Aug. 17, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive tackle (92) Richard Seymour against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It’s official! Richard Seymour is now a proud member of the Atlanta…wait, what?

It’s real easy to let yourself get bogged down in rumors and talks in the offseason.  Most of them are just rumors, but when talks go underway, things get serious.  I recall hundreds of rumors that went around when it came to who could possibly be a Falcon.  Names like Paul Kruger, Karlos Dansby, and even Elvis Dumervil were linked to the Falcons.  99% of all rumors get lost in the noise of speculation.

Atlanta is, however, a destination for some older players.  Players nearing the end of their career look for teams that are almost there to spend a few years and attempt to win a championship.  This means that a lot of guys may be willing to cut their price a bit to land on a team that has a real chance.  Steven Jackson was a great example of this.  He’s a top tier Running Back and could have commanded a pretty penny for his services.  However, he had only been to the playoffs once in his career and would rather compete for a championship than break the bank.  Atlanta picked him up for a bargain compared to what other teams would have to pay for him.

Even when a player already had a championship and still wants to play, they find a great fit.  Osi Umenyiora lived in Atlanta, knew that the Falcons were close to winning it all, and knew that the organization in general is great all around so even though he already has two Lombardies, he was willing to take a price cut to end up in red and black.

The company of Mike Smith, Thomas Dimitroff, and Arthur Blank makes very good bargains for incoming players and usually when talks ensue, and the pieces seem to fit, it appears to only be a matter of time before they get the deal done.  But now Richard Seymour and his Agent have dissolved negotiations with the Falcons.

It’s a little shocking in a strange way.  I don’t think Seymour is as good as what his asking price is, but there is always room to talk down.  Considering that he lives in Atlanta, would fit into a rotation where the coach knows how to take care of the older players, and would contend, I (along with many fans) was sure he would drop his asking price to an acceptable level because the fit makes sense)  the Falcons aren’t stupid though.  They will not overpay for a player.

All this tells me is that Seymour is only in it for the money.  His heart isn’t in the game and that’s the kind of personality that Atlanta does not want.  Unless he realizes that no team will pay Seymour as much as he wants, this deal will not happen.

I am a little relieved.  The fact the Falcons are not going to put a lot of money into an easily injured player is a good sign.  At the verge of a major quarterback contract, there is no room for another incident like Brent Grimes last year.

Thoughts?

May 29, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive back Thomas DeCoud (28) stretches during organized team activities at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes on slow news days, I like to break out the hypotheticals.  On top of that, I also like to be a little optimistic.  So let’s look at the best case scenario would be for the Falcons for the rest of the Offseason.

As of right now, there is 87 days, 0 hours, 31 minutes and 33 seconds until the kickoff of the Falcons season.  And there are a lot of things that could happen by then.  But what are the best possible things that could take place, no matter how far of a reach they are?

Defense

The defense, despite how many yards were allowed, was actually pretty good last year in that they only allowed about 18 points per game ranking 4^th in the league.  However, there were still some major concerns about how Atlanta could blow a 17 point lead and miss going to the Super Bowl.  One of those problems was in the pass rush.

What if John Abraham was able to forgive Atlanta for letting him go and resign for a couple million dollars?  He already knows the defense and being a situational pass rusher paired with Osi would make the Defensive end position a lock.

What if Atlanta signed Richard Seymour to a two year deal for only a few million?  In a great rotation, Seymour could stay rested and max out his productivity.  The line would all of a sudden be a non issue.

Mike Nolan and Mike Smith have been in communication with Clemson University trying to figure out the best way to stop the option.  Mike Nolan could get some great ideas while fixing some major schemes.  The first option team that crosses Atlanta’s path could be in for a rude awakening when people like Akeem Dent (who would end up having a breakout season as a major middle linebacker) and Steven Nickolas (Who led the team in tackles last season) was all of a sudden swarming anyone with a ball.

I think the safeties are and Corners are a lock while Robert Alford, Robert McClain, Asante Samuel, and Desmond Trufant rotate in and out to stay as fresh as possible against some major passing threats.

