Monday Morning Falcons Hangover: Special Post Draft / Post Osama Bin Laden Edition

There's an Odd Couple joke somewhere in here.

It has been awhile since I have written. To be honest, there has not been a lot to write about. The NFL Labor Mess cast a pall over all football proceedings and made thinking about football not even remotely fun for me.

Plus, I have spent much of the last two months doing everything I could to get back into school. Long story short: I had to take some time off because of personal reasons, but because I was out longer than a full academic year, I had to reapply and there were grade change issues involved, and it was pretty much a big mess.

All of that work paid off though, as I’m back in school, have only a few classes until I attain my degrees, and will be able to enjoy one last football season at UGA (looking to be a HUGE bounce-back season for the Dawgs, hoping SEC East winners!) before the real, real world beckons.

Draft Hangover

First thing’s first: anyone ripping the Falcons for trading away five draft picks for Julio Jones is WRONG.

The Falcons traded away four draft picks for Julio Jones: this year’s 2 and 4, and next year’s 1 and 4. They swapped 1’s with Cleveland, moving up 21 spots from 27 to 6 to take what many experts believe is the best receiver in the draft.

So, getting that out of the way, was the four draft picks the Falcons traded to Cleveland “too much” for a player who will change the way every single team can defend the Falcons offense, opening up the field not only for Roddy White, but for Tony Gonzalez, Harry Douglas, Michael Turner, and the new kid, Jacquizz Rodgers?

Um, no.

The Falcons were 16th in the league in total yards last year. They were 31st… THIRTY-FIRST in offensive plays of 20 yards or more. Roddy White had his worst YPC averages of his career (even when he was trying to catch errant throws from the DogKilla). Matt Ryan had the worst YPC average of his career, and the second worst of any QB in the playoffs.

The Falcons need defensive help, it is true, but the Falcons offense scared NO ONE last year. Part of that is because of Mike Smith’s play not to lose philosophy of football, and part of that is the fact that they possessed no receiver to really stretch the field (White isn’t a burner) or take double teams away from White. I mean, it is absolutely amazing that Roddy White led the NFL in receptions last year with all of the double teams he faced.

Now, the Falcons possess a burner receiver in Julio Jones who will stretch the field. He will take double teams off of White, yes, but even more than that, Jones will do so much more.

Jones will keep opposing defenses from dropping one or both safeties into the box to stop the run, meaning Michael Turner will only be seeing the normal seven or six men in the box. Imagine Turner running into the second level of a defense unfettered. Can you say rampaging bull?

By keeping the safeties honest, Jones will open up the middle of the field for Harry Douglas, the Falcons’ slot receiver and Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta’s HOF TE. Think about it: once again, TG will be single covered by a smaller, slower LB like in the earlier days of his career, no bracketed coverage with safety help. First downs to the TE all… day… LONG.

Jones will also open up a more creative ability to approaching the Falcons offense, allowing for more screen passes to succeed with Jacquizz Rodgers creating mismatches on LBs without having to worry about safeties who cheated-up.

To put it simply, Jones makes Atlanta offense much like Green Bay’s offense, or Indy’s offense, or Arizona’s offense from a few years ago.

He makes other teams fear the Falcons. When is the last time anyone said that?

As for the defensive help that the Falcons need, if you don’t think the team will fill their pass-rushing defensive end need (Ray Edwards, Charles Johnson) in free agency, y’all haven’t paid attention to how this team has done business in the last three years.

The fact is, the Falcons could afford to give up four draft picks for Julio Jones, who is faster than AJ Green, who is a better blocker than AJ, and who, by all accounts, is a better team leader than AJ (and it pains me to say that as a loyal Bulldog), because the Falcons only had two glaring holes to fill, not four or five.

And in the end, Julio Jones, like Larry Fitzgerald or Megatron, is a slam-dunk, sure-fire pick. None of the DE’s in the draft were sure-fire picks. NONE. Most of them were Big-10 players, and we all know you are far more likely to get a bust d-lineman from the Big-10 than any other conference.

