g-dawg Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 The Falcons need to win the race for Clowney By Mark BradleyIt’s time now for the Atlanta Falcons to get serious – about losing. They need to lose ’em all from here on. (Given that they’ve lost five in a row and eight of nine, that mightn’t be so hard to do.) They need to do this because they’re smack in the middle of the race for Jadeveon Clowney.As Chris Burke of SI.com notes, the Falcons are currently in line for the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft. (Houston is No. 1 and Jacksonville No. 2, though both are 2-9, just like the Falcons. Strength-of-schedule tiebreakers make the difference.) Burke projects that the Texans would take Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and the Jaguars would nab Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, which would leave Clowney to the Falcons.Which would be, in a word, dandy. The Falcons don’t need a quarterback. The Falcons need linemen of every sort on both offense and defense, but they need a pass rusher in the worst way. Clowney has had a strange season at South Carolina – he has been sick or hurt or uninspired for much of it – but he’s still the biggest pass-rushing talent to come along since … who, Bubba Smith?The nice thing about the Falcons having five consecutive winning seasons was, duh, that they had five consecutive winning seasons. The not-so-nice thing was that the only way they could land a top 10 draftee was by trading five other picks for him. This time their path to a difference-making draft pick is much straighter. They just have to keep losing, and they’ve gotten very good at that.Trouble is, they still might win a game or two. They face 4-7 Buffalo on Sunday in Canada, and on Dec. 15 they play host to Washington, which is 3-7. The difference between finishing 4-12 and 2-14 could be the difference between Jadeveon Clowney and C.J. Mosley, the Alabama linebacker. Not that Mosley isn't a great player and a splendid prospect, but Clowney is the bigger name -- and if you're about to drop those Personal Seat Licenses for the new stadium, a little sizzle could go a long way -- and the better fit.Time to stop -- apologies in advance -- clowning around. It should be Clowney or bust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest facelessman07 Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Only if we fire Ray Hamilton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOR Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I know people hate tanking. But were a top team in the NFL. We don't need to win for confidence. We should already have it.What we need is a chance to add top flight playmakers. Tnaking is our best option whether people like it or not. I honestly think the team realizes it too. The way we're playing doesnt just happen.You can't tell me winning out does anything to help this team. Get that number one pick and set us up for the next few years.Down for the clown! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOR Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Conspiracy alert! Maybe the team knows if we bench decoud and play antone and guys like that we might just win a squeeker.Maybe they play the guys they know suck on purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
octoslash Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiccolas Cage Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) Boy if we are in the position to take Clowney and this fool of a GM passes on him to take some flyer for some second round choir boy I am jumping ship until the FO is replaced with a new GM and Head Coach. Edited November 25, 2013 by Sit down Homer-Troll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BankerBird™ Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Hmm...so, in other words, the Falcons need to lose to win? Um, okay. And, what happens if Clowney is a bust? The history of the NFL Draft is replete with hyped-up first-round picks who sucked. All I'm saying is beware the hype around Clowney.Exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 I know people hate tanking. But were a top team in the NFL. We don't need to win for confidence. We should already have it.What we need is a chance to add top flight playmakers. Tnaking is our best option whether people like it or not. I honestly think the team realizes it too. The way we're playing doesnt just happen.You can't tell me winning out does anything to help this team. Get that number one pick and set us up for the next few years.Down for the clown!Falcons won't tank - but I think there is a reason that Arthur Blank came out so early giving "vote of confidence" to Dimitroff/Smith. It was a wink/nod thing which opened up Smitty's ability to play the young guys and back-ups from here on out - did you notice these two things somewhat coincided?You will see more Zeke Motta, more Levine Toilolo, more Antone Smith, more back-ups......Will that lead to more losses? not necessarily....Falcons won't try to lose - nor should they - but coaches know that their jobs are secure for one more year and that frees them up to make decisions with regards to playing time in that prism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 I hate this analogy - its weak1) Aundray Bruce was a linebacker.2) That was a crappy year's draft and there was no obvious #1 pick.3) The regime that drafted Bruce did not draft hardly any good players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiccolas Cage Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Falcons won't tank - but I think there is a reason that Arthur Blank came out so early giving "vote of confidence" to Dimitroff/Smith. It was a wink/nod thing which opened up Smitty's ability to play the young guys and back-ups from here on out - did you notice these two things somewhat coincided?You will see more Zeke Motta, more Levine Toilolo, more Antone Smith, more back-ups......Will that lead to more losses? not necessarily....Falcons won't try to lose - nor should they - but coaches know that their jobs are secure for one more year and that frees them up to make decisions with regards to playing time in that prism.I agree and I do not think that we should tank the rest of the season. I want the team to give it all they have on Sundays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHEC Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Hmm...so, in other words, the Falcons need to lose to win? Um, okay. And, what happens if Clowney is a bust? The history of the NFL Draft is replete with hyped-up first-round picks who sucked. All I'm saying is beware the hype around Clowney.Exactly!Anybody can be a bust, anybody can be a superstar. None of us can't predict how well a certain player does in the nfl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychic Gibbon Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I have seen the comparison to Bruce multiple times yet I see no similarities outside of they played the same position, or at least one of the positions Bruce played. So, someone please explain to me what similarities they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Pimp Named Slickback™ Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Who will be the fall guy around here if we take Clowney and he is a bust? So many post about Clowney like he is a lock to come into the NFL and tear ish up. He's a dice roll just like any one else. We need line help no doubt, but DT is a more pressing area of need on the D-Line. Take Clowney, but with no DTs collapsing the pocket, he won't do much better than the DEs we already have.