If everything goes well, Atlanta could be a lean, mean, turnover machine.

Offense

I think the players on the offensive side of the ball are all set.  I would love to see Mike Johnson step up and practice catching touchdowns a few times.  Garret Reynolds would be an even bigger improvement than he was the short time he played in 2012, and Peter Konz shows off why many projected him to be the best center in the draft with a season under his belt and back at his most comfortable position.

Matt Ryan works on strength again and finds the ability to throw 60 yards touchdowns while Julio and Roddy drop almost no passes.  Steven Jackson, who is already accredited for having the body of a 22-year-old, proves that there is no age wall with him.  Also Harry Douglas never stutters again.

Overall, the one thing that could really keep the Falcons on top is if this little possibility happened:

NO INJURIES.

I obviously can’t predict zero injuries, every team has them, but if we are talking best case scenarios and being hypothetical, how awesome would this team be if no one ever got hurt?

What are your dream changes for the rest of the offseason?

May 29, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson (39) takes a hand off from quarterback Matt Ryan (2) during organized team activities at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Championship teams play football for 60 minutes…

Atlanta’s dilemma last year was that they only played for 30.

Finishing games is just as important as getting off to a hot start, but, I’m sure Mike Smith and every other head coach currently in the NFL knows this. It’s a philosophy heavily-preached in every locker room, and the top teams can get it done on a consistent basis. The Falcons set out to solve the problem by adding Steven Jackson to the offense; However, some think the acquisition is insignificant for a couple of reasons…

1. He will be 30 when the season starts.

2. He’s almost 30.

He will be 30 by the time the season starts, and even the best of running backs tend to fall off around that age, so most don’t see him as a upgrade to Turner who was also his 30′s before being released. But, what the detractors of this move don’t seem to understand is that Atlanta is not in dire need of a 2,000 yard rusher. Jackson is the starting back on a offense that features Matt Ryan and the strongest receiving core in the NFL… So Jackson won’t have to carry the team, just the ball.

Jackson also brings with him a work ethic similar to future HOF’er Tony Gonzalez. I’ve seen photos of him at the OTA’s and to say he looks ‘rock-solid’ would be a understatement. His blue-collar approach to the game fits in well with the Falcons and it’s safe to say he plans on being in top shape for the duration of his contract, which is more than what I could say for Turner. Jackson may not have the top-5 ability that he showed early in his career at St. Louis, but he brings with him a skill-set that will keep an aggressive defense honest.

He (still) has the power and shiftiness to create his own holes, which takes pressure off the O-line to create gaping lanes on every run play. The run game is key to winning the 2nd-half of football games and it pays to have a back that can get creative as the O-line wears down over the course of the game. He fights for every yard, which will be key for converting those 3-and-2′s or 1′s. He also won’t have to come out on obvious passing downs seeing as he catches and blocks well.

Also, lets not forget the experience he has against NFC West teams. The Seahawks and the Niners at the moment are the only two teams that stand in the way of a Falcons Super Bowl and he’s terrorized those two teams for years. Ask Patrick Willis how tough he is to bring down.

With that being said I still think Mike Smith will resist using Jackson heavily at the beginning of games in order to keep him fresh for the season and the playoffs, similar to what they did with Turner. As a matter of fact the game plan won’t change that much from when we had Turner…Jackson does open up the playbook and helps the team in more ways than one, but I’m sure Smith and Dirk Koetter will save their best for the post-season. Steven Jackson comes in with the responsibility of converting tough yardage and  keeping Atlanta’s defense off the field in the 2nd-half. Because while we have some Pro-Bowl talent on that side of the ball, this is far from the 2001 Ravens or Steel Curtain-type unit.

Does Atlanta need a 2,000 yard rusher to get to the Super Bowl? No, but a big year shouldn’t be out of the question. Curtis Martin and Ladainian Tomlinson are a couple of examples of backs who were productive their 10th year in the league. At best I expect a 1300/15 TD season from him. Like I mentioned earlier, we don’t need him to carry the team…

Only the football