Could 6’6, 350 pound NT Kwame Geathers be Dimitroff’s next pick?

The Atlanta Falcons first two selections didn’t surprise me, even though I lobbied against selecting Desmond Trufant for weeks leading up to the start of the draft. At the end of the day, I do trust GM Thomas Dimitroff to make the right decision for the team. We needed two or three corners, we drafted two very talented ones in the first two rounds.

Now it’s time to change the focus…

There is still plenty of value to be had in the later rounds. But, I think defensive line should be the focus of the two 4th round picks. We now have 4 solid starting-caliber CB’s on the roster (Samuel, McClain, Trufant, Alford), so we can afford to bolster the front-line of the defense for at least 2-3 picks. There are two HUGE prospects that I have my eye on, and if the Falcons can get both (It’s definitely a possibility) I would have so much confidence in the defense going into the season.

I’m sure many fans remember the problems D-block had with stopping runs up the middle. Atlanta’s D-line was FAR too thin at tackle and it showed in just about every game this season. I heard that this was to Mike Smith’s preference. I guess he was trying to build a line similar to Detroit’s were you have to explosive DT’s in the middle to disrupt and get in the quarterback’s face. Well, that approach hasn’t worked, so I think it’s time for a change. We need someone with size and strength, two anchors that can’t be moved on run downs and keeps guards from getting to the second level.

Kwame Geathers and TJ Barnes are two players I have my eye on in the draft. Both are very raw, but if they go to a team with a good coach that can help them work on their technique, they could be the sequel to John Henderson/Marcus Stroud. Guess who the Jags D-line coach was when those two were wreaking havoc?….Mike Smith. I think Mike Smith could help to add some polish to their game, because both are FAR (and I mean FAR) from the finished product that John and Marcus were coming out of college, but the athleticism, size, and length is there. They could be situational players coming in (due to their conditioning), but could develop into full-time starters within 2 years.

With that being said, it’s hard to predict which way Dimitroff will go when it comes to the draft, so the likelihood that he double-dips at DT with the next two picks is slim. He may look at a linebacker or two, but in my opinion the D-line can’t be ignored any longer. I hope TD has his eye on at least one of the two DT’s I mentioned.

Nov 4, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) runs after a catch in the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

Each week for my post game analysis, I will give one offensive and defensive Falcon player a little “sugar” for his “sweet” playing on the field. I will also give one player on the Falcons a little ”salt” for his salty, lackluster play for the week. Please feel free to leave comments and provide your own “Sugar and Salt” for the week. You can also tweet me at @ianborders7 or all of us at @bloggingdirty to provide input for your picks each week.

Sugar (offense)- Julio Jones- I feel it is necessary to start by saying there are about five offensive players more than worthy of this weeks ‘sugar’. Michael Turner in the second half (once Dallas’ nose tackle Jay Ratliff left the game) was back to the burner that he was in 2008 when he exploded onto the scene in Atlanta. Roddy White made big catch after big catch, and kept the chains moving on multiple 3rd downs. Matt Ryan, after surviving a death blow from a free rushing Demarcus Ware (how does that happen…) still threw for 342 yards on a night where he ‘struggled’. Jacquizz Rodgers had two unbelievable catch and jukes in the 4th quarter on 3rd downs when Cowboy defenders were trying to sever his upper body from his legs. It was truly a team effort to pull out this ugly win, but one guy is just flat out better than everyone he lines up against in every game, and that is second year wide reciever Julio Jones. Julio was pretending he was still at Alabama, juking rookie corner back (and LSU product) Maurice Clayborn out of his shoes, socks, and tape job all night. On his first thrown to play, he caught a bomb from Ryan while being held, popped up, and let the former rival know that even though they are now in the league going head to head, things haven’t changed. You better believe he was letting him know that his Tide pulled through the night before as well. I couldn’t help but love the fact that Julio lined up as a tailback for one crucial 3rd down play as well. Looking like a lanky Adrian Peterson, he caught the QB flip, juked Demarcus Ware, and sprinted forward like a train about to derail everything in its way. That eight yard run looked like Usain Bolt in the back stretch toward some Red Stripe. Dude is a beast; I wish he still had his Predator dreads so he were that much more intimidating. He finished the night with five catches for 129 yards. Just another day on the job for JUUUUUUULLLLLLIIIIIOOOOOOOO!

Sugar (defense)- Jonathan Babineaux - I haven’t given enough love to the interior defensive line this season, but I have no choice but to push them into the mix after this game. His constant push up the middle forced Tony Romo to the outsides, mainly because with the central push there was no quarterback pocket. Romo was able to squeak his way in and around the linemen like Stuart Little for most of the night, but Babineaux did punish him once for a big sack. In a night where the defense obviously missed Sean Weatherspoon, Babineaux provided pressure and recorded seven tackles, including five solo and two assisted.

