Grady no more

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.