Atlanta Falcons

Josh Freeman looks geared for failure The Tampa Bay Bucs are going to be an interesting team to watch in 2013. Josh Freeman is entering the final year of his contract, and recently it was reported that the Bucs wouldn’t mind seeing rookie Mike Glennon get an opportunity. How Josh Freeman handles this sort of adversity could impact the next five years of that franchise. I think Freeman is a talented quarterback, but I’ve never thought he had the intangibles to be a top-level starter. I liked Mike Glennon a lot, as he was the highest-rated quarterback in this draft class for me. But I don’t think Glennon will really work as a rookie starter. The main issues I had with Glennon was that he wasn’t particularly mobile, nor does he have the intangibles that I think he could flourish as a rookie starter. In Dan Pompei’s piece linked to above, they make the comparison to Joe Flacco. I do think that fits somewhat. You may or may not be surprised to discover that I don’t think Flacco possesses ideal intangibles. Flacco is a player that I think has benefited greatly from being on the right team. In Baltimore, he became a rookie starter because of injuries to Troy Smith and Kyle Boller. He made the most of that opportunity. But I think it helped greatly how much of the Ravens were a run-first, defensive-minded team that already had a leader in Ray Lewis. Flacco essentially never really had to assert himself as the guy up to this point. Moving forward with Lewis and others gone, and fresh off a Super Bowl he will now. I think that’s why I’ll likely always consider Matt Ryan to be a better overall quarterback than Flacco. I know Flacco has better physical tools, and he’ll make throws look easy that Ryan will never be able to make in a million years. And for that, there are those that will consider him the better player. But I think given what Ryan has had to be in Atlanta from the very beginning, a stabilizing force, that makes him the better overall player. I just believe that if you had put Ryan in Baltimore in 2008, you’d likely to get the same if not better results. If you had put Flacco in Atlanta, I don’t think he would have had the same success. Flacco reached a level the past two years (running no huddle) that Ryan was doing Day One. How does this relate to Tampa Bay? It’ll be interesting to see how things play out this year. If Freeman handles this currently adversity and flourishes, it could make his career. Because if he is dumped by the Bucs next year, I don’t see him landing in as good an environment. If he’s the top free agent next off-season, teams like Oakland and Cleveland will likely be strong suitors, but none of those teams have the supporting cast that Freeman has in Tampa. Glennon won’t get the same circumstances that Flacco got in Baltimore. If Glennon became the Bucs starter, he would have to take the bull by the horns much earlier. And I’m not sure Glennon has that ability. *** There are a lot of good free agents still available. Players that I will be shocked if they don’t find teams by the times camps open. In fact, many of these guys should already have jobs. Will Sack For MoneyAhmad Bradshaw is still unsigned. Bradshaw is coming off an injury, and is not going to be healthy for a few more weeks or months. The Steelers were interested, but their selection of Le’Veon Bell might end their wooing him. But I think besides Pittsburgh, Dallas or St. Louis would be good fits for him. All of those teams still need help at the running back position and Bradshaw could wind up being the lead tailback for each team by the time the season ends. But the best fits for him might be in the city of New York. I don’t know if that bridge is burned, but the Giants haven’t really upgraded their running back position. And if they can get Bradshaw on the cheap, there’s no better place for him to land. But if not t

Thus far, we've projected quarterback, running back, fullback and wide receiver for the Falcons. Those positions were all fairly easy to figure out, with the possible exception of what's going to happen down the depth chart at receiver. Today will not change that. We're talking tight end, a position with a lot of intriguing talent. The Falcons have a Hall of Famer, a gigantic rookie with some interesting talent and a former draft bust who may still be a mighty useful player. That's not even mentioning some of the UDFA types on the roster right now. This is a position of strength, in other words. Time to project it. On The Roster Tony Gonzalez, StarterLevine Toilolo (R)Chase CoffmanTommy GallardaAndrew SzczerbaAdam Nissley Now that you've got the names, tell us who you believe will make the final roster. I really like this Gonzalez guy, myself.