Salt- Sam Baker’s first half- I’m not saying it is an easy task to block one of the best outside rushers in the league; I’m not even saying that you shouldn’t give up a sack every once in awhile; But one thing you must do is at least attempt to block the best pass rusher on the team (and maybe in the league). Two times in the first half Demarcus Ware came flying around the corner unblocked as Sam Baker double teamed one of the Cowboy defensive tackles. The first hit took the breath out of every Falcon fan watching the game as Matt Ryan was completely blindsided and whiplashed to the ground to be left with a white skid mark like his helmet had just been used to paint the field. At that point fans didn’t care about the fumble….We just wanted to make sure our quarterback and season was still alive! Things did get much better in the second half, and the adjustments were made to make sure that the protection was there for Ryan to make the big plays (mainly I think because Jay Ratliff went out of the game). The number one priority for the season is to keep Ryan up right, and that should be a full game task. Anytime a blocker is watching someone fly by him while he doubles another guy bad things happen. I’m just happy that Ryan popped up and was ready for the next snap. Too many more of those though and we can stop talking about play-offs…. All that said…. 8-0!!! Rise up!    

Nov 4, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) and nose tackle Josh Brent (92) in the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

Aug 16, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws passes to warm up before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

In the Falcons preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, there were certainly some things to take away from the game. It is obviously imprudent to read too much into these games, but based on what I saw early on, there are some very good conclusions to be made.

First thing that popped off the screen when watching the game was that Matt Ryan was under duress on the first two drives. I think this Bengals defensive front is very good even without Carlos Dunlap, and was able to generate pressure on the pocket. I think it was highlighted by the second offensive possession of the game when Matt Ryan faced massive amounts of pressure, dropped back twenty yards, and then completed a pass to Jacquizz Rodgers that went for a seven yard loss. Not only was Ryan under fire early, but the running game had a tough time getting rolling. Ryan didn’t take any sacks or any hits worth speaking of, but he was under pressure. My apologies to Bengals fans: your defensive front is very good. The Falcons offensive line didn’t do anything to bail them out, though.

The Falcons didn’t hesitate to use the screen pass. A running back screen to Michael Turner garnered decent gains, and wide receiver screens twice to Roddy White were extremely productive as well. We all clamored for more screen passes, and Dirk Koetter has acquiesced our collective requests. With that, the Falcons offense can offset the pass-rush a little, keep them on their heels, and keep more pressure off of Ryan.

One final thing about offense. In the third and fourth offensive series, the Falcons looked very comfortable, particularly Matt Ryan. He was sharp as a tack on those drives, and even though he threw his first incomplete passes of the game in the third drive,  he was very effective and efficient. He utilized various personnel sets, play action, shotgun, and most importantly a healthy amount of the no-huddle attack. Ryan was hitting all of his receivers in spots where only they could catch the ball, and for solid gains. Even Michael Palmer collected a 21-yard catch. I think on the first two drive, Dirk Koetter was trying to work short underneath routes, but allowed Ryan to take some shots in the no-huddle. Ryan threw a deep pass down the left sideline that was extremely well covered, and placed the ball deep to Jones in stride. It was a little long, but it was in a spot that only Jones could get, and it showed Ryan can make that throw. Despite a dropped pass by Tony Gonzalez that would have resulted in a touchdown, the Falcons offense looked great on those two drives. Look at the back to back 16-yard pass to White and 23-yard post to Jones on the touchdown drive. Great series, great chemistry between Ryan and his receivers, great use of the no-huddle, and the great threat of deep passing plays to explosive receivers. Awesome two series.

I would never have thought this coming into the season, but Peria Jerry has been a force up front all throughout this preseason. He has been constantly applying pressure as a pass rusher from defensive tackle, been very good against the run, and been in on a great many tackles. We desperately need a third defensive tackle to play alongside Jonathan Babineaux and Corey Peters, and so far Jerry is looking like he may take that role. If he keeps up this, Corey Peters won’t have a spot when he returns from an injury, and will be the third guy in the rotation. If Jerry keeps this up, this could be a good situation to have.

I thought John Abraham, Kroy Biermann, and Ray Edwards were doing a great job of applying pressure on Dalton. The unfortunate thing is that they always seemed to be just a beat short of actually getting a sack. The pressure forces Dalton out of the pocket, to do things he didn’t want to do, and to release a couple throws before he really wanted to. No interceptions or the like, but eventually those pressures will turn into sacks. I also saw Abraham get blocked in the back on two sure sacks, so that and fifty cents will get you a cup of coffee as the proverbial saying goes.

Coverage was something that the Falcons first team did a decent job of, but they got burnt badly once by A.J. Green. Earlier in the game, Dunta Robinson was matched up against Green, and lined up in off-man coverage. He left a cushion on Green that was eaten up and he only got slightly past the first down marker. That is definitely better than the alternative, which would be giving up a long touchdown pass. Asante Samuel played in off-man coverage, but he bit a little bit on a stutter & go route, and got beat by Green’s speed. He eventually caught up, but only after Green made the catch, and then got dragged into the endzone by Green. Not a good look for Samuel. However, he did have a couple deflections otherwise on the night. The other corner who looked really good? Dunta Robinson. He was good in space, and a fine tackler. I think this could be an up year for Robinson.

One final thing that absolutely has to be cleaned up for the Falcons is silly penalties. These aren’t the penalties that were poor calls by the replacement officials; these penalties that need to be cut out is ones like touching the quarterback’s head, late hits, offsides. It is very easy to eliminate hitting the QB in the head, and a penalty like that can lose the game for you at some point. It’s nothing serious, but it has to be addressed and taken care of.