempts with a 40 yard long. Two of Jenning’s returns would have been longer if not for penalties.

Jenning’s proved that he can be a decent return man for the Falcons and he is finding his way onto to field in offensive packages.

On Sunday, the Falcons signed wide receiver Otis Amey who played with the San Francisco 49ers a season ago.

Jennings will probably have an opportunity again this Friday when the Falcons head to Buffalo took take on the Bill to show his stuff. If he can impress the coaching staff again and Amey proves to be a viable return man in his own right, Rossum may be handed a pink slip in the next few days.

Since he is listed a defensive back, Rossum eats up a roster space on D that is not necessary and the extra space could be used on the defensive line or a wide receiver since Petrino likes to incorporate four- and five-wide sets.

The return battle just got more interesting this week and will start shaping up these next two weeks.

Good luck to Rossum, but the odds aren’t looking in his favor at this time.

By: T. Love

In a series of transactions over the weekend, the Atlanta Falcons released sixth-round pick Doug Datish and unrestricted free-agent signing Toniu Fonoti, while signing C Ben Wilkerson and DB Tony Franklin.

Datish, 6-1, 305 pounds, earned All Big Ten first team honors as a senior at Ohio State. His versatility along the offensive line was his most valuable asset, but a broken wrist in training camp led to his dismissal. There is still a possibility that he could be brought back as a practice squad player. Datish is the first of Atlanta’s 2007 draft class to be cut from the squad.

Fonoti, 6-4, 350 pounds, was signed as an UFA on March 14. His career has been marred by injuries. He was unable to stay healthy in Atlanta’s training camp and head coach Bobby Petrino gave him the pink slip. He has played in 40 games in his career, which began in 2002, with 33 starts.

Wilkerson, 6-4, 305 pounds, comes to the Falcons after spending last season with the Cincinnati Bengals. The move provides depth at the center position behind starter Todd McClure. Wilkerson has seen action in three NFL contests.

Franklin, 5-10, 184 pounds, is a rookie free agent out of Virginia and joins former Cavalier Jason Snelling on the Falcons roster. During his four-year career in Charlottesville, he tallied 208 tackles, 12 pass breakups and six interceptions. This move is a bit of a surprise since the Falcons already have quite a few people battling for playing time in the secondary. The only thing I can conclude is either this kid is one hell of a special teams player or someone else is about to get their walking papers.

The Falcons will make their preseason debut on Friday when they head to the Meadowlands to take on their N.Y. Jets. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET

By: T. Love

Former UGA star Fred Gibson was released from the Falcons on Saturday. He is the first to be released in camp and coach Bobby Petrino called it a “football decision”.

Gibson was originally signed by the Falcons in February after spending two years on the Miami Dolphins practice squad.

Petrino praised Gibson during mini-camp workouts and OTAs, but obviously Gibson was performing pretty pitiful for three-straight days.

“A scout came to me and told me that the head coach said I didn’t have it like I did in mini-camps and [offseason training activities],” Gibson said. “I’ve been sick since I got to camp, and I was struggling, but I was fighting through it. I didn’t tell my position coach [Paul Petrino] because he wouldn’t want to hear it.”

That is too bad for Fred because it would have been nice to have a former UGA player shine in a Falcons’ uniform and after being cut from an NFL roster for the third-time, his career may be in jeopardy.

With the release of Gibson, the depth chart currently stands with Joe Horn, Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, Laurent Robinson, Adam Jennings and Jamin Elliot. From training camp reports, Robinson has been the most impressive while White continues to struggle.

Robinson, a third-round selection out of Illinois State, has impressed coaches with his speed and raw skill. But it’s the way he makes catches – arms extended, body stretched and hands plucking the spinning pigskin out of the air – that makes him fun to watch.
–J. Michael Moore, Managing Editor, AtlantaFalcons.com

Robinson is the player I have followed since the draft and I think he will be a big contributor in the offense this season.

As for Fred, good luck to him and hopefully he will find a place where he can perform. If not, he can always work that 9-5 like the rest of us.

By: T. Love

Amidst all the nonsense surrounding the Atlanta Falcons, General manager Rich McKay is still able to “do work” and has signed three of the remaining four draft picks to contracts.

Atlanta’s first-round pick and eighth-overall selection in the 2007 draft, Jammal Anderson, signed a five-year deal. Terms of the contract are not currently available.

Anderson is expected to take over the void left by departed cheerleader and “high motor guy” Patrick Kerney at left end. The first-team All-SEC selection notched 13.5 sacks last season and should fair well in a rotation with third-year player Chauncey Davis. Davis is stout versus the run and has used a lot of the offseason to work on his pass rush skills.

If John “tissue paper” Abraham can stay healthy at right end, then the Falcons would have a pretty strong outside rush that could help the secondary.

The second of Atlanta’s second-round picks, cornerback Chris Houston, agreed to a five-year contract on Wednesday afternoon. Houston will battle with former Houston Texan Lewis Sanders for the starting spot opposite Deangelo Hall. Being in camp from day one will definitely help Houston’s chances to earn that job by opening day.

Dacula native and Auburn grad David Irons signed a four-year deal and will report to camp. Irons will provide depth in the secondary and should fit in nicely in dime packages.

Sixth-round pick Trey Lewis of Washburn also signed a four-year deal.

The first of Atlanta’s second-round picks, left guard Justin Blalock, is the only rookie that remains unsigned and he is probably the most important. The left guard position was a swinging door on the team’s offensive line last season and quarterback Joey Harrington will be much more comfortable knowing the 6-4, 330 pound Blalock is in front of him.

Atlanta opened training camp today.

By: T. Love

Third-round pick Laurent Robinson (pronounced La-RON), fourth-round pick Martrez Millner and sixth-round pick Doug Datish all reached contract agreements with the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday. Each deal is for four seasons, however, financial terms have yet to be disclosed.

Robinson (6-2, 195 pounds), the 75th overall pick in the draft, is currently listed behind fourth-year veteran Michael Jenkins on the team’s depth chart. The Illinois State product could see ample time on the field as head coach Bobby Petrino employs four- and five-wide sets in his offense. Robinson could be a sleeper of the draft as he possesses the physical tools to be an effective wide receiver. He will also have the benefit of excellent coaching in offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and the guidance of 13-year veteran Joe Horn, who was brought in this off-season.

Milner (6-4, 240 pounds) earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2006 while playing tight end for the Georgia Bulldogs. Milner’s stock plummeted in the draft due to inconsistency catching the football. In Petrino’s offense, Milner should be able to contribute early as he is an excellent blocker. For now, Algernon Darius Crumpler can catch the football as he has done so well over his career while Milner develops.

Datish (6-5, 295 pounds) garnered All-Big Ten first-team honors last season playing center for Ohio State. He will be groomed for the eventual replacement for Todd McClure, but his versatility along the offensive line enhances his value.

With the signings of these three rookies, six of Atlanta’s 11 draft picks are now under contract. Linebacker Stephen Nicholas, fullback Jason Snelling and safety Daren Stone were the first to sign.

Falcons’ training camp will open on Thursday, July 26, at the Flowery Branch headquarters.