rcky_mtn_falcon

I read that somewhere as well, but not able to find it now. Found it Quinn gives Falcons pass-fail minicamp exam D. Orlando Ledbetter The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 6:30 p.m Tuesday, June 13, 2017 Atlanta Falcons June 13, 2017, Flowery Branch: Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan greets running backs Devonta Freeman (left) and Tevin Coleman during the first day of mini-camp on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Flowery Branch. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com FLOWERY BRANCH On the first day of the Falcons minicamp, coach Dan Quinn surprised the team with a pass-or-fail exam. He pulled his assistant coaches off the field, yanking the safety net from under the backups and reserves trying to make the team. “We want to stress them out as much as we can, honestly,” Quinn said after Tuesday’s workout. “That’s the game that we live in.” With no assistants on the field, the players had to demonstrate that they knew the nuances the playbook. Normally, coaches are behind the players, yelling instructions and adjustments. But with the staff on the sidelines, the players were left to show what they knew. “(Being on the sideline) is not the same,” Quinn said. “So we want to make sure and actually find out what they know.” Grades: not so bad. On one offensive play, quarterback Alek Torgersen, an undrafted rookie from Penn, didn’t like what he saw on a pass play. He pulled the ball down twice before running outside and throwing the ball away. He may been spooked by ghost coverage or a bad route. Later, Torgersen bounced back to hit wide receiver Reggie Davis on a deep pass for a long gainer. “Man, am I impressed with the rookie class and how far they’ve come in one month’s time,” Quinn said. “It’s a huge time for us to assess where they are at in terms of their knowledge offensively, defensively and on (special) teams.” Normally, Quinn waits until the third day of minicamp to pull the coaches off the field. “We felt like we were ready to find out about this group,” Quinn said. “They put their best foot forward. We are going to do it each day. Keep the coaches on the sideline and substitute and go through a normal game.” The Falcons also brought in referees to call penalties during the 11-on-11 portion of practice. There were several flags. “It was terrific having the game officials here today to go through the whole process,” Quinn said. “Procedure penalties, moving the ball back and going through the whole thing.” Quinn called out several performances. “Offensively, I was very pleased with the running game today,” Quinn said. “We saw (Brian) Hill, we saw (B.J.) Daniels carry. Offensive line, I’m anxious to see more of those guys. There is a big group that we played in two spots.” There were some standouts on defense as well. “Defensively, it was good to see (defensive end) J’Terius Jones as a pass rusher,” Quinn said. “He’s somebody who has caught our attention.” Coaches are still juggling players in the secondary. “We tried some different people in the secondary at different spots,” Quinn said. “We learned a lot today. We love the versatility that we’ve created with guys at different spots.” The Falcons also had a big emphasis on special teams. “We devoted some extra time toward that, especially in punt. We wanted to get a better look at different guys at different spots,” Quinn said. Wide receiver Andre Roberts and Justin Hardy are the leaders to win vacant punt return job. The team’s former returner, Eric Weems, signed with Tennessee in free agency. “I was particularly encouraged by the kicking today,” Quinn said. “I thought Matt (Bryant) looked great and Mike (Meyer) did a nice job as well.” Shortly before the minicamp’s first practice, the Falcons released linebacker Darius English and gave defensive end Martin Ifedi a tryout. English, the former South Carolina and McEachern High product, wanted to move on with his life. Ifedi had been with the Falcons for parts of the past two seasons. First-round pick Takkarist McKinley can join the team when UCLA’s quarter ends Thursday, meaning he’ll miss the minicamp. Wide receiver Julio Jones (foot) and defensive end Adrian Clayborn (biceps) worked on the sideline while reserve offensive lineman Trevor Robinson has been excused from the offseason program to deal with a family issue. He’ll return to the team for training camp.

The fact that they have to "explain" why he had a better season only goes to show that he didn't. My eyes told a totally different story, and so did the eyes of every one else that actually paid attention.

The Atlanta Falcons defense now playing in 3D and iMax (pain) at stadiums near you.

I remember Graham filling in nicely for us and we'll have to see what free agent kickers are available after cuts, but if you look at free agent kickers right now it's pretty slim pickings. I pretty much agree on all of that, I would never want to spend higher than a 6th round pick on a kicker, and I'm certainly fine with an UDFA. The way it usually works is a guy bounces around the league for 4 or 5 years on different teams and then when some team decides it's time to move on from their veteran the younger guys get a shot. All I'm saying is I wouldn't mind having one on the PS that we develop specifically for us.

That's not a great idea either. I wouldn't mind having a kicker brought in on the PS. If Bryant hit the wall like Elam our whole season could come down to available free agent kickers. I certainly wouldn't want to draft one for need because you might end up with a bad season or 2 as they develop like we did with Matt Prater and Tampa did with Roberto Aguayo. I would love for Bryant to be able to play as long as Anderson. That would give us another 3 or 4 years, but I don't know how likely that is either.

