Atlanta Falcons

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.

The Heading has nothing to do with Sherman’s march to the sea in 1864, the South was tired and he got Lucky. It is not about the 1980 Bulldogs march to the Championship, but is in line with Football. So logically the march I’m talking about in Georgia is not about the Braves 1995 season capturing the World Series title or the grand parade in the 1996 Olympics. I’m talking the month of March, Earth year 2013 as a point to mark the calander for Falcon fans as possibly the pivotal point in time where the Falcons got over the hump Asante Samuel talked about on an ESPN spot. Weird since preseason has three months yet to come. March 2013 had some highlights that the Atlanta Falcons and faithful rejoiced at individually when announced but as a whole have passed with the sands of time and the thrill of building hope in a decent draft. Fans and writers often look at points in the season which turn a teams page in one direction or another but seldom does an off season Month get credit in the books. I’ll save this article until the Super Bowl. March 1, 2013 began with the Brass announcing the release of John Abraham, Michael Turner and Dunta Robinson in an effort to free up money and get a little faster and younger. The release of three Veteran starters, and popular ones at that, would make a month of moves for some teams in itself. A surprise to some, and to some maybe not, but the Month of March started definitely with big news. On March 5th Antone Smith was resigned. Not news at all really, unless Jason Snelling is released in the next two months for cap space to make a splashier move and Antone is asked to cover Jason’s 260 all purpose yards of 2012. The brass must see something other than a very good special teams player. When March 12th came it was a March of happiness to Falcon nation with the announcement of Tony Gonzalez returning another year. There had been many articles of this being a big piece for the Birds as they prepared for the draft and it was received as if we had won a game. The hump Samuel spoke of got smaller that day and Tony’s tutoring of Coffman and Toilolo has future analysis to be determined. The day was also the day we signed Sam Baker for the rest of his career. A team is only as good as an offensive line in protection and opening running lanes. Baker has not always been a fan favorite, is not a pro bowl candidate but is an anchor on our line and one of two veterans left. If he repeats his last season performance the next couple of years the signing is a Super deal and looking back makes a Super day. March 15th and the Month of March is half over but the news of Steven Jackson being brought in to replace Turner sets off more fireworks in Georgia and is considered by nearly every football fan across the country as an upgrade and nice addition to an already powerful offense. March 26 and it is announced that Todd McClure is retiring. It was time, and Todd deserves a place in the ring of Falcon Honor. The offensive line gets younger, hopefully quicker and more athletic. There may be mistakes with youth, but the future is being established to build a cohesive line for years to come. On March 27th, the Falcons landed Osi Umenyiora to hopefully produce to Abrahams level , a new blood add and veteran along a young defensive line. The Falcons need a pass rush, Osi is going to be the stable presence and if the youth around him step up then success of improvement in the defense as a whole will take a huge chunk off the aforementioned ‘hump’. This month of moves had a effect on the nice draft Atlanta had to shore up the secondary, add depth and get younger for the future by narrowing the holes to fill that were needing attention. Football is a war, a sixteen game battle that takes a lot of pieces to succeed. Atlanta is ready to March into war in 2013., because of the pieces we obtained in March. Is it coincidence that the Month known as March is named after the roman god of war ?

Our roster projection series shakes, rattles and rolls its way on to fullback. This is not, admittedly, the most exciting position we'll cover. The Falcons may not really need a full-time fullback on this offense, given that it's mostly pass-first and they have Jason Snelling as a sorta kinda fullback option. Ultimately, though, I have to believe they'll carry a lead blocker, and preferably one who can catch the football. The choices here are fairly limited, as you'll see, but one of these guys is likely to stick on the final roster. The most interesting one is actually a converted defensive player, and that's an experiment I'd really like to see work out. Especially because I love the name Goggins. On The Roster Bradie Ewing, Maybe Starter?Deon Goggins, RookieDeVonte Campbell, RookieMike Cox, Veteran Go ahead and project which one of these guys makes the final roster, or if it's a hybrid player like Jason Snelling or Ronnie Wingo who ends up handling fullback duties. Related Links 2013 RB depth chart QB depth chart