If you had the chance three years ago to draft Megatron, would YOU trade four picks for him?

You of course answer “HELL YEAH!”

So stop killing the Falcons for doing the same damn thing.

As for the rest of the Falcons' draft, it was excellent if you choose to forget they took a kicker in Round 6 when TE Virgil Green was still on the board. And I choose to forget they took a kicker in Round 6 when TE Virgil Green was still on the board.

Akeem Dent is going to be a playmaker for years on this team, and I'm not just saying that as a loyal member of Bulldog Nation. The guy is Bobby Boucher... he's a Tackling FOOL!

The best steal of the draft belongs to the Falcons, taking mighty midget Jacquizz Rodgers on the 3rd Day. Rodgers is going to be the Falcons' Dave Megget, without the felony conviction. We're talking a kid who, although small in stature, can run it up the gut AND block LBs coming after his QB. Rodgers told reporters he models his game on Warrick Dunn, and it shows on tape. Plus, he has mad hands. Get him a screen pass in space on a LB, and you'll next find him 20 yards down field.

Picking up some o-line and d-line depth at the end of the draft worked out well, and the Falcons will be going hot and heavy after Ray Edwards or Charles Johnson in free agency to fill their need for the consistent LE Kroy Bierman, who works better as "instant energy off the bench guy," isn't.

As Charlie Sheen would say, the Falcons filled-up this past weekend on tiger's blood and are most certainly... WINNING! (is that still topical... I don't know).

The Seven Things I Know

1) It was completely idiotic to have the first round of the draft on Thursday night.

2) We have all heard by now that ratings for the draft were down 20%, but do not let people like the esteemed Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports try and convince you it was because of labor issues. It was because the first round of the draft was on Thurday night, not Friday.

3) Thursday night is by far the most crowded night of television in this country, and every single show was a brand new episode. We are talking 30 rock, Bones, The Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreation, Community, and the two biggies, American Idol, and Steve Carell’s final episode of The Office. Against that Murderer’s Row, the NFL Draft didn’t stand a chance.

4) So, WHY did the NFL decide to hold the 1st Round of the Draft on the most crowded night in television? Well, here, guys like Mike Silver have the right answer: GREED. Only this time, the NFL, like the clueless old guy they sometimes appear to be, really had no clue that they could not beat even a Simon-less AI and certainly was not going to beat Steve Carell’s final The Office.

5) The NFL would be wise to have the 1st Round of the draft on Friday, a day that is usually devoid of quality shows (except for Fringe... seriously people, WATCH FRINGE… it is easily the second-best show on television after Justified, both shows have their season finales this week… WATCH!) and much easier to maneuver a DVR around.

6) I am still amazed at how many usually smart people in the media continue to act as if all of the psychological red flags put up by Cam Newton are not the exact same red flags put up by Ryan Leaf. Conceited. Arrogant. Dishonest. Immature.

7) Yeah, Leaf did not win a BCS Title, but he led a whole team of kids who rallied around him to take Washington State to their first Rose Bowl in over FIFTY YEARS, and he did so while remaining a fake, unrepentant douche bag, just like Cam Newton. So, telling me Newton is not the same guy because he “led” a bunch of 20 years olds to a title is a line of b.s. a mile long. Newton is going to set back the Carolina Panthers for years.

As a Falcons fan, I am fine with that, and I cannot wait to watch this train wreck.

Today in History (Yesterday, 01 May 2011 Edition)

We got that mother------!!! Osama Bin Laden is now Satan’s new favorite plaything!

What an AWESOME day to be an American, a former active duty Marine, and a lover of freedom!

Oh, and one more thing: to all of those complete and utter fools on Twitter who are trying to make this into a political “win” for the Democratic Party, I hope you people seriously reprioritize your lives and understand just how pitiful you are.

Yesterday was a win for America, you tools. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians… it does not matter!

I am happy for our President (even though I didn’t, and won’t vote for him). I am happy for our service men and women who made this victory possible.