Sorry for the convoluted headline, but something has been crossing my mind recently in regards to the draft and the way we predict sports in general. The NFL Draft, for example, has so much preparation and speculation-- and the players themselves aren't immune to that. Imagine being a player: you're working throughout your college career to be an integral part of a successful team, you're slaving as hard as you can both in the weight room and the video room (or not, whatever) and then you go through the various offseason motions after you declare for the draft. You have every aspect of your personality picked apart by the media, in front of your family and friends, and it inevitably has some effect on you. You develop some expectation of when you'll be drafted, and that expectation is (as we all know) extremely unpredictable. That enormous difference between your expectation of your draft day experience and the reality is what I'm getting at. Ever since Aaron Rodgers' wreaked a vengeful havoc on the league for his fall in the '05 draft, it's become cliche for overlooked picks to subsequently say they're going to do something similar. But, at the time, no one had even the faintest idea that Rodgers would be so damn good. We just thought-- as is often the actual case-- that our predictions of a players' stock didn't remotely match up with what the teams themselves thought. For all intents and purposes, we forgot about Rodgers, but we now retrospectively have forgotten that we ever did. We didn't know about his seething sensitivity; and we had no basis to expect any legitimacy of his now famous vow to make the Niners regret picking Alex Smith. We just didn't know. That's only one very specific type of draft day experience. What about the guys picked much earlier than they thought, and the inevitable complacency? The Ryan Leaf effect? What about the agents who projected their clients' positions horribly, so that their clients either had some level of unexpected satisfaction or some level of added Rodgers-esque vengeful motivation or the million other significant emotions that can come with the unpredictability of draft day? Even with the back stories of these players' lives, and hearing how they did in interviews, and hearing testaments to their character from coaches and teammates and friends, we still never have anything close to a full picture of their experience on that day. How they internalize Draft Day (or weekend), supposedly the most rewarding day of their young lives thus far, can affect their motivation throughout their entire career. And to some guys-- Rodgers, for example-- that motivation can change the entire landscape of the NFL. That's why I always like to see players who cry when they're drafted. And Trufant, if I remember correctly, was bawling his eyes out. Sorry for the convoluted headline, but something has been crossing my mind recently in regards to the draft and the way we predict sports in general. The NFL Draft, for example, has so much preparation and speculation-- and the players themselves aren't immune to that. Imagine being a player: you're working throughout your college career to be an integral part of a successful team, you're slaving as hard as you can both in the weight room and the video room (or not, whatever) and then you go through the various offseason motions after you declare for the draft. You have every aspect of your personality picked apart by the media, in front of your family and friends, and it inevitably has some effect on you. You develop some expectation of when you'll be drafted, and that expectation is (as we all know) extremely unpredictable. That enormous difference between your expectation of your draft day experience and the reality is what I'm getting at. Ever since Aaron Rodgers' wreaked a vengeful havoc on the league for his fall in the '05 draft, it's become cliche for overlooked picks to subsequently say they're going to do something similar. But, a

If Mike Smith's comments at the State of the Franchise event are any indication, there's going to be an epic camp battle among the Falcons' offensive linemen this summer. Epic! Sam Baker and Justin Blalock are the only returning Falcons with a guaranteed spot in the starting lineup. From there, it's not exactly a crap shoot, but as far as Smith is concerned, nobody is guaranteed anything. “There’s going to be an open, big competition with our offensive line,’’ Smith said. “We’ve got some young guys that we’ve drafted and they’re ready to step in and do it. I can’t say to you right now who’s going to line up (where), but it’s going to be very, very competitive.’’ Smith did reveal that the departures of Clabo and McClure mean there likely will be three new starters on the offensive line. Peter Konz, Garrett Reynolds, and Lamar Holmes are undoubtedly the frontrunners. Konz and Reynolds have starting experience; they've also shown an ability to be royally owned by NFL competition. That said, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the progress that both men have made. Out of the three positions up for grabs, I'd argue, and I think most of you would agree that, right tackle is the biggest question mark. Holmes is certainly built to play the position, but that's all we can really say at this point. It certainly seems the coaching staff saw something in him when they cut Tyson Clabo. Or at least I'd hope they did. What are your thoughts? Is this competition going to be as epic as Smith says it will? Or is that just a motivational technique? I'm curious what y'all think. Discuss!

May is the quietest month when it comes to football, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. Discuss Falcons here!