Funny thing is last year at this time everyone was bemoaning all of the former GM's we had hired into the front office. Everyone of those guys had been promoted to be GM's of teams based on actual experience and talent. Just because they might not have cut it as GM's doesn't mean they weren't useful. Now we're reaping the benefits of loading up on talented evaluators and a coaching staff with a clear vision of traits needed for each position.

not sure why you kept King and eliminate Olatoye, only say that because Olatoye played well, and we have no idea what we have in King you've cut Ishmael as a DB but he was moved to LB, LB is going to be really tough to keep down to just 6, especially if Beasley is listed as a OLB again this year, Laroy Reynolds played really well on ST but I think Jermaine Grace will be trying to take that spot, Keyes is trying to make the jump from PS, straight dogfight at LB after having no depth at all 2 years ago. WOW talk about churning the roster. it's going to be tough getting down to 53 for sure though

We didn't resign Wheeler, so he won't stay regardless.

It's the most talented / deepest we've had in our entire history. It's a great time to be a fan.

Uh yeah, the Falcons won their first playoff game against the Eagles in 1978, then lost to the Cowboys.

Au contraire, I would be fine winning every game 56 - 0. I want to inflict as much pain and mental anguish as possible on every team we face, and leave absolutely no doubt. For once in this teams existence I want to be the undisputed kings of the NFL. Let's break out the hickory stick and beat the ever loving crap out of the NFL.

