PTCFalcon Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 It is well documented that we need an elite left tackle. All the best qb's have one (or want one). Unlike most board, I think baker is ok when healthy, but health has been problem often. So, after reviewing team needs for those that have the best left tackles, there are not a lot of good match ups for us to trade.Do you think browns (since they are rebuilding franchise) would trade Joe Thomas. They have a high enough draft pick this year to get a good left tackle if they needed to. If they would, what would it take (and based on thier needs), would they take grimes, turner, baker? If not, would they take this if we add a future draft pick?Just a thought.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phattywankenobi Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 It is well documented that we need an elite left tackle. All the best qb's have one (or want one). Unlike most board, I think baker is ok when healthy, but health has been problem often. So, after reviewing team needs for those that have the best left tackles, there are not a lot of good match ups for us to trade.Do you think browns (since they are rebuilding franchise) would trade Joe Thomas. They have a high enough draft pick this year to get a good left tackle if they needed to.If they would, what would it take (and based on thier needs), would they take grimes, turner, baker? If not, would they take this if we add a future draft pick?Just a thought....Typically if you have an elite blindside tackle you don't let him go under most situations. The best thing to do is draft one and draft him high. That key position is almost the equivalent of letting a good to great QB walk. Somebody might want to tell the Saints that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTCFalcon Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Agree. A team would definately have to overpay for a left tackle. But is it worth it. And I am a grimes, turner and baker fan ( when healthy). But, if it takes browns 3 more years to rebuild, Thomas is 30, would getting alot for your most valuable asset make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTCFalcon Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Semper.... I agree. I think grimes is the 1st round pick (and corner is a big need). I think grimes would be attractive to them, just dont know about rest. They need a right tackle now. So baker could be right tackle and they draft high enough for left. I agree with you that a future pick would probably have to be part of deal. I am ok with that. Then take a rb and corner with 2nd and 3rd pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Rob 64 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 What Would It Take To Get Elite Left Tackle?TD would have to know one when he sees one, for starters.Then he would have to actually care about acquiring him.Neither is likely to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Typically the really good LTs get traded when they holdout or simply want to leave thier team. I don't know that either applies to Thomas.Holmgren is too good a GM to make such a lopsided trade as Grimes Turner and Baker. No way would he want that cap hit and the players you propose simply are not good enough or are too old or replacable..To get one of these good LTs a team usually has to expend a high draft pick, though some can be found in the 2nd round if you have time to develop them. If TD makes a commitment to rebuilding our O line with some first and second round picks and avoid making desperation picks like Baker, we might have a good O line, one day. Edited March 23, 2012 by egoprime II Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 TD would have to know one when he sees one, for starters.Then he would have to actually care about acquiring him.Neither is likely to happen.I see more and more fans calling TD's talent evaluation skills into question. Thats good, otherwise we might end up firing Smitty instead of TD, the guy who is really responsible for our talent shortfalls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Rob 64 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I see more and more fans calling TD's talent evaluation skills into question. Thats good, otherwise we might end up firing Smitty instead of TD, the guy who is really responsible for our talent shortfalls.I'm jus' gettin' warmed up heah.If I was half the poster I was 5 years ago, I'd take a FLAMETHROWAH TA THIS PLAAaace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Doktor Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Elite money, or an elite trade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Elite money, or an elite trade.Yeah, we have been seeing what happens when you go cheap on the O line.One observation, when Steve Bartkowski threw for 32 TDs in 1980, his WRs were Alfred Jenkins, Wallace Francis, Alred Jackson and Billy Ryckman, all either other teams cuts signed as free agents or late round picks. Our TE was 1st rd Junior Miller. Our O line consisted of 1st rd picks Mike Kenn and Warren Bryant, 2nd rd pick RC Thielemann and 3rd rd pick Dave Scott. Only C Jeff Van Note was a late draft pick. Kenn Thielemann and Van Note were Pro Bowlers. It is no accident a former blocking back named William Andrews had some great years running behind that O line.As you can see it does not take a great corps of receivers to have a great passing game. But you sure do need that O line. We need one, and it should be TDs priority to make that happen. Edited March 23, 2012 by egoprime II Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Doktor Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Totally agree. You win and lose in the trenches. Period. All the weapons amount to zilch if your QB is pulling turf out of his *** crack all day long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Totally agree. You win and lose in the trenches. Period. All the weapons amount to zilch if your QB is pulling turf out of his *** crack all day long.Think about this...Bart got 32 TDs with his receivers. Ryan got 29 with his bad O line. What if Ryan had Barts O line? Wow.....We have spent tons of high picks on WR and on CB (still took a UDFA and high priced FA to finally get two starters, pathetic), and on D line (Abe and Babs good, Jerry and Anderson not so good), But just one first (Baker), one second (Blaylock) and one third (Johnson) on our O line in 11 off seasons?Falcons need a big time change to thier draft philosophy that is for sure! Edited March 23, 2012 by egoprime II Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Exploder Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I don't think any of the best QB's have elite left tackles.Matt Light is okay, but far from elite.Chad Clifton is okay, but far from elite.Marcus McNeil is very good.Jason Peters is elite.Other than that, I would say the best QB's have very questionable left tackles.Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Matthew Stafford, Matt Schaub, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco... none of these guys have great left tackles. I think it's a severely overrated commodity in the league. Sure, it's great to have a guy that can hold down the blind side, but you don't need to have a blue chip talent to succeed.I mean look at the QB's the Joe Thomas, Jake Long, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Ryan Clady, and Trent Williams have been blocking for recently... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cali_fan420 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 A blockbuster trade that would net the Atlanta Falcons a pick high enough in the first round of this years draft to select Matt Kalil. /sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaigle Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Why is everyone saying TD this and TD that,It's Smith's call if Smith says I need or I want a LT it's TD job to get it.TD is just a procurement agent Edited March 23, 2012 by delaigle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootee Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 That's an easy answer. Finish 3-13 next year. That should give us the second pick in the 2013 draft. Draft the elite LT that we want and need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaigle Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 That's an easy answer. Finish 3-13 next year. That should give us the second pick in the 2013 draft. Draft the elite LT that we want and need.OR you can go 13-3 --then bundle all of your 2013 picks for a high 1stal la 2011 and J Jones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl927 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 All we need to have an elite LT is five pounds of 'roids and an arm transplant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Rob 64 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 All we need to have an elite LT is five pounds of 'roids and an arm transplant.Baker needs a heart transplant, a pride infusion, a desire-stimulant, and a mean-streak injection more than he needs longer arms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBeattz Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Or we use our next chunk of cap space to sign a solid LT. We're going to keep seeing the playoffs, so we wont be able to draft an elite LT without trading up. FA might be the best bet. But if we wait for one to come available in FA, he probably wont be elite. So it's probably best to start stockpiling future picks so we can trade up for one in the next year or 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootee Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Yeah you could be right. We do have a historical precedence for doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McMVP Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Just for the record, Jason Peters isn't for sale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Baker needs a heart transplant, a pride infusion, a desire-stimulant, and a mean-streak injection more than he needs longer arms.If he hasn't found one yet, maybe Baker needs a wife. Baker is in his contract year and you know a wife would be all over him to be working out and improving his game so he can get that big money long term deal to keep her in new cars good food and a nice home. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoprime II Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 You usually need to use a top 10 pick to get an elite left tackle. If you get one in FA you're going to pay an arm, a leg, and another arm. The last time we took a left tackle as a top 10 draft pick was Lincoln Kennedy in 1993. Kennedy eventually became a pro bowl tackle for the Raiders.Baker was a 2nd round talent at best. TD panicked and traded up to get him in the 1st after a run on tackles in the 2008 draft. I think if we can afford him and he's healthy, Marcus McNeill is our best option. Dude was a pro bowl left tackle for the Chargers before his injury.Some folks on these boards keep saying McNiell is too expensive and injury prone. Its all BS. Because its a rare NFL player that has not had an injury at some point. And if we sign McNiell and he is not worth his contract, its simple...he gets released. Just like any other player who cannot play to the expected level. My thing is, TRY...no one can blame TD for every player who doesn't pan out but we sure can blame him for not trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFanForLife Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Yeah, we have been seeing what happens when you go cheap on the O line.One observation, when Steve Bartkowski threw for 32 TDs in 1980, his WRs were Alfred Jenkins, Wallace Francis, Alred Jackson and Billy Ryckman, all either other teams cuts signed as free agents or late round picks. Our TE was 1st rd Junior Miller. Our O line consisted of 1st rd picks Mike Kenn and Warren Bryant, 2nd rd pick RC Thielemann and 3rd rd pick Dave Scott. Only C Jeff Van Note was a late draft pick. Kenn Thielemann and Van Note were Pro Bowlers. It is no accident a former blocking back named William Andrews had some great years running behind that O line.As you can see it does not take a great corps of receivers to have a great passing game. But you sure do need that O line. We need one, and it should be TDs priority to make that happen.Yeah guys if you didn't watch the team back in this time frame, I would just like to add that egoprime has an excellent point here. Not only did this line allow Bartkowski to have an excellent deep passing game, but these were the years that William Andrews looked like he could be a HOF candidate if he had not blown out his knee. Mike Kenn in particular, was the best LT in the NFL IMHO during many years here. When Mike Kenn was drafted, he actually changed the entire way the NFL started viewing LTs in general. Specifically, he was known for having very long arms to stop the outside speed rushers that were coming into vogue back then.My entire point here is we just HAVE to get more serious here in Atlanta on improving this O-line even if it means we start using very high picks on the position as we did with Baker the first year TD was here. I know he has declined quite a bit, but I think injury has contributed to that. The guy was playing well his rookie year IMHO.TD GET THIS O-LINE FIXED PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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