December 23, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Last week, I predicted the stats that Matt Ryan will have after the 2013 season.  As the new Blogging Dirty editor, I thought I would kick off the job by predicting some more stats.  I’ll start with one of the new Falcons: Steven Jackson! First, let’s look at what he did last year and see how his role will change. For this, post I’ll only do a breakdown for rushing stats; tomorrow I’ll talk about passing stats since he’s so versatile. Last year, SJAX ran for 1,042 yards with 257 carries at 4.1 yards per rush.  He had 4 touchdowns and played all 16 games. Those are decent stats, but they don’t look particularly amazing.  But it’s when you look beneath the stats and really watch how he plays to see what makes Jackson so special.  He is a mixture of speed and power.  He’s a well balanced back that plays smart.  Michael Turner was very powerful, but when he got open, it was a matter of time before someone caught him.  Steven Jackson has that rare ability to break through defenses and then out run defenders.  Atlanta will get more yards after a few broken tackles from this guy. One of the things Atlanta has that St. Louis didn’t last year is a stable O-line.  You can’t predict injuries, but the only real question at the position is right tackle. I predict Mike Smith makes his decision sooner rather than later, and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of output from whoever is chosen. Atlanta also has a better quarterback than the Rams.  I’m sure Sam Bradford will develop into a great player one day, but he’s still no Matty Ice.  With a better quarterback comes a stronger pass game that goes to the air more often, not to mention splitting many rushes with Jacquizz Rodgers.  So Steven Jackson may not get as many carries as he had before.  At the same time, while the Rams were behind most of the season, they had to keep passing while Atlanta was usually ahead and (not being very successful) had to run out the clock.  So if Jackson is better than Turner was at running out the clock, then he might get back the lost rushes he would lose due to a pass-first offense.  Not to mention with an upgrade at running back, they will rush more often, so I’ll split the difference and predict about the same amount of carries, maybe a little less.  One thing Atlanta does love to do is run on the one-yard line.  Pounding it in is what gave Michael Turner, who had a disappointing season, still managed 10 touchdowns.  So you can bet on a spike in touchdowns for this guy. So taking into account the new team for this reliable back, these are my predictions: 250 attempts, 1,050 yards at 4.2 yards per carry.  This may look very similar to his last year, but with a new team and a new plan, these stats have a much different impact.  A lot of these rushes would be at the end of a game to run out the clock.  It will lead to many wins, reducing how many times the other team gets a chance to come back.  He hits those holes faster too, so I don’t think he gets stalled on the line of scrimmage as much as Turner did.  I’m predicting 14 touchdowns this season.  I’m willing to bet he proves himself as a great investment for the Falcons offense. How do you think Steven Jackson will do this year?

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Casey Barth was disappointed when he wasn’t selected in the NFL Draft, but the letdown faded when the Atlanta Falcons came calling. Being an undrafted free agent does have its advantages, and the Falcons weren’t the only ones interested in acquiring Barth’s talents. The Indianapolis Colts and the Carolina Panthers were also watching closely. However, the offers from the Colts and Panthers mandated that a deal included only a chance to obtain a spot at training camp. Barth’s selection was easy when the Falcons offered him the chance to come to training camp and compete for Matt Bryant’s kicker position. Barth also thought that the opportunity with the Falcons was his best shot to immediately compete for—and gain—a coveted NFL profession. A bold thought that was, considering Bryant’s capabilities and established record of production. However, it’s easy to understand where Barth was possibly coming from in that thought pattern. Bryant isn’t getting any younger, and the Falcons are fond of their youth revolution. Though Barth’s dream of quickly gaining that desired status was a long shot at best, it was still disappointing when he was waived by the Falcons after one week at the rookies’ mini-camp. A week doesn’t seem like much time to prove anything either way, but decisions have to be made and enacted for the greater good of the team. He can take heart from his own brother Connor Barth’s experiences as well. Connor had short-lived stints with both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins before finding his home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Whether the Falcons should have kept him is a moot point at this point, and Barth will get a chance to prove himself somewhere else. The waiting game isn’t an easy one, but don’t expect this temporary setback to keep him on the bench for long. Leigh Allen is an NFL Atlanta Falcons writer for RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Google+.