With the entire rookie class. Wow, before we even have our first rookie mini-camp we get them all locked up. http://atlantafalcons.blog.ajc.com/2017/05/11/falcons-sign-rest-of-2017-draft-class/ Now, all six members of the 2017 draft class have reached deals with the team. Damontae Kazee and Sean Harlow had previously reached deals with the Falcons. The Falcons traded up five spots to get McKinley, the defensive end from Richmond, CA, who played in 28 games for UCLA after playing a season at Contra Costa College. McKinley transferred to UCLA in 2014 and recorded 99 total tackles, 28.0 tackles for loss, 16.0 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 10 passes defensed over his three-year collegiate career. Riley was the fifth player from LSU general manager Thomas Dimitroff drafted during his tenure which dates back to 2008. The 6-1, 230-pound linebacker played in 50 games with 13 starts for the Tigers over four years. Hill is a 6-1, 219 pound running back who describes his running style as “violent.” He ran for over 4,287 yards on 775 carries during his career at Wyoming. Saubert earned his fourth All-Pioneer-Football League selection after being named first-team PFL in 2016. Here’s a breakdown of the class: FIRST ROUND (26th overall) TAKKARIST McKINLEY, DE/LB, UCLA HEIGHT: 6-foot-2 WEIGHT: 250 pounds ARM LENGTH: 33 3/8 inches HAND SIZE: 10 1/4 inches 40-YARD DASH: 4.59 seconds BENCH PRESS: 24 reps of 225 pounds VERTICALJUMP: 33 inches BROAD JUMP: 10 feet, 2 inches THREE-CONE DRILL: 7.48 seconds ■ OVERVIEW: He was a two-year starter for the Bruins after overcoming some early academic issues. He lined up at left and right defensive end in the Bruins’ four-man front, standing up and putting his hand on the ground. He was a legitimate candidate for Pac-12 defensive player of the year last season with 10 sacks.“McKinley has the explosive pass-rush potential to terrorize NFL quarterbacks, projecting in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes,” wrote Dan Brugler in his 2017 NFL draft report. THIRD ROUND (75th overall) DUKE RILEY, LB, LSU HEIGHT: 6-foot-1 WEIGHT: 230 pounds ARM LENGTH: 32 inches HAND SIZE: 9 1/4 inches 40-YARD DASH: 4.58 seconds BENCH PRESS: 18 reps of 225 pounds VERTICALJUMP: 34 1/2 inches BROAD JUMP:10 feet, 2 inches THREE-CONE DRILL: 6.89 seconds ■ OVERVIEW: He was a three-star recruit coming out of John Curtis High in Bursa, La., and picked LSU over TCU and Tulane. The offer from the Tigers was a grayshirt opportunity, but the week before signing day, LSU upgraded the offer to a full scholarship. He committed on the spot. He spent his freshman season on special teams and recorded seven tackles. Riley earned his first career start as a sophomore, but most of his playing time was on special teams, posting 20 tackles. Riley moved into the starting lineup last season and led LSU with 93 tackles, adding nine tackles for loss, two passes defended and one interception. FOURTH ROUND (136rd overall) SEAN HARLOW, OG, OREGON STATE HEIGHT: 6-foot-4 WEIGHT: 305 pounds ARM LENGTH: 32 inches HAND SIZE: 9 1/2 inches 40-YARD DASH: 5.15 seconds BENCH PRESS: 26 reps of 225 pounds VERTICALJUMP: 30 1/2 nches BROAD JUMP: 8 feet, 9 inches THREE-CONE DRILL: 8.16 seconds ■ OVERVIEW: The San Clemente, Calif., native started 37 games for the Beavers, including 23 at left tackle and 14 at right tackle. He will be asked to play guard for the Falcons. He knows Falcons running back Terron Ward from his days at Oregon State and Falcons tight end Austin Hooper. His father, Pat Harlow, was the 11th pick in the 1991 draft and played for the Patriots and the Raiders from 1991-98. He’s a relentless hustle player who needs to refine his techniques for his move to guard. He graduated with a degree in human development and family sciences in December. He was a team captain. He helped the Beavers set a single-season rushing record with 5.2 yards per carry. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference second team. FIFTH ROUND (149th overall) DAMONTAE KAZEE, CB/FS, SAN DIEGO STATE HEIGHT: 5-foot-10 WEIGHT: 184 pounds ARM LENGTH: 30 7/8 inches HAND SIZE: 8 5/8 inches 40-YARD DASH: 4.54.15 seconds BENCH PRESS: 11 reps of 225 pounds VERTICALJUMP: 34 inches BROAD JUMP: 10 feet, 4 inches THREE-CONE DRILL: 7.11 seconds ■ OVERVIEW: The Falcons told him he would play some nickel back and safety in the defense. He redshirted and was a reserve in 2013. He made 13 starts in 2014 and led the team with 14 passes defended, adding 58 tackles and one interception to earn second-team All-Mountain West Conference honors. He was named an All-American and Mountain West defensive player of the year in 2015, with a team-best 15 passes defended and eight interceptions. Kazee returned for his senior season and again earned All-American status and won the conference defensive player-of-the-year honors with 65 tackles, 15 passes defended and seven interceptions. His brother, Walter, was a running back at San Diego State (2009-12). FIFTH ROUND (156th overall) BRIAN HILL, RB, WYOMING HEIGHT: 6-foot-1 WEIGHT: 219 pounds ARM LENGTH: 31 3/8 inches HAND SIZE: 8 7/8 inches 40-YARD DASH: 4.48 seconds BENCH PRESS: 15 reps of 225 pounds VERTICALJUMP: 34 inches BROAD JUMP: 10 feet, 5 inches THREE-CONE DRILL: 7.03 seconds ■ OVERVIEW: He played in 38 games and made 28 starts over his career. He rushed for 4,287 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry while scoring 35 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 41 passes for 403 yards over his career. He was a two-year starter rushing for 135.9 yards per game as a sophomore and 132.9 yards per game as a junior. He runs well off tackle and can bounce his runs to the outside. He runs with toughness and has vision in the open field. FIFTH ROUND (174th overall) ERIC SAUBERT, TE, DRAKE HEIGHT: 6-foot-4 WEIGHT: 242 pounds ARM LENGTH: 33 1/2 inches HAND SIZE: 10 3/8 inches 40-YARD DASH: 4.67 seconds BENCH PRESS:22 reps of 225 pounds VERTICALJUMP: 35 1/2 inches (Pro Day) BROAD JUMP: 10 feet, 1 inches THREE-CONE DRILL: 7.29 seconds ■ OVERVIEW: He played in 41 games and made 37 starts over his career. He caught 190 passes for 2,253 yards and 21 touchdowns. Saubert lined up in the slot, wing and out wide in the Bulldogs’ spread offense. He finished among the top FCS receiving leaders at tight end the past two seasons. He’ll have to improve his blocking to make it in the NFL.

We selected Favre at the top of the 2nd round and traded him a year later for a first founder. Sadly we used that pick on Tony Smith. Sadder still flipping a former 2nd round pick a year later for a 1st round pick isn't the worst move this franchise ever made. The moment I heard that we'd traded Favre was the moment that I lost all confidence in Glanville. From there on it was just clown shoes for the next decade. As it turns out Favre may have drank himself to death in Atlanta, but who knows what might have happened if Glanville didn't run the most dysfunctional locker room in probably league history, or if Glanville didn't get his panties in a wad when he didn't get his way with personnel. D@mn you Gazoo, you caused me to have flashbacks.

I wasn't trying to be a jerk, I guess I should have just explained the scheduling format. This is how they know the teams that you'll face as soon as the season is over.

You really need to look at how the schedule is determined. we play 6 games in our division 4 against an NFC division (not our own) 4 against an AFC division and the final two are played against the other 2 NFC divisions and the teams that finished in the same position as we did. if we finished in the cellar we would play the cellar dweller from those divisions, if we were 3rd then we play the 3rd place teams, and so on, it just so happens we finished first so we play against the 1st place teams from those 2 divisions