Last year our O-line was 32nd in the league in run blocking and 32nd in the percentage of plays stuffed behind the line of scrimmage:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol.php

*BEGIN WHINING*
Why didn't we do ANYTHING in the draft to fix this?
*END WHINING*

Did picking Baker address this? No...Baker is known as more of a pass protector than a mauling run blocker... Also notice from the link that we were 32nd in the league running up the middle and between the RG and RT. An LT isn't going to fix that...

Did picking up Turner address this? No...What I saw last year was Dunn & Norwood having their hole close up on them before they even get to the LOS then 2 300 pound D-lineman in the backfield wrapping them up. No RB is strong enough to deal with that...

Yes I am crying like a friggin crybaby because this was an obvious glaring hole on the team that wasn't fixed.

I agree. We could have gotten Baker in the second round frankly. I still do not know why we traded into the first round to take a second round talent.

I understand why they did that... It was a PANIC move...

Weiner is hurt and we have nobody else that can reliably protect the QBs blindside. Baker was the last guy in the draft that could do that. It was a panic move because he was the last guy left. If Long, Williams, Albert, and Otah weren't taken so early we wouldn't have traded up...

Really?

Then why did Duane Friggin' Brown go off the Board IN THE FIRST ROUND, AFTER BAKER?

How do you justify your statement that Baker would have slid? Is Brown a better prospect?

I agree... Baker may not have lasted with the way that OTs were flying off the board.

Trading up for Baker was a panic move that had to be done.

Go go bruised ego! nr6

Its quite simple. Baker was a second round talent and we, as Steve said, panicked and traded up for him. I would have been happier to simply let someone else take him higher if that were the case and kept the picks to address the many, many needs on the team that were not addressed.

Personally at this point I am waiting for them to ask Freddie Falcon to play DT because he's about the only person we've heard of left on the team that will be ready to play.

Bruised ego?

You didn't say "Baker was a second round talent." You said WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM in the 2nd round, which is absolutely categorically false. Now, once again, you back off of that, which tells me you say a lot of stuff that you know isn't true.

No, my ego isn't bruised. But since this makes 3 times you have just made up facts to suit your argument, I guess I'll just quit discussing football with you. No need trying to argue against a moving target.

Have fun, y'all.

I don't think it was panic at all after listening to TD explain it. He said specifically that they knew taking Ryan they would probably have to forego a DT, because the draft just wasn't deep at guys who fit our system at that position. He also said that drafting Ryan meant we had to get one of the first-tier OTs to help protect him.

When the OTs started flying off the board, they moved up and took their guy before he went. We were at pick 21, as I recall, and Baker was the last OT we thought fit our system. So we moved up and got him, and since Brown went a few spots later, it was obvious that this was the right move. NO ONE had Brown in the same class as Baker. No way Baker would have lasted another 6-7 picks, much less to the 2nd round.

So it wasn't panic. It was calculated. We didn't WANT to do it, because it was nice to have 3 2nd rounders, but we HAD to do it to get the OT we needed and decided going in we had to have. I don't mind that at all. At least they are drafting with a purpose, which I can't say for many years past.

How do you know we could not have gotten him in the second round? Did you call every team and ask them? He was a second round talent that was taken too high because of panic.

I am not "making up facts". I am making assertive statements that are clearly opinion based and you are trying to get cute over qualitative elements over them because you do not have a leg to stand on (please note I'm not stating as a fact you only have one or no legs) with your own arguments.

"We could have gotten him in the second round" is a flat statement of fact. Did YOU call each and every team?

You can call that an "assertive statement that (is) clearly opinion," but you are NOT stating it as opinion, so that is not clear. So don't get mad at me because you speak as if you can read the future "Ryan IS GOING TO be a bust..."...."Jamaal Anderson IS a bust...." "we COULD HAVE gotten Baker in the 2nd round....."

Sorry if I'm nit-picking. That honestly is not my intention. But you say "I was right about Petrino" as if you had correctly read the future, when in fact the guy you didn't like didn't work out and you are here saying "I told you so." That indicates that you KNEW then and KNOW now how this stuff will shake out. When you speak that way, I take you at your word that you mean what you say, i.e., that you believe you are making statements of fact.

BTW, for all who consider Baker a panic pick, if they'd not moved up and ALSO not taken another OT (because they didn't like the OTs left on the board), what would you have said?