But unlike many unfortunate, misguided ideologues, (like Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and too many douchey actors, actresses, & writers to count) I am an American FIRST.

Keep politics out of this. This is a win for America and the world, not a political party. This behavior is no better than the Republicans who tried to do the same thing when we got Saddam. They were wrong then, and you are wrong now. You people should be ashamed of yourselves!

Film Real

I do not have anything prepared for Film Real this week. I have been getting all my ducks in a row for school. Been crazy.

Smart Quote

Death comes equally to us all, and makes us all equal when it comes.

John Donne

And do y’all know what the quickest way to equality is? Two 5.56mm NATO FMJ rounds to the head, courtesy of US Navy Seal Team 6.

Rot in hell, Osama Bin Laden!

Hey, Check This Out!

Do I have to say anything else?

Please follow me on Twitter at @UGABugKiller. Thanks!

What Has the Combine Done for the Browns?

Julio Jones may have been one of the biggest winners from this year's Combine. If the Browns are unluck enough to miss out on A.J. Green, then Julio Jones might be the best thing to happen to the Browns in a while. His 4.39 40-yard dash and 11'3" broad jump (best in the Combine this year) are eye-popping when you consider that he is 6'3" tall and weighs 220 lbs. Wow. His numbers certainly qualify for "physical freak" status, and the fact that he did all of this with a broken bone in his foot is just icing on the cake. His draft stock right now is probably as high as it has ever been and the Browns could certainly do worse. His strength and speed mean that he should be able to get yards after the catch and he is not afraid to go across the middle of the field. This is important for a budding West Coast offense.

Marcell Dareus is another player that has helped out his own cause. In a deep defensive draft he has been able to seperate himself from most of the rest, and he could go anywhere in the top 5. His impressive size (6'3", 319 lbs.) and his athleticism (sub 5.0-second 40) have helped him, while the other top tackle prospect, Nick Fairley from Auburn, came in much smaller than anticipated and hurt his own stock. Dareus has also shown versatility in stopping the run as well as rushing the passer, which means he could be a good fit anywhere, especially next to Ahtyba Rubin in the Browns' new 4-3 defense.

J.J. Watt has not been generally seen as a high first rounder, but he was solid in nearly every drill and, at 6'5" tall and 290 lbs., has great size for a strongside defensive end in a 4-3. He has a great motor and is well-rounded as a player. If he somehow falls to the second round I believe he would be an absolute steal, but I doubt he does. If the Browns trade down in the first round he would fill a big need for a team that lacks quality 4-3 defensive linemen.

From what I can gather, Patrick Peterson helped his stock but not a lot. He was already seen as the consensus best defensive back in this draft, and he maintained that billing. He's big, fast, strong, and has excellent coverage abilities. Because he didn't blow the doors off of the Combine, he could potentially slip to the Browns at #6, but I see less of a need for him now that the Browns have given Eric Wright a second-round tender. Peterson would undoubtedly be an upgrade, but the Browns have much bigger holes to fill.

Since the Combine, Mel Kiper has updated his illustrious Big Board. After the top 5 his Big Board is Insider-only, but there was some movement in the top 5 that might reflect who might be available for the Browns at pick number 6. Patrick Peterson claims the top spot, while Nick Fairley fell to the second spot. Da'Quan Bowers, Marcell Dareus, and Von Miller round out the rest of the top 5. Some notable absences are any receivers or quarterbacks. A.J. Green may still be available, and top QB prospects like Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert might be used as leverage for the Browns to trade down and acquire more picks.

As always, we'll keep monitoring the Browns, the draft, and the looming lockout. A one week extension to the CBA has reportedly been agreed upon by all parties, so we will see what happens. Stay tuned.

Combine Readings

Sadly, the NFL Combine is over. Now we get to spend the next couple of months dissecting everything that went on and endlessly discussing how it impacts Player X's draft stock. We'll probably all be wrong, but it's fun. Here's some links to Combine reports that should be pretty interesting:

Behind the Steel Curtain, a Steelers blog, put out this review of the Combine. Credit goes to Chris Pokorny of Dawgsbynature.com for pointing me to it.

