Believe in Dimitroff, believe in this draft

By Mark Bradley | Sunday, April 27, 2008, 09:01 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Flowery Branch — It comes down to this: Do you believe in the guy doing the picking? If you do, you’re willing to extend the benefit of any and all doubt.

I believe in Thomas Dimitroff.

I believe he’s as smart as anyone who has ever worked for the Falcons.

Ergo, I believe in this draft.

I believe in Matt Ryan partly because I’ve seen him play with my own eyes, but mostly because Dimitroff believes in him. I believe in Sam Baker and Curtis Lofton and Harry Douglas and the rest for the same reason. You could call it blind faith. (You could, if you were of a cynical bent, call it rank naivete.) I prefer to think of it as faith born of observation.

Dimitroff has a scout’s eye — he spoke Sunday of Douglas’ “ability to stick his foot in the dirt and separate” and cornerback Chevis Jackson’s “ability to get his hands on balls” — but isn’t some data geek who sees nothing beyond 40 times. He grasps the bigger picture. He has what he described as “a clear vision” of what the Falcons could and should be, and that vision is this:

“A team that’s very focused, very passionate and hard-working. A team that perseveres. A team that believes in itself.”

If that sounds nebulous, consider what Dimitroff did and didn’t do in his first draft: He didn’t bow to public pressure and pick Glenn Dorsey in Round 1, and he didn’t hew to conventional wisdom by loading up on offensive linemen thereafter. (Of the Falcons’ 11 picks, only Sam Baker is an offensive lineman.) He didn’t take guys who might have looked good on paper and who would have fluffed up the Monday morning draft grades.

He took guys for a specific reason: “We would not have selected a player who we didn’t feel was a fit. … There might be a time when it’s right to go against the grain, but at this point we’re not at that spot.”

Dimitroff can justify each of the 11 choices, and his reasoning is varied and fascinating, but in the end it was always the same: We think this guy can help us do what it is we want to do, which is run the ball and stop the run and win on special teams and not beat ourselves. No, that’s not very sexy, but how pretty were the New York Giants in beating New England?

“I don’t want it to be a haphazard approach,” Dimitroff said, speaking of the draft but not just of the draft. “We want to develop a plan and a style of how we want to play.”

Matt Ryan fits that plan, which isn’t to say that Glenn Dorsey wouldn’t have. But Ryan was, Dimitroff said, the Falcons’ pick for these reasons: “A., the value of the position; B., our need, and C., the skills and the requisite traits. That was the tipping point.”

You can quibble with the pick, but you can’t argue against the logic. Quarterback is the most important position, and the Falcons, as we saw last season, need a quarterback in the worst way. Ryan mightn’t be Peyton Manning, but he’s too smart and too driven to be a bust. Indeed, when Mike Smith asked how he’d feel about serving the customary first-year quarterback’s apprenticeship, Ryan told the Falcons’ coach: “I want to be the starter.” And that, Smith said, “is the right answer.”

We won’t know for a while if the Falcons had the answers in the 2008 draft. Time is the ultimate judge. But we can say this much already: Nothing they did over the weekend was done without forethought. Nobody was drafted on a whim. Nobody was drafted who won’t fit what the new architect has in mind, and the new architect is a keeper.

I feel better after a hearing long interview with Dimitroff this morning.
He explained the Falcons draft process and talked about some of the picks.

This guy TD is a good GM. 8DRTV75

Atlanta Falcons: GRADE: B
I thought they would take DT Glenn Dorsey, but the Falcons needed a face for the franchise, and had to take QB Matt Ryan. He should be a great starting point; a new era of Falcons football begins. USC OT Sam Baker wasn't healthy in 2007, he struggled in Senior Bowl practices and he has short arms for a left tackle. I like Baker, but I thought it was a bit of a reach moving up to get him. Linebacker Curtis Lofton is a decent second-round pick, but I really like what Atlanta did in the third round, taking WR Harry Douglas, CB Chevis Jackson and safety Thomas DeCoud. Kroy Biermann is a good pass-rusher. Wilrey Fontenot played opposite Antoine Cason at Arizona, although he'll be more of a dime back. RB Thomas Brown is not real big, and he's going to be battling Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood for playing time in the backfield.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Draft Analysis

Atlanta
First-year GM Tom Dimitroff favorably compared first pick Matt Ryan to New England's Tom Brady when it comes to taking a team on his shoulders and having the character to not make excuses. There is no question that Ryan is smart and has the arm to throw the out pass. Dimitroff downplayed Ryan's 19 interceptions because he viewed them as Ryan attempting to make plays to help Boston College win. This kid should start by midseason, if not sooner. To protect Ryan, the Falcons used several picks to return to the first round for USC tackle Sam Baker, whose play last season wasn't worthy of this round. But Baker is a tough kid who should improve. Louisville WR Harry Douglas may be small in stature, but he is nifty getting in and out of breaks. He should develop into a huge target for Ryan. Oklahoma LB Curtis Lofton has a chance to start on the inside where he should be a run stuffer.
Grade: A

Fox Sports Draft Analysis

We won't know that for at least 2-3 years. He's already made one job costing mistake by passing over Dorsey for the next Joey Harrington in Ryan.

