Thomas Dimitroff, A New Spin....

[JDFIII]

2008:

1. Matt Ryan

2. Sam Baker

3. Curtis Lofton

4. Chevis Jackson

5. Harry Douglas

6. Thomas DeCoud

7. Robert James

8. Kroy Beirmann

9. Thomas Brown

10. Wilfrey Fontenot

11. Keith Zinger

2009:

1. Peria Jerry

2. William Moore

3. Christopher Owens

4. Lawrence Sidbury

5. Garrett Reynolds

6. Spencer Adkins

7. Vance Walker

2010:

1. Sean Weatherspoon

2. Corey Peters

3. Mike Johnson

4. Joe Hawley

5. Dominique Franks

6. Kerry Meier

7. Shaun Schillinger

2011:

1. Julio Jones

2. Akeem Dent

3. Jacquizz Rodgers

4. Matt Bosher

5. Andrew Jackson

6. Cliff Mathews

Hits:

Matt Ryan, Curtis Lofton, Harry Douglas, Kroy Beirmann, William Moore, Vance Walker, Sean Weatherspoon, Corey Peters, Shaun Schillinger, Julio Jones, Jacquizz Rodgers, Matt Bosher

Misses:

Chevis Jackson, Peria Jerry, Robert James, Thomas Brown, Wilfrey Fontenot, Keith Zinger,

Still To Be Determined:

Sam Baker, Thomas DeCoud, Christopher Owens, Lawrence Sidbury, Garrett Reynolds, Spencer Adkins, Mike Johnson, Joe Hawley, Dominique Franks, Kerry Meier, Akeem Dent, Andrew Jackson, Cliff Matthews

Will Probably Find Out This Year:

Baker, DeCoud, Owens, Franks, Dent, Sidbury, Matthews

I write all this to put a new spin on the view of our General Manager, Thomas Dimitroff. I do not think he deserves the criticism he has received from the board here. He has a good hit rate. He has missed on 2, (assuming Baker doesn’t step up this year), #1 picks so far. That is the big black eye here. I would say he has hit or could hit, if the players step up, on many 5^th or later round picks. That is the sign of a great talent evaluator. I think we have the right guy in place. He has done a good job filling our teams needs with the $ and picks available to him. Is there room for improvement? Yes, of course there is. Can you name me any GM that doesn’t have misses or have room for improvement? What is your grade for our GM?

Edited April 2, 2012 by JDFIII

[Ethos]

A positive thread? That won't sit well here.

[xSICKxWITHxITx]

2008:

1. Matt Ryan

2. Sam Baker

3. Curtis Lofton

4. Chevis Jackson

5. Harry Douglas

6. Thomas DeCoud

7. Robert James

8. Kroy Beirmann

9. Thomas Brown

10. Wilfrey Fontenot

11. Keith Zinger

2009:

1. Peria Jerry

2. William Moore

3. Christopher Owens

4. Lawrence Sidbury

5. Garrett Reynolds

6. Spencer Adkins

7. Vance Walker

2010:

1. Sean Weatherspoon

2. Corey Peters

3. Mike Johnson

4. Joe Hawley

5. Dominique Franks

6. Kerry Meier

7. Shaun Schillinger

2011:

1. Julio Jones

2. Akeem Dent

3. Jacquizz Rodgers

4. Matt Bosher

5. Andrew Jackson

6. Cliff Mathews

Hits:

Matt Ryan, Curtis Lofton, Harry Douglas, Thomas Decoud, Kroy Beirmann, William Moore, Vance Walker, Sean Weatherspoon, Corey Peters, Shaun Schillinger, Julio Jones, Jacquizz Rodgers, Matt Bosher

Misses:

Chevis Jackson, Peria Jerry, Robert James, Thomas Brown, Wilfrey Fontenot, Keith Zinger,

Still To Be Determined:

Sam Baker, Thomas DeCoud, Christopher Owens, Lawrence Sidbury, Garrett Reynolds, Spencer Adkins, Mike Johnson, Joe Hawley, Dominique Franks, Kerry Meier, Akeem Dent, Andrew Jackson, Cliff Matthews

Will Probably Find Out This Year:

Baker, DeCoud, Owens, Franks, Dent, Sidbury, Matthews

I write all this to put a new spin on the view of our General Manager, Thomas Dimitroff. I do not think he deserves the criticism he has received from the board here. He has a good hit rate. He has missed on 2, (assuming Baker doesn’t step up this year), #1 picks so far. That is the big black eye here. I would say he has hit or could hit, if the players step up, on many 5^th or later round picks. That is the sign of a great talent evaluator. I think we have the right guy in place. He has done a good job filling our teams needs with the $ and picks available to him. Is there room for improvement? Yes, of course there is. Can you name me any GM that doesn’t have misses or have room for improvement? What is your grade for our GM?

Keith Zinger retired early was nothing more than a role player, Jerry hasn't been Healthy and James hasn't seen the field.

[hjerry]

You have Decoud in hits and still to be determined, and i'd probably switch Baker and Jerry. Jerry gets another season, but Baker is done.

[Falcanuck]

I'd also like to point out that (for the most part) TDs "misses" have come in late rounds. Baker and Jerry are the only real misses in my mind.

[JDFIII]

Yeah, I just hear so many detractors on this board. In the national view, he is highly regarded and we are already getting apathetic with he and Smith IMO.

[Culain_04]

yea you have to switch Baker and Jerry. Baker is a miss, Jerry gets one more year but I believe he is a miss also, I didn't want him I felt his age, and the fact he was always hurt in college was a big problem. whats gonna suck and be awesome at the same time is if changing the Coordinators really does make most of these guys good players.

[Smiler11]

TD is very good at finding players in all rounds who can contribute. He hasn't picked too many superstars though, outside of maybe Ryan and Spoon.

[vel]

TD is very good at finding players in all rounds who can contribute. He hasn't picked too many superstars though, outside of maybe Ryan and Spoon.

I agree but I chalk this up to lack of coaches who can develop. Most superstars taken after #20 need some coaching. This means a higher ceiling but also a lower floor. With our prior coaches, the result would have been closer to the floor, like it has been already. But TD circumvented this problem by taking higher floor, lower ceiling players. As a result, he had to pass on players because in Atlanta, they probably don't reach their potential like they are elsewhere. He hasn't drafted many busts from pure talent standpoint, they busted due to injury (Baker, Jerry). I think with a fully filled out roster and better coaching, he can get a little more aggressive in the draft now.

[JulioisCoolio]

People don't realize that the hit rate for 1st rounders is only like 48% to begin with. They think every 1st rounder should be a hit just because they are a 1st rounder.