Atlanta Falcons

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

The Falcons go into this season with perhaps the best starting wide receiver tandem in the NFL. Beyond that, it's a little murky. This season, the team is likely to turn the reins at fourth and fifth receiver over to unproven players. They're likely to roll with the solid if unspectacular Harry Douglas in the slot once more. Once you get past Julio Jones and Roddy White, in other words, we're not looking at one of the team's strengths. Fortunately, White and Jones are insanely good. Here's a look at who is on the roster at the moment. Based on this, project what who will break camp with the team. On The Roster Roddy White, StarterJulio Jones, StarterHarry DouglasDrew DavisKevin ConeRashad Evans (R)Marcus JacksonDarius Johnson (R)Martel Moore (R)Tim Toone James Rodgers That's quite a list to choose from, and you're going to want to factor special teams value in here to some degree. That said, go to it!

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The Falcons hosted their annual State of the Franchise event on Thursday evening, and president and CEO Rich McKay, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith had a number of interesting things to say about personnel and focus moving into the new season and plans for the new stadium, and they also fielded questions from fans. Rich McKay focused primarily on the new stadium in his remarks, as he is heavily involved in the process. McKay stated that the primary reason the Falcons are moving forward on the new stadium at this time is because their lease at the Georgia Dome is set to expire in 2017, and Arthur Blank believes that it's time to create a long-term solution that will benefit the Falcons organization as well as the city and the fans. McKay described the venture as a true public-private partnership, with the Falcons assuming the bulk of the risk. McKay emphasized the team's commitment to positively impact the surrounding community through this venture, and said that it's one of their top priorities as well as one of the biggest challenges they will face. The team has selected 360 Architecture, who designed Met Life Stadium and many others. As far as what to expect in the design of the new stadium, the Falcons are expecting the new stadium to be a standard-bearer and a game changer when it comes to stadiums. McKay said that, although there are some beautiful new stadiums around the league, the game day experience is pretty static. He took a subtle shot at Cowboys Stadium when he alluded to the fact that a "weird thing hung down the middle" of a stadium doesn't really change the game day experience for the fans. The Falcons want to set the bar high in creating a unique experience for fans in the new venue. Currently, the Georgia Dome is home to a number of high-profile regional events in addition to Falcons home games, such as the SEC Championship, but the Falcons want to create a venue that will be the best destination in the United States for high profile events. Not only that, but Arthur Blank envisions the new stadium as an iconic destination--something that people will go and see when they visit Atlanta even if they aren't planning to attend a sporting event there. When the new stadium committee met with 360 Architecture, the firm provided them with cards to flip through with "outside the box" ideas for the new stadium, designed to get them thinking of creative, new ways to enhance the game day experience--for example, "What if food trucks provided all of the concessions?" and "What if the fans controlled the scoreboard?" You've surely also heard about the potential for seats that vibrate after a big play, and the possibility of a 100 yard bar. They are still in the early stages of planning, but it's clear that they're thinking big, and that the new stadium will be truly unique. And they're not just thinking big about the stadium itself. McKay said that hosting a Super Bowl is not the team's goal. They intend to host multiple Super Bowls.

Dale Zanine – USA Today Sports Images The Atlanta Falcons had one of their best seasons in recent history, finishing the NFL regular season with a record of 13-3 and making it to the NFC Championship game. They even had a handy lead in that NFC Championship, but eventually fell victim to a fierce comeback by the San Francisco 49ers. One of the key reasons why the Falcons were much improved was the performance of quarterback Matt Ryan and the reliance of the team’s offensive system on him. Ryan threw 615 passes and completed 68.6 percent of them for 4,719 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions. Reports leading into the season said that head coach Mike Smith had plans to open up the offense and he and Ryan delivered. However, one of the thing that resulted in was them relying much less on the running game, which was also due to the decline of Michael Turner. On the season the Falcons rushed the ball just 378 times, with Turner taking 222 of those carries. He rushed for only 800 yards, though, an average of 3.6 yards per carry. He found the end zone 10 times, but those were largely goal line carries more than anything. Now Turner is gone and the Falcons have brought in Steven Jackson from the St. Louis Rams, which seems like an improvement in the eyes of most people. The Falcons run-blocking was a little below-average last season, but so was the Rams. That didn’t stop Jackson from rushing for 1,042 yards on 257 carries, good for a 4.1 yards per carry average. More importantly, Jackson was able to stay healthy last season. The Falcons offensive line is still somewhat of a worry, especially with the departure of Tyson Clabo and retirement of Todd McClure. However, they have upgraded at the running back position, which should mean a more potent running game and possibly a more balanced offense. Even if the Falcons decrease the focus on their passing game next season, Ryan could have a big year. Defenses were able to somewhat key in on the Falcons passing game, particularly at the end of the year. Turner wasn’t as much of a threat as Ryan was dropping back to throw. If Jackson can be productive this season, that will force defenses to respect the run and drop fewer men into pass coverage. If that ends up being the case, expect Ryan to have an enormous year. Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.