"We won't know that for at least 2-3 years," but you are certain Ryan is a bust?

Funny, that.

I knew Pestinko was a mistake and that drafting Jamaal Anderson was a mistake last year as well. Ryan will not be able to compete in the NFL. Hope I'm wrong but I think this will be three for three.

1) You "knew" Petrino was a mistake, but you "knew" that because he was a "college coach." You kept saying his system wouldn't work in the NFL. It did (the offense, particularly the receivers, actually improved with the sole exception of the QB position and the depleted line). To be fair, you also criticized him as a drifter, which in the end you were dead right about. But let's not pretend you have some kind of oracle that allows you to see into the future.

2) Anderson is NOT a "mistake." At least not yet. It's too early to make that call. That is EXACTLY my point. You're doing the same thing with Matt Ryan. You say "2-3 years" before we'll know if this draft is a good one, but the players YOU don't like are busts now? Come on!

As I already shown how wrong you are in another post, I'll repeat here: Pestinko would change blocking schemes and gameday plays and playbook in walkthroughs before the actual game. Our Oline would not even know what blocking scheme or calls they were using because Pestinko would change them so much. He would call in plays during games the team hadn't even practiced. He was a complete disaster as a NFL coach, just as I predicted, because his college coach routine didn't cut the mustard.

Not to mention his handling of pro players was so laughably bad they had to resort to cutting productive players (hello Grady Jackson) to try and scapegoate them once the players came out in the media about how bad the coaching situation was.

And again, about Anderson: zero sacks in 16 games, zero plays made in 16 games. I rest my case.

I like the pick of Matt Ryan. We need to move on from the whole Mike Vick era and take steps forward to rebuild. I think Dimitroff has taken some big steps in this draft by picking a quarterback and a lot of defensive players.

I think we're going to see a lot more wide receiver play this year, like last year, as we signed another speedy WR.

I was a bit surprised we didn't take Glenn Dorsey at #3 but I guess there's still time to see what free agency has to offer. Hopefully Jamaal Anderson will blossom this year.

Anderson didn't make a play in 16 games?

Come on.....this is thin.....

Er no, someone having less than two tackles a game as a starter on defense is "thin" actually. Pointing out how completely terrible that is would not be "thin".

You didn't say 2 tackles a game was terrible.

You said he made zero plays in 16 games.

You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

Please spare me the pedantics. You said he was not a bust then brought up his truly Reggie White numbers of ZERO sacks and less than two tackles a game. He was a horrible draft decision and his rookie season showed it.

Then why wait 2-3 years for this draft?

Tell us today how each and every one of these picks will work out.

I do not care how each and every pick works out. All I care about are the Falcons and their idiotic drafts no matter who is calling the shots. We flubbed last year and we flubbed this year.

I said 2-3 years because I am willing to give that time for a player to prove me wrong in my assertions. In the specific cases of Anderson and Ryan I do not see that happening. Since you want to be pedantic about everything I suppose I will have to insert qualitative statements to satisfy your disgruntled ego.

Listening to Colin Cowherd,
He is dronning on and on about how Falcons fans should chill out.
Taking Ryan was easily the correct pick, in his opinion.

I don't have a disgruntled ego. Maybe this is a poor forum to discuss things, but I'm guilty only of taking what you say at face value. If you don't mean what you say, then just tell us that -- "I'm being colloquial, of course Anderson made plays, but not as many as I'd like," or whatever.

Instead, you make these outrageous statements to tear down the guy you don't like and if I call you on them, you go after me as if I'M the one being dishonest. If YOU are not being dishonest, that's fine, but it would help if you would make clear where you are discussing facts versus just talking shit.

I have not made one "outrageous" claim about either Ryan or Anderson. Anderon was HORRIBLE last season, I defy anyone to disagree with that and actually prove it. Ryan does NOT have a strong arm. I do not think he can make any deep pass on the NFL level hence he has a "pop gun" arm to me.

*I* have a "pop gun" arm.

Ryan has an average NFL arm. I've seen him throw the ball a LONG way.

Not Favre or Elway long. Not Mike Vick long. But still long.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I've been watching your spirited discussion this morning. You both have some good points. I don't think this draft was that bad, and as has already been explained, they did what they HAD to do to get Ryan, and a decent Olineman. Do I think they should have done more for both sides of the line? Sure. But I also think they made some solid picks in terms of need, and maybe (too soon to tell) scheme. I guess, of anything, I was most disappointed in having to trade away the picks to reach for Baker, not taking Velasco, and drafting another TE (but I need to check the roster to see what else we had besides Hartsock & Milner. I think there's another rookie somewhere, not Blakely, but someone else)

Here are our picks form 2007. How can anyone say that they flubbed 2007?

