So Long Brent

[benhillboy]

You got a good one, Dol. You're gonna see this little sh@t make some plays with your own eyes and you still won't believe them. Amendola, Johnson, and whatever bum the Jets trot out will not present any tough problems for Brent. If the coaching staff has any sense, he'll at least be heavily considered on punt return as well. I'm gonna miss him. What he lacked in size, he made up for in speed and technique and is a better tackler than his size suggests. Won't get anything less than 20 yards after a pick. Class act. Wish you well, Grimey.

[jy23]

Loved grimes but I don't tink I would consider him returning kicks but maybe you saw something I didn't.

[coachx]

Loved grimes but I don't tink I would consider him returning kicks but maybe you saw something I didn't.

Maybe at 26................but not at 30 while coming off a season ending injury. He was an elite cover corner when he was in his athletic prime in 2010. Perhaps he is still in that prime.......only time will tell as he is still rehabbing. He had knee injury in 2011 that caused him to miss the last 4 games + the playoffs. Then he tore his achilles in the 1st game last year. Its been a while since we have really been able to see how much zig and zag he has left.

1 year at $5.5 mill would have eaten about all of the Falcons remaining cap space.

I do wish him the best !

Edited April 1, 2013 by coachx

[benhillboy]

Didn't realize he was 31. I cant knock the Falcons for letting him move on. He still should have one year left of great speed, but I retract the punt returning. I don't know who the Dolphins have there (Bess?). He's speedy enough. I just know I hated seeing Franks last season. Grimey has returned a few punts before and always showed great open field running skills.

[coachx]

Grimes turns 30 in July. Come the 1st game of the regular season the Falcons would have played 20 regular season games plus 3 playoff games since he last played a complete game ..........with 2 different leg injuries mixed in there.

Didn't realize he was 31.

[Admin]

I am thrilled to have Grimes as he's a huge talent upgrade over what we had previously. There is a very positive recent history of players his age returning to the field at a high level after an achilles rupture, with Suggs returning after only 5 months, and Leon Hall returning to top form after his. Grimes is still plenty young enough to have a great career in Miami if he's healthy and motivated, as I fully expect he will be to get a long term deal after this season. Just look back to Charles Woodson who was written off by the Raiders as he was 30 years old when signing with the Packers, but he went on to have 6 very good years there. While I don't expect the same from Grimes as lets face it he's not Charles Woodson, I do think that he's got a lot of good football left in him and he fills that desperate need for playmakers in our secondary.

[Admin]

Oh and no we won't use Grimes to return punts or anything, we had a rookie last year who took 1 back on a kickoff and on a punt and he's a decent backup RB too so I imagine he'll continue to get the work there. Bess does also return punts for us but only when we're fielding them inside of our 15 and we want our best punt fielder there to pretty much fair catch it, since Bess isn't much of a returner anyway. There's talk of us using our 12th pick to take Tavon Austin, who'd be a dynamic weapon not only in the passing game but also in the return game, but he's a luxury pick at this point and right now I'd rather take a chance and trade up for a top LT or Dee Milliner.

[jy23]

Oh you definitely are getting a good player and a good guy in Brent, wish him nothing but the best and I hope he actually lights it up down there (except when we play you guys lol).

[Admin]

Oh you definitely are getting a good player and a good guy in Brent, wish him nothing but the best and I hope he actually lights it up down there (except when we play you guys lol).

Now if we can only find a way to get the Falcons to let go of Decoud! That guy is my favorite safety in the league after Ed Reed, although Reshad Jones is starting to really make me like him too. I don't know what his contract is right now but he's going to cost a lot of money at some point to keep.

[EazyRoc]

Seriously, Decoud ? Before last season that guys job was in jeopardy.

[jy23]

Decoud is wrapped up for a while with a very decent contract. I think he signed last year for like 18mill for 5 years. Very team friendly contract.

[jy23]

Seriously, Decoud ? Before last season that guys job was in jeopardy.

I always liked TD...last year was his breakout year but I always thought he was a decent player.

[EazyRoc]

Last year was phenomenal, no doubt. However, the year before that he was a liability in coverage and not so impressive vs. the run. He was constantly getting beat deep on plays. I am impressed and happy that he stepped his game up.

[Admin]

#1 Decoud has an awesome name! But man he just makes amazing plays in the passing game! Has it only been a year that he's been doing that?

[coachx]

#1 Decoud has an awesome name! But man he just makes amazing plays in the passing game! Has it only been a year that he's been doing that?

Yes........he dropped like 5 INT's 2 years ago. Several of those drops came in the end zone and the opposition scored on the next play or two. He was normally in decent position but just could not hold on to the ball.

Dimitroff has done an excellent job scouting DBs. He was once specifically a DB scout for the Patriots.

He drafted Moore in the late 2nd round and I think DeCoud was a late 3rd round round pick. Both played at Pro Bowl levels last year. Grimes was an undrafted practice squad player for 2 years before getting a crack in a real game. In fact he was already on the practice squad when Dimitroff got the GM job but at least he had the where with all to hold on to him. Drafting D. Franks in the 5th or 6th round is not a bad job. He isn't great but to have a player make your team as a 5th or 6th round draft pick is not bad. C. Owens dissapointed but as a late 3rd round pick your not going to hit on every player drafted around #90 overall. You hope to hit on 50% of those.

Robert McClain is TD's new cheap find. He really stepped up as our nickle back last year. He was the former 42nd pick in the 7th round by the Panthers and was cut after the 2010 season and did not play a snap in 2011. He was 1 of the last compensatory picks of the 2009 draft. Their loss and our gain. That kid can really play and is still just 24 years old. Great find, on the cheap, by Dimitroff.

He gave Atlanta 63 tackles / 51 solo tackles (which is alot for a nickle back) / 10 passes defended / 1 Int. Its cheap depth like that that allows you to not lose a season after a major inury and come 12 yards from a Super Bowl.

Atlanta has 4 of those 7th round picks this year. If we are lucky 1 will turn out like Robert McClain.

Edited April 2, 2013 by coachx

[jy23]

Never been worried about the secondary, I just hope that we can hit on some sort of defensive lineman at some point in this draft. That is the area we've been lacking since TD took over.

[frosgrim]

The draft seems to set up well for the Falcons either to get a corner or a LB/DE late in the first. I wouldn't be surprised if TD tried to move up into the middle of the 2nd round to pick up one of the TEs or a DT.

Re: Grimes. He was a very good player for the Falcons, but be wary of a 5'7" guy that relies on leaping ability to cover coming off an Achilles. Dol, you need to follow Grimes crazy wife, Miko, on Twitter. That woman is nuts and has caused Grimes to make some bad decisions like not playing in the playoffs a couple years ago.

[jy23]

No TE this year....at least not in the first 3 rounds. Defense defense defense.

[benhillboy]

I would give Nolan a majority of the credit for DeCoud's great year. Good player, but his size just doesnt sit well with me. A little less for the Missouri Hammer, but still significant. They were never know for being in great safety position, this year they were rarely out of place. I wouldn't give anyone credit for McClain except himself. You don't need a coordinator to put you in position to lay wood all the damn time and break on the ball the way he does. 10 passes defended is insane for an inexperienced nickel.I wouldn't be surprised to see Grimey jump out to a lead on the interceptions ladder early. After cutting your teeth against Drew Brees, the AFC East QBs shouldn't strike fear in him at all. Brady is much more comfortable with safe throws to the Tight Ends and Slots, so he won't test Brent too tough.

[AHF]

No TE this year....at least not in the first 3 rounds. Defense defense defense.

Agreed. My top three priorities: DE/OLB (pass rusher), CB, DT in that order.