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychic Gibbon Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Hmm...so, in other words, the Falcons need to lose to win? Um, okay. And, what happens if Clowney is a bust? The history of the NFL Draft is replete with hyped-up first-round picks who sucked. All I'm saying is beware the hype around Clowney.Exactly!What hype?! We have two things going on with Clowney: People who watch ESPN all day saying he's going to bust because he hasn't been lighting up the stat sheet this year so he must be lazy and selfish (instead of playing with bone spurs and strained ligaments in his feet and bruised ribs, what kind of lazy, selfish player plays with those lingering injuries?) and people on the other side (lets call them the anti-ESPN circlejerk) who think he'll bust because ESPN wouldn't stop playing that one clip where he blew up that Michigan player so he must be a one play flash in the pan player.It's ******* stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BankerBird™ Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Anybody can be a bust, anybody can be a superstar. None of us can't predict how well a certain player does in the nfl.And yet, all I keep reading on these boards is "Clowney. Clowney. Clowney." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 Who will be the fall guy around here if we take Clowney and he is a bust? So many post about Clowney like he is a lock to come into the NFL and tear ish up. He's a dice roll just like any one else. We need line help no doubt, but DT is a more pressing area of need on the D-Line. Take Clowney, but with no DTs collapsing the pocket, he won't do much better than the DEs we already have..so tell me what D-Ends are going to be terrors when we get a decent DT?Bierrman?Osi?Massaquoi?Matthews?Goodman?do tell.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOR Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Falcons won't tank - but I think there is a reason that Arthur Blank came out so early giving "vote of confidence" to Dimitroff/Smith. It was a wink/nod thing which opened up Smitty's ability to play the young guys and back-ups from here on out - did you notice these two things somewhat coincided?You will see more Zeke Motta, more Levine Toilolo, more Antone Smith, more back-ups......Will that lead to more losses? not necessarily....Falcons won't try to lose - nor should they - but coaches know that their jobs are secure for one more year and that frees them up to make decisions with regards to playing time in that prism.Exactly. That vote of confidence this early really only means one thing to me. See what we've got. Leave us a shot at a top pick. And dont worry if we happen to lose in the process.It was really just Blanks way of saying do whatever you want and need to get us more talent and evaluate what we have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiccolas Cage Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Isn't this years draft supposed to be deep with DTs? I would go to FA for Oline. Scoop Clowney in the first then go back-to-back DT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychic Gibbon Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Who will be the fall guy around here if we take Clowney and he is a bust? So many post about Clowney like he is a lock to come into the NFL and tear ish up. He's a dice roll just like any one else. We need line help no doubt, but DT is a more pressing area of need on the D-Line. Take Clowney, but with no DTs collapsing the pocket, he won't do much better than the DEs we already have..Why can't we do both? Re-sign Peters and move him to 3-tech DT where he's much better suited, get Soliai in free agency to replace Peters at 1-tech NT, draft Clowney to be the LEO DE/OLB, and then draft DaQuan Jones a bit later to be our two down 5-tech DE with a rotation with Goodman on passing downs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Tzu 7 Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I hate this analogy - its weak1) Aundray Bruce was a linebacker.2) That was a crappy year's draft and there was no obvious #1 pick.3) The regime that drafted Bruce did not draft hardly any good players.Yeah.For people that follow UGA... we've known about Clowney since his freshman year.... not a one year wonder like Jamaal Anderson was, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdz4i Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 "he has been sick or hurt or uninspired for much of it"uninspired reason enough to pass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconidae Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Who will be the fall guy around here if we take Clowney and he is a bust? So many post about Clowney like he is a lock to come into the NFL and tear ish up. He's a dice roll just like any one else. We need line help no doubt, but DT is a more pressing area of need on the D-Line. Take Clowney, but with no DTs collapsing the pocket, he won't do much better than the DEs we already have..Flip side is, Clowney is going to make DTs look better. Think the 2 major FA signings should be a solid DT and a solid OT to compete with/back up Holmes & Baker. Then, draft Clowney and use the second pick on a stud RG and this team is worlds better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOR Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I have seen the comparison to Bruce multiple times yet I see no similarities outside of they played the same position, or at least one of the positions Bruce played. So, someone please explain to me what similarities they have.Not much. People want to link two players together to justify their beliefs. Its a dumb thing to do.I'm not saying Clowney definitely wont bust, but bruce has no bearing on him.One player doesnt have any impact in another. Two different players. Two different skillsets. Two different time periods.I hate when people link things together. The universe reivents itself every second. Every situation is a new phenomenon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEIST Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 would take Mack or Mosley over Clowney @ number 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOR Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Flip side is, Clowney is going to make DTs look better. Think the 2 major FA signings should be a solid DT and a solid OT to compete with/back up Holmes & Baker. Then, draft Clowney and use the second pick on a stud RG and this team is worlds better.Yup. Soliai and Asomoah or Oher.Then draft gabe jackson or James hurst. Depending on if you fill og or RT in FA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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