Levine Toilolo Let’s look at what I thought was an underrated tight end prospect in this year’s class in Levine Toilolo. Height: 6-8 3/8 Weight: 259 School: Stanford Class: Junior Speed: 4.86 (Combine) Toilolo continues the trend that the Falcons apparently adopted in 2013 by selecting a player with NFL bloodlines. Three of his uncles: Dan Saleaumua (1987-98), Edwin Mulitalo (1999-2008), and Joe Salave’a (1998-2006) all played in NFL. Toilolo comes from an athletic family of Samoan Americans. A top recruit for Stanford, he started as a redshirt freshman back in 2010 in the season opener, but tore his ACL which lost him for the year. He came back the following year mixing in the rotation with Zach Ertz and Coby Fleener. He had a solid year, putting up slightly better production than Ertz. But as junior, Ertz would take off while Toilolo would sort of languish at the status quo. Didn’t have the breakout year expected, and had basically the same production despite the uptick in opportunities with Fleener in the NFL. He is primarily a blocking tight end, but possesses the length and athleticism to create matchup problems and wreak havoc in the secondary. He continues a strong tradition of Stanford tight ends in the NFL, with Ertz being taken in 2013. Fleener was the top TE drafted in 2012. Jim Dray and Evan Moore each were backups this past year, while Alex Smith was a productive starter in Tampa Bay before becoming a backup in Cleveland. His name is pronounced La-Veen Toy-lo-lo. CAREER STATS 2012: 14 GP/14 GS, 24 rec., 393 yds, 16.4 avg, 4 TDs 2011: 13/10-25-343-13.7-6 2010: 1/1-1-27-27.0-0 2009: redshirted 2012 GAMES WATCHED vs. USC (9/15): 7 targets, 3 rec., 47 yds (15.7 avg), 4 YAC (1.3 avg), 0 TD; 1 key block at Washington (9/27): 2 tgts, 1 rec., 18 yds (18.0 avg), 1 YAC, 0 TD; 1 fumble at Notre Dame (10/13): 3 tgts, 0 rec., 0 yds, 0 TD, 1 drop; 1 missed block vs. Wisconsin (1/1): 1 tgt, 0 rec., 0 yds, 0 TD SKILLS These are general skills required for his position and relative to not only top collegiate prospects, but also NFL players. Grades are based on a 10-point rating scale: 1-pathetic, 2-poor, 3-weak, 4-below average, 5-average, 6-above average, 7-good, 8-very good, 9-excellent, 10-elite Speed (6.5) – Is a long strider that has the ability to get vertical and make plays downfield. Isn’t a true burner, but he can get behind a defense and make them pay. Gets a good release off the line and can get up to speed fairly quickly on the vertical routes, but has less burst when asking to try and separate on shorter routes. Hands (5.0) – Has strong hands that consistently catches the ball away from his body. Will high point the ball, but not consistently. Doesn’t always do a good job securing the ball against his body, leading to drops when he’s in traffic. Blocking (6.0) – Knows how to get position when working as an inline blocker. Plays with good knee bend and his been well-schooled on blocking technique playing at Stanford. Shows ability to get initial leverage with good hand placement off the snap and can lock on. But he doesn’t have great pop or burst off the snap to create any real push as a run blocker. Struggles to maintain his blocks when working in space against smaller defensive backs because he plays a bit too high. Too often tries to use his shoulder rather than hands to try and get position at the point of attack as a run blocker. Won’t reliably get push in short-yardage situations. Body Control (7.0) – Shows ability to adjust to throws in the air, able to get position on back-shoulder throws and fades. High points the ball in the air and can use his length to his advantage to extend for plays. Will adjust to low throws. Has that high-cut body type that limits his movement somewhat. Range (7.0) – Has the ability to make plays all over the field, but shows his most potential trying to make plays downfield. His length allows him to

The final phase of the Falcons State of the Franchise event was the opportunity for fans to ask questions of president and CEO Rich McKay, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith. Smitty fielded football-specific questions, Dimitroff took some contract-related questions and McKay was focused primarily on the new stadium. On Football: The very first question was, how did they convince Tony Gonzalez to return for one more year with the Falcons? Mike Smith said that, after Gonzalez announced the 95% certainty that he would retire at the end of the 2012 season, they discussed it, and made an agreement that they wouldn't discuss it again during the season, presumably to avoid any distractions. As was widely reported, Gonzalez had made commitments to his family, which was the major obstacle to reversing his retirement decision. After the season, Smitty and Gonzalez discussed it via phone, and Smitty ended up getting on a plane and flying out to have dinner with Gonzalez to discuss it in person. Meanwhile, Dimitroff was calling Gonzalez, Matt Ryan was calling Gonzalez, Roddy White and Asante Samuel were calling Gonzalez, and Smitty acted absolutely incredulous about that, but Rich McKay made it clear that Smitty had a hand in that, too. Smitty was also asked, have the Falcons done enough this offseason to get to and win a Super Bowl? Smitty believes they have. He was candid about the fact that the number of points Seattle and San Francisco scored on the Falcons in the respective second halves of playoff games was a huge problem, and they are not happy about it. Smith assured fans that the coaching staff has spent every waking moment preparing for the coming season and developing strategies to fix those issues. A fan in the crowd took this opportunity to yell, "Cover the tight end!" Smitty replied, "I hear you!" On the New Stadium: McKay was asked about PSLs, and again confirmed that they will not be at the same price levels that we've seen in Dallas, the Meadowlands, or--he specifically said--the estimates in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They will be more modest. He acknowledged that change is never easy, but the Falcons will do their best to make this transition as comfortable as possible for season ticket holders in all ways, including price. When the schematics for the new stadium are finished, they will have a better idea of pricing. McKay was also asked if fans will have input on the new stadium, and if fans will have the opportunity to offer feedback and suggestions. McKay said that there will be fan forums at four home games during the coming season, where a specific number of season ticket holders will be invited to come and share thoughts and feedback on the new stadium with the architects. A fan asked how soon ticket package information will be available for the new stadium. McKay does not have a specific timetable, but urged fans to remember who Arthur Blank is and what his priorities are. Blank wants this new stadium to benefit fans and the community as much as it benefits the team. McKay's best estimate for ticket pricing and packages availability was approximately 18 months. McKay was asked an excellent question about adequate parking and tailgating space for the new stadium. He said that it's a priority. Where the Georgia Dome currently stands will become, as McKay put it, the greenest surface lot ever. Creating adequate parking space, with a priority on surface lots as opposed to parking decks, will be a focus. The architects have had some creative ideas about parking solutions, and they are all very cognizant of the needs, and they want to create as much space as possible. Contract and General Questions: Of course, Dimitroff was asked about the timetable for Matt Ryan's contract extension. At this point, they still have no timetable, but it will get done, and Ryan will be in Atlanta for a long time. Dimitroff was also asked if the offensive line is good enough, and if run