Following up on previous report, the Falcons announced the signing of four draft picks today including the previously reported move to get safety Kemal Ishmael under contract. Also signing were Falcons 2013 fourth round pick defensive end Malliciah Goodman, fifth round defensive end Stansly Maponga, and seventh round safety Zeke Motta. That leaves four remaining unsigned draft picks for the Falcons. All agreed to four-year deals, although exact terms of their contracts were undisclosed. Based on deals signed by players taken in last year’s draft, Goodman’s four-year deal will likely be worth around $2.55 million with a signing bonus under $400,000. Maponga will likely sign a deal worth around $2.35 million with a signing bonus in the area of $190,000. Similar to Ishmael, Motta’s deal should be worth roughly $2.2 million with a signing bonus around $45,000.

Slowly but steadily, the Falcons are taking care of signing this year's incoming draft picks, a process that has been expedited by the rookie pay scale instituted under the new collective bargaining agreement. With safeties Zeke Motta and Kemal Ishmael already under wraps, Atlanta officially signed defensive ends Malliciah Goodman and Stansly Maponga, fourth and fifth-round picks in this year's draft, respectively. Both look to have signed the typically structured four-year rookie deal. Goodman, a product of Clemson and good 'ole Dabo Swinney, is your prototypical strong-side defensive end. He's a powerful run defender who should see most of his action on early downs, perhaps even starting as a rookie. He also offers some limited potential as a pass rusher. Maponga, a solid pass-rusher on what was a talented TCU defense in 2012, projects more as a traditional blindside defensive end. Most of his potential comes from the upside he offers as a speedy edge rusher in passing situations. Now the only unsigned rookies that remain are Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, Levine Toilolo and Sean Renfree. Trufant and Alford are arguably the most important picks left to sign for a Falcons team looking to overhaul its secondary. These last deals may take some time, given Atlanta's salary cap situation. But no need to fret: Trufant and Alford will be taken care of and on the field before we know it.

New Era, the official on-field headwear of the National Football League, is teaming up with the NFL to launch the Back to Football Photo Day contest. So what this means is that Falcons fans will now have the chance to join the ranks of Roddy White to also become THE face of the Falcons. The contest, which is live at www.speakwithyourcap.com or through New Era’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/neweracaps?fref=ts) will require Falcons faithfuls to submit photos of themselves showcasing how you personally “speak with your cap.”  Whether you wear your cap sideways, backwards or flexed at the brim, show how you are bringing your own style to the game. 32 fans (1 per team) will ultimately be chosen and win a complimentary trip to New York City for two. The winners will enjoy a four-day VIP experience and will be professionally styled in their favorite team’s looks for a New Era photo shoot that may be used for a year-long advertisement and promotional campaign.

Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports Everybody knows how close the Atlanta Falcons came to the Super Bowl last season. Some people are even saying that the team came up ’10 yards short.’ The Falcons made a furious comeback in the NFC title game, only to fall just short of making the big game. Head coach Mike Smith is tired of dwelling on that fact, however. “Listen folks, that was 2012. Our only focus right now is on 2013. We’re not 10 yards from the Super Bowl. We’re like every other team in this league fighting to get to the same place. We’re 261 days from going to New York and getting a chance to go play in that. So we’re done talking about that 10 yards. We’re moving on and looking forward, folks. It can’t get here quick enough,” said Smith. This is what you want to hear from the head coach. But in reality, he’s just stating the obvious. You can rationalize the Falcons’ loss in the NFC title game any way you want to, the end result was still a loss. There’s nothing Atlanta can do about that game, and the fact that they did get so close, has absolutely no bearing on this year’s results. I’m sure Smith and the other numerous veterans in Atlanta won’t let this team dwell on the past. Plus, if you want to be very optimistic about it, the Falcons actually made leaps and bound last year. Previous to 2012, they were the team who couldn’t win a playoff game, now they’re just 10 yards from the Super Bowl. Regardless of how you want to look at it, the Falcons are just like all the other teams right now, sitting at 0-0 with an entire season in front of them. Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter

The Falcons may be a little short on cash until June 1, but they're not wasting any time signing their low-round draft picks. Zeke Motta became the second to sign in just two days, after the Falcons inked Kemal Ishmael just a day ago. The Falcons now have both of their drafted rookie safeties on board and can get them going on the important work of, I dunno, learning special teams.Motta has a chance to do more than that, but it likely won't come in year one. Motta has some promise as a sure-tackling safety who might actually be able to convert to linebacker, should the Falcons need him for that. He and Ishmael should, at the very least, be able to flash those tackling skills on special teams in their rookie seasons and provide quality depth at a position in need of it. Your thoughts on the Motta signing?