We see what people are saying about not taking a DT in the entire draft. What if we hadn't taken a single o-lineman, either?

My point is, they did what they had to do to fill the holes they wanted to fill, and when the good linemen went off the board, they took the best of what was left to fill the other holes they wanted to fill. I can't call that "panic," and I don't fault them for it. I think it was a good draft strategy.

You are most definitely nit picking. I would go so far as to say its being an asshole over it at this point. nr6

I brought up Pestinko and Anderson because it seems to me (note this is not a fact, just an observation) that history is again repeating itself: the Falcons do something I consider foolish (note not a fact, just an observation) I then post strong comments over it and since it goes against the grain it gets called out (please see the "nit picking" posts you have made) and here we go all over again.

I think it was a panic move but I think it was a necessary panic move. I would have lost my mind if we had taken 0 O-linemen, especially at LT.

I believe that we would not have traded up if Long, Williams, Albert, Otah, and Cherlius didn't fly off the board like they did. In other words, they had to REACT to the sitution. Some could call it a panic, others might call it a quick reaction to what was happening. Since we didn't have anyone else who could protect the QB's blindside with Weiner hurt I would consider it a panic move.

PANIC = OMG if we don't trade up and get Baker we're SCREWED!

I actually take pride in that, so thank you b667ur

Remember when I referred to the "Debbie Downer schtick?" That's why it gets called out. Reading your posts, it seems the Falcons can't do anything right.

If anything, I think you're going WITH the grain on this one. But my criticism was over your certainty and what I perceived to be an "I'm right, just watch and see" mentality. My take is we can't know at this point. And if Ryan turns out to be as good as I've seen him be, you'll have some crow to eat. My IMPRESSION has been that you don't want to eat that crow -- that you'd rather see us fail and in fact delighted somewhat in Petrino's failure, because you were "right." I hope I'm wrong about that, but that's why I am so critical of what I see as your hyper-negative comments.

Having said that, I'm a lifelong Ga. Tech and Falcons fan, so I do understand the jadedness. I guess I'm an optimist by nature.

I'd do just about anything to see the Falcons finally win a Super Bowl. I would love it if Pestinko had turned out different and I hope Ryan turns into a great QB and Anderson becomes another Claude. But I don't see it happening. I'd rather have the Falcons win than be "right". :mellow:

I don't see Anderson being Claude, and "great" is farther than I'd go with Ryan.

But I DO think Ryan will be a good NFL QB, and that Anderson will find a place on the team. When we drafted Anderson, in particular, we knew he was a bit of a project. He MAY be moved inside, I don't know. But until he turns into Jimmy Williams (for example), I can't call him a bust. Not after only 1 season.

Time will tell on Ryan. I think you're going to like what he's capable of. He will almost certainly never be Peyton or Brady or Palmer. But I seriously do not see him being Harrington or Leaf or Carr, either. And I honestly think he's better than Schaub was (speaking of QBs everyone here liked who don't have the best deep ball), and better than most of the middle-tier QBs. I think he has the potential to be very, very good. He doesn't have to be the best QB in the game to win a Super Bowl. And I think he's good enough to do it if we put a team around him.

It was not a panic move but a nesassary move.
They knew before the draft began 7 O-linemen would be picked before the end of the 1st.
Dave is right, calculated days in advance.

Man this draft SUCKS. you want t believe TD, then go ahead, but he is just a smooth talker. what happened to establish the run and stop the run?? we should have fixed our lines. we didnt do crap to fix our lines. 1 pick is garbage. we got a million LBs and Des, but we are set at those positions.

It's longer than a one draft project.
What really sucks is in all reality, we won't know how good this draft was or wasn't for at least 2 more seasons. I wasn't for Ryan at 3, but other than that... I really only have 2 wtf? picks.

Im just mad we passed on Dorsey. Dorsey is probably gonna be the best player in this draft. heck he is already been crowned the best pick in the draft, and now everyone loves KC for that pick. if we got Dorsey we could have locked up the middle. resign gravy Dline could have been Abe Gravy( til lewis comes back) Dorsey Jamaal.

that would make Lofton better, because those 2 in the middle would be insane.

will Baker fis the right side? in a word, yes. and how you ask. by Baker being a good LT, we will now be using Wiener on the RT again, which will allow Clabo to be the RG. Clabo and Wiener on the right side is better than Forney and Clabo (2 guards). and Stepanovich could very well take McClure's spot and be that powerful C we've needed.