1 8 Jamaal Anderson DE 6-5 288 Arkansas from Houston
2a 39 Justin Blalock T/G 6-3 320 Texas from Houston
2b 41 Chris Houston CB 5-9 185 Arkansas from Minnesota
3 75 Laurent Robinson WR 6-2 199 Illinois State

4a 109 Stephen Nicholas LB 6-1 232 South Florida

4b 133 Martrez Milner TE 6-3 252 Georgia Compensatory Selection
6a 185 Trey Lewis DT 6-3 318 Washburn

6b 194 David Irons CB 5-10 190 Auburn from Jacksonville
6c 198 Doug Datish C 6-4 302 Ohio State from Jax, thru Denver
6d 203 Daren Stone S 6-3 218 Maine from Jax, thru Baltimore
7 244 Jason Snelling RB 5-11 230 Virginia Compensatory Selection


I see these guys as solid picks: Blalock, Houston, Robinson, Nicholas, Lewis and I'll throw Milner in there becuse I liked what I saw from him before he got hurt.

I see these guys as questionable: Anderson and Snelling. We got to see them play some, but neither particularly lit it up or had (M)any game changing plays.

I see these guys as variables. We just don't know yet, because we've only seen very limited play from them: Irons, Datish, and Stone.


Here are our 2008 picks.

1 3 3 Matt Ryan QB 6-4 221 5/17/85 Boston College
1* 21 21 Sam Baker T 6-5 314 5/30/85 USC
2 6 37 Curtis Lofton LB 6-0 238 6/9/86 Oklahoma
3 5 68 Chevis Jackson CB 5-11 188 12/11/85 LSU
3* 21 84 Harry Douglas WR 5-11 169 9/16/85 Louisville
3 35 98 Thomas DeCoud S 6-0 196 3/19/85 Cal-Berkeley
5 3 138 Robert James LB 5-10 226 12/26/83 Arizona State
5* 19 154 Kroy Biermann DE 6-3 241 9/12/85 Montana
6 6 172 Thomas Brown RB 5-8 204 5/15/86 Georgia
7 5 212 Wilrey Fontenot CB 5-9 174 10/14/84 Arizona
7** 25 232 Keith Zinger TE 6-4 250 10/9/84 LSU

I'm okay w/the Ryan pick even though it is not at all what I wanted them to do. I trust that they are much more capable and in the know about our long term plans, and I wish him the best as a Falcon.

Sam Baker was a solid pick, even if we had to give up a lot to get him.

Lofton and James also both solid picks in terms of position. I don't know as much about James, but LB is definitely a spot that needs improvement in any position, and I think they got 2 good utility guys.

Douglas - WTF?

DeCoud, Biermann - I understand those picks, and because i have Anderson listed as questionable above, I'm thinking his play may also be the reason for that Biermann pick.

Thomas Brown - Well, we are supposed to be a run first team this year. I was thinking that between Turner, Norwood & Snelling, they might be alright w/what they had. But this guy is a solid, solid pick for that position. No real complaints there.

Jackson and Fontenot - had to be done. W/Hall gone, they are going to need players at this position to spell Houston. I hope to hell they are good ones.

Zinger - WTF? Either of my WTF? picks could have been better spent on Velasco IMO.

Just my .02.

TD is on Cowherd now...ESPN radio

Is this accurate for the Falcons roster? If so, I am hating the Zinger pick all the more. I reserve the right to bitch about stuff that makes no sense to me whatsoever, and if this roster is correct, why the HELL did we need another tight end???

Zinger, Keith TE 6-4 250 22 R LSU
Rader, Jason TE 6-4 260 26 3 Marshall
Hartsock, Ben 89 TE 6-4 265 27 4 Ohio State
Cooper, George 80 TE 6-5 260 23 1 Georgia Tech
Milner, Martrez 88 TE 6-4 260 22 1 Georgia

Yeah, I think so but whats the since in getting all worked up about the 256th pick?

I'm not all worked up. The Zinger pick, and the Douglas pick make no sense to me, though. We could have had Velasco, an OG who can play both guard and center, and we drafted a TE. Stupid, IMO.

velesco was undrafted?

Yeah, but Buffalo snapped him up within an hour or so after the draft ended.

56b67 6g65dd 6g65dd 6g65dd 6g65dd Talk about Falcon Luck.

Tell me about it. My guess is they didn't think he was a fit here, and they want to see how Datish does.

But I REALLY wanted Velasco. That's why they pay Dimitroff and not me, though.

Statick said he got calls from a dozen teams once the draft was over. When the dust settled, he ended up w/the TN Titans. I have no idea if the Falcons were ever talking to him or not, but I am curious about that.