Malliciah Goodman Here’s my take on defensive end Malliciah Goodman, the first of a pair of fourth round picks by the Falcons in 2013. Height: 6-3 5/8 Weight: 273 School: Clemson Class: Senior Speed: 4.87 (Combine) Goodman was a highly recruited prospect at Clemson, and finished his career strong with a 3-sack effort against LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. In that game, he was working against a true freshman who began the season as a backup and dominated him early before LSU made adjustments. He began his career as the backup to Da’Quan Bowers, recording 3 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. In his first year as a starter, he had 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. As a senior, he was shut out in terms of sacks for the first four games of the season. But finished the year with 7 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in the final 6 games, including the 3-sack, 3-TFL performance in the finale vs. LSU. Goodman transitioned to the Combine where he impressed again with his long arms. They were measured 36 and 3/8 inches, making them the longest of any of the prospects in Indianapolis. Those long arms give him a lot of developmental potential as a defensive end where they can be highly valuable as an edge rusher. He played exclusively at left end at Clemson. CAREER STATS 2012: 13 GP/13 GS, 20 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 7 sacks, 0 INT, 1 PD, 4 FF, 0 FR 2011: 14/14-49-4.0-2.0-0-1-1-0 2010: 13/1-32-3.5-1.0-0-1-3-0 2009: 14/0-26-6.0-2.0-0-0-0-0 2012 GAMES WATCHED vs. Auburn (9/1): 2.5 TFLs, 1 FF at Florida State (9/22): No production vs. South Carolina (11/24): 1 TFL, 2 pressures, 1 QB hit, 1 FF; 1 penalty (offsides) vs. LSU (12/31): 3 sacks, 2 pressures, 1 PD; 1 key blocked SKILLS These are general skills required for his position and relative to not only top collegiate prospects, but also NFL players. Grades are based on a 10-point rating scale: 1-pathetic, 2-poor, 3-weak, 4-below average, 5-average, 6-above average, 7-good, 8-very good, 9-excellent, 10-elite Strength (6.5) – Shows decent strength, flashing some power as a pass rusher and run defender. Able to deliver a power punch to the tight end when trying to get his hands inside and get leverage against the run. Putting up 26 bench reps despite having 36-inch arms indicate that his weight room strength is higher than that number indicates. Quickness (6.0) – Goodman shows his best burst and first step off the ball when he is allowed to pin his ears back and attack upfield. He has enough speed and burst off the edge to set up slower-footed right tackles. He has decent straight-line burst off the edge, but not a guy that is going to consistently close even when unblocked. Pass Rush (5.0) – Goodman showed his ability to use his long arms to get extension as a speed rusher vs. LSU, but had shown little of that prior to. He lacks really any moves besides trying to win solely with that speed rush. Doesn’t do a good job using his hands to get inside for a power move, despite his long arms and strength being an excellent combo to develop it. He’s got the tools to be a very effective pass rusher, but he’s raw and unpolished at this point in his development. Point of Attack (5.0) – Doesn’t make many plays at the point of attack versus the run, as many of his stops come on the backside pursuit. Struggles to anchor at the point of attack and can’t consistently get off blocks. Doesn’t make very many plays when you run at him, and struggles to get leverage against zone blocks. Recognition (5.0) – Doesn’t show great recognition when it comes to sniffing out screens or shovel passes. Motor (6.0) – Plays with a good motor and will play to the whistle. Gives chase downfield when working in pursuit. Won’t quit on his pass rush. VALUE Goodman is a developmental end with tools you like to develop in a capable edge pass rusher, but he’s fairly raw and unpolished. Too raw at this point to really indicate his upside, although