This mock draft from writer Jon Dove at Mockingthedraft.com shows how the Combine may have impacted the draft order. You can compare it to his earlier mock draft to see who the winners and losers were.

ESPN has of course covered the Combine in detail. If you missed Todd McShay, one of ESPN's draft experts, on Sports Center, his big winners of the Combine are Julio Jones (put up impressive numbers despite a broken bone in his foot), JJ Watt (finished top 5 in every drill), Marcel Dareus (impressive showing), and the whole defensive liine group in general.

Waiting For Next Year has excellent coverage of Cleveland sports, and they've been covering the Combine as well. Take a few minutes to comb through their stuff because there's plenty of good information there.

As always, stay tuned. There's more to come.

An Intro to the Draft: Cleveland Browns

In honor of Mel Kiper Jr.'s first mock draft of the year, let's take a quick look at the upcoming draft and where the Browns stand. It's commonly understood around Cleveland that one of the Browns' most glaring needs is a big-play, talented wide receiver. Fortunately, or unfortunately if you had to sit through every Browns game this season, the Browns own the 6th overall pick in this year's draft. Putting two and two together, it's not rocket science to anticipate the Browns selecting either Julio Jones, wide receiver from Alabama, or A.J. Green, wide receiver from Georgia, with that 6th overall pick. These two players both have NFL size and big-play ability, which goes along well with their exceptional levels of talent. As the draft approaches we will be going into more detail about each player, as well as others that may have an effect on the Browns' draft.

Without going into too much detail, Mel Kiper Jr., draft expert, had the Browns taking A.J. Green in his shiny new mock draft. This would certainly be popular around Cleveland, however, there's certainly a chance that he won't be there by the time pick number 6 rolls around. Just for reference, here are the top six picks in the draft this year:

1. Carolina Panthers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Cincinatti Bengals
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. Cleveland Browns

None of these teams are known for having an exceptional receiving corps, and a prodigiuos talent such as Green or Julio Jones would certainly help any of these teams. However, since they are all picking very highly in the draft, it is safe to assume that each team has many glaring needs that would take priority over a wide receiver, which is typically seen as a bit of a "luxury" pick. This year's draft is particularly loaded at the top with defensive linemen, and Kiper predicted three to be drafted in the first six picks. With so many talented linemen available and so many more pressing needs, hopefully that will leave A.J. Green or Julio Jones to the Browns at number six.

Currently on the Browns' roster at the receiver positions are Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey, Josh Cribbs, Carlton Mitchell, Demetrius Williams and Jordan Norwood. Massaquoi and Robiskie were recent second round draft choices of the Browns two years ago, but neither has shown much ability to play receiver in the NFL. Stuckey is a small, quick receiver who thrives on short throws and gaining yards after the catch. Mitchell was a late round draft pick who was taken because of his upside, but he is very raw and cannot be relied upon yet. Cribbs is probably the team's most dynamic offensive player, but his skills are not as well-adapted to the receiver position as some would hope.

Clearly, there is a spot on the team for a receiver that can fill the void left by the departure of Braylon Edwards. While I'm sure we are happy he is gone, it cannot be denied that having a player with that level of talent opened up the field for other players and stretched defenses vertically, something that was sorely lacking on last year's team. A young quarterback, such as Colt McCoy, would also appreciate having a reliable go-to guy that he can target in critical situations and trust that he would move the chains. Last season that guy was TE Ben Watson. While Watson is a skilled pass catcher, he does not have the big-play ability that a player like Green or Jones would bring to the table.

As the draft approaches you will see more in-depth analysis of the Browns and their needs on the field. We will also be keeping a close eye on the Browns' coaching situation, with several spots still open. Bill Musgrave, quarterbacks coach of the Atlanta Falcons, has interviewed for the offensive coordinator position. Dave Wannstedt, most recently the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh, will soon be interviewing for the defensive coordinator position.