The Atlanta Falcons hosted their annual State of the Franchise event yesterday evening at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center and invited season ticket holders to attend. From photos with Freddie Falcon immediately upon arrival, to free food, to discounted merchandise, it was clear that the Falcons, as usual, took great care to provide a great experience for fans. Wes Durham, the "Voice of the Falcons" on the radio, served as the master of ceremonies for the event, and Falcons president and C.E.O. Rich McKay, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith all spoke at the event. McKay spoke a great deal about the new stadium, and the thought process behind it--so much so, in fact, that it deserves its own post. Here, I'll recap primarily just what the brain trust said about the direction of the team, their personnel moves this offseason, and their focus on the coming season. Fans had some really excellent questions for McKay, Dimitroff and Smith as well, which I will also cover in a separate post. Rich McKay talked about the previous season, and what a great year it was, and acknowledged that, while the team did get to that next level in 2012, they have a couple more levels to go. He commented on fan energy in the Georgia Dome in 2012 being significantly better, saying that fans are succeeding in making the Dome uncomfortable for opposing fans. He thanked fans for "rising back up," following the loss in in the NFC Championship Game. McKay also brought Dimitroff and Smith on stage for applause after listing their accomplishments over the past five seasons--five consecutive winning seasons, four playoff appearances, three consecutive playoff appearances. Remember, McKay was in Atlanta--and was the GM--during the catastrophe that was 2007, and everything that led to it. McKay said that Dimitroff and Smith took at team that had no credibility and turned them into a team that is second in the league for total number of wins over the past five years (McKay apologized for not being first) and is first in the NFC for total number of wins in that five-year period. Thomas Dimitroff took the stage to a standing ovation. Dimitroff spoke about their focus on retaining their own players, emphasizing that, if they draft well, retaining their players should be a priority. Dimitroff mentioned the four starters who were cut--Dunta Robinson, Michael Turner, John Abraham and Tyson Clabo--and said that the Falcons made those moves partially for salary cap reasons, but also to get better as a football team. On Tony Gonzalez, Dimitroff said that when he initially brokered a deal with Gonzalez in 2009, he was holding his breath that the Falcons would get one season out of him. Looking back, that's hilarious. Needless to say, Dimitroff, like everyone else, is delighted to have Gonzalez back for his fifth season with the Falcons. Dimitroff showed some film of free agent acquisitions Steven Jackson and Osi Umenyiora, to give the fans a glimpse into their thought process for the signings. He also reiterated what we already know--these are guys that fans can be proud of on and off the field. For Steven Jackson, the Falcons like the power he runs with--Dimitroff said he has one of the best, if not the best, motors in football. They also like his versatility as a receiver. On Umenyiora, Dimitroff said, and showed on film, how Osi has good instincts and a nose for the ball. He emphasized that Umenyiora knows what it takes to win championships. The film on Osi had one play that the crowd loved, featuring Umenyiora absolutely destroying Drew Brees, and Dimitroff played that one again, much to the crowd's delight. As far as the draft, Dimitroff said that they knew for certain that they would not be able to get Desmond Trufant--a player they were very focused on--anywhere from the mid-twenties to 30, which is why they partnered with an ally, Les Snead in St. Louis, to move up to get him. Trufant, per Dimitroff, is a good sized corner who

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC reports that the Falcons have agreed to terms with seventh round pick safety Kemal Ishmael. Ishmael becomes the first of the Falcons eight draft picks to agree to terms on a contract. Terms were undisclosed, but Ishmael almost certainly signed a four-year deal worth around $2.1 million. Ishmael was the first of three seventh round picks selected by the Falcons out of Central Florida. The Falcons have yet to officially announce the move.