FalcBlog

Okay, originally I was all about Adrian Peterson. But less so now. The more I'm hearing about LaRon Landry, the more I want him. I'm just intrigued with the comparisons to Brian Dawkins.

If Landry is indeed potentially that good, then I say take him. Peterson is a hugely talented running back, but finding quality at that position is much easier than finding a Dawkins-esque safety.

Not to mention, I believe the safety class is pretty weak once you get past Landry and Reggie Nelson. Michael Griffin doesn't impress me. I think he would be a middle round prospect if not for the fact he went to Texas. Had he gone to Washington State or something, we would be talking about him as a fourth rounder as opposed to a potential first rounder. And Brandon Meriweather is simply a thug. The very fact that Meriweather felt it was necessary for him to legally possess a gun while in college says a lot.

The running back class is a lot deeper, when you consider the Falcons meager needs at that position. We really only need a power runner that can be a complement to Dunn/Norwood's speed. I really like Brian Leonard, but there are others. And of course there is Michael Bush. His medical issues will have to be monitored, but if he's going to be 100% by November, I say take a chance on him.

I'm favoring the draft strategy of trading up to get Landry rather than going after Peterson or Calvin Johnson. I think we may have to leapfrog the Vikings for that to occur. I'm sure they too want Landry. Darren Sharper probably won't be a Viking after this season, so getting his replacement now would be a good move for them.

The Redskins definitely are looking to trade down. But now there's talk with them shipping the No. 6 pick to Chicago. But even if they do, I suspect the only player that high in the draft that would interest the Bears would be Amobi Okoye, and they can move down two spots, pick up an extra 3rd round pick and still get him no problem by trading with us.

Posted by Aaron at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I'm happy with the Schaub trade. I was afraid that the Falcons brass would be too conservative and play it safe by keeping Schaub as injury insurance, as opposed to getting maximum value out of him via trade. I was wrong. And it's hard to remember the last time it felt so good to be wrong.

Why I'm so excited is simply because of the potential of what the two additional draft picks allow for us. We can now package either one of our two second round picks this year, plus the extra one for next year and move up further at the top of the draft. Possibly as high as the second or third pick overall.

Now, I'm sure that the Calvin Johnson speculation will certainly begin. But I don't think the Falcons will go in that direction. They've already invested two first round picks in Roddy White and Michael Jenkins, and spent some dough on Joe Horn. I don't expect Johnson to be added to the mix.

Instead, I'm excited because I believe the Falcons might be making a push for Adrian Peterson, whom I assume will be a Top 5 draft pick this year. On my own personal board, Peterson is No. 1. He's the guy that I believe can help this team the most in 2007 and also over the next five seasons.

I believe the Falcons need a strong running game to complement Vick. Now, I know what you're saying, we've been the No. 1 rushing team for three years running, how can it get any stronger? But we lack a true feature back. Dunn is good, but his play last year indicates he's on the decline. Norwood is talented and has potential, but he's small, and lacks the build to be a 20-25-carry runner. Peterson, I believe is that type of player. Peterson is both powerful and fast (as fast as Norwood) and can be the type of running back that can be the foundation of this offense.

I don't think Michael Vick is capable of being that. He's been doing it all alone for the past five years, and it really hasn't gotten the desired results. We need someone that can take pressure off Vick, and if and when Vick is not performing up to par, can be relied upon to make the offense work.

Peterson, in my eyes, is that player.

But I'm not sure if we're making a play for Peterson. Truthfully, I don't think moving up two spots helps us better secure a player like LaRon Landry or Jamaal Anderson, the two most popular projections in various mock drafts. We would have to probably leap frog Minnesota in order to assure getting either of those players.

And although I'm hopeful that Peterson is the target, I've been wrong before, and thus far several times this off-season. The signing of Ovie Mughelli was a great shock to me, as was the release of Hartwell, along with the trade of Schaub. My ability to predict what McKay & Co. are thinking has been severely hindered. Likely because Petrino's presence adds a new element to things. So while I'm hopeful that they will be pursuing a running back, it could very well mean McKay will be looking to target Johnson, a receiver.

But I will say this, if we do manage to pull Adrian Peterson in this off-season, I'm going to be as ecstatic as I was the day that we traded up to get Vick.

Posted by Aaron at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

The Falcons secondary could undergo some changes. Perhaps Jason Webster is cut at some point this off-season, a possibility. But I think the biggest factor will be based on whether the team thinks Jimmy Williams is ready to be a starter in the NFL at cornerback.

From his play last year, I'm not so sure. Williams showed that he could tackle as well as a starting cornerback, if not better than most. But I saw very little out of his abilities in coverage that fill my insides with warm fuzzies. That could develop this year, but I'd rather take the wait and see approach. If Williams steps up this summer, then Jason Webster will be one of the better nickel backs in the NFL. If Williams does not, then the Falcons may have to think seriously about spending some $$$ or another high draft pick on the position come 2008.

DeAngelo Hall didn't join the elite cornerbacks. He's still one of the better guys in the league, but when the chips were down, he didn't come through. Hall says it was because the coaching staff asked too much of him last year, which took him away from simply being the playmaker that he believes he is. That translates to me as Hall blaming Webster for his woes, since I'm assuming "asking too much of him" equates to "covering the other guy's buttocks." I'll let that excuse slide for now, assuming Hall starts to look like the elite cornerback he says he is or at least wants to be.

Safety proved to be better than it was in 2005, but at some points, not much better. For what the Falcons gained in run support, they lost in coverage. Not an unforseen outcome (at least by me). I knew going into the year that the strengths of Chris Crocker and Lawyer Milloy was not playing coverage, but rather hurting tight ends and receivers going over the middle. One could say the "bend but don't break" philosophy of the former coaching staff didn't help in disproving that idea. Hopefully the new coaches will be a bit more aggressive with their defensive play-calling, which should allow Milloy and Crocker to both do what they are best at: cracking skulls.

As for what needs to happen this off-season, the Falcons need to address depth. Most expect a high pick to be used on a safety in the draft. I don't disagree with that. Milloy is old and probably has another 1 or 2 in him. Crocker is nothing special, and right now looks better coming off the bench than as a starter. Hopefully the Falcons can pick up a young safety that can take Milloy's role as the leader of the secondary. But not only should the Falcons use a high draft pick here, they should also address the poor depth here. Lance Schulters was a band-aid solution late in the year. The Falcons should have done something earlier. Hopefully they don't make the same mistake by going into this year with Omare Lowe being one of their best options there.

The tenures of Kevin Mathis and Allen Rossum as Falcons may be coming to an end soon. But they've managed to stick around a lot longer than I thought originally when they were signed, so it wouldn't surprise to see it happen again. But because of this, the Falcons also need to address depth at cornerback. A young developmental body would be nice via the draft, but the Falcons shouldn't spurn a cheap veteran in free agency as well.

Frankly, as far as depth goes, the Falcons could use all the help they can get in the secondary.

Posted by Aaron at 3:36 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post