You're Mike Smith: 2014 Preseason

[BankerBird™]

Granted, with the exception of only a few key players (e.g. Ryan, Julio, Roddy, Worrilow, Spoon, Trufant, etc.), no one has a clue yet what the final Falcons 53-man roster will look like in 2014 (not to mention the impact the Draft will have on the roster.) However, just for the sake of discussion, given the number of players we're expecting to return from injury next season, I'm curious to know, if you were Mike Smith, how would you approach the preseason as it relates to playing time for certain players?

Would the number of injuries the team has incurred this season make you less hesitant to play them (perhaps at the expense of the starting offense and defense not being fully in-sync by Week 1?) Or, would the pressure of not making the playoffs this year - knowing that Arthur Blank has, thus far anyway, committed to keeping you on only for the 2014 season - make you more determined to ensure your starters are clicking like a well-oiled machine coming right out the gate?

Discuss...

[Guest fibonacci]

Mike Smith will bring ewing back. That should tell you enough of what he will do and how he is.

[vabchbirdlover]

Granted, with the exception of only a few key players (e.g. Ryan, Julio, Roddy, Worrilow, Spoon, Trufant, etc.), no one has a clue yet what the final Falcons 53-man roster will look like in 2014 (not to mention the impact the Draft will have on the roster.) However, just for the sake of discussion, given the number of players we're expecting to return from injury next season, I'm curious to know, if you were Mike Smith, how would you approach the preseason as it relates to playing time for certain players?

Would the number of injuries the team has incurred this season make you less hesitant to play them (perhaps at the expense of the starting offense and defense not being fully in-sync by Week 1?) Or, would the pressure of not making the playoffs this year - knowing that Arthur Blank has, thus far anyway, committed to keeping you on only for the 2014 season - make you more determined to ensure your starters are clicking like a well-oiled machine coming right out the gate?

Discuss...

Personally, I would use MR, JJ, Spoon, Worrilow, Tru sparingly, save them for the opening bell.

[sdogg]

Whatever the wrong decision is, Smith is guaranteed to make it.

[TrueFalcon316]

Worrilow? When he become a key player? I understand he had back to back 19 tackle games but he doesn't make big plays, no int, tackles for lost he makes tackles after 4 or 5 gains that's not a game changer player y'all overrating another player.

[Reginald VelJohnson]

First thing I do: put on a bra.

[BankerBird™]

Worrilow? When he become a key player? I understand he had back to back 19 tackle games but he doesn't make big plays, no int, tackles for lost he makes tackles after 4 or 5 gains that's not a game changer player y'all overrating another player.

Man, you guys kill me hating on Worrilow. The guy's first job is to tackle. Period. Which is more than you can say about some other guys on our defense. Besides, doesn't sound tackling technique prevent "big plays" from happening?

[cnasty]

Man, you guys kill me hating on Worrilow. The guy's first job is to tackle. Period. Which is more than you can say about some other guys on our defense. Besides, doesn't sound tackling technique prevent "big plays" from happening?

True story. He looks good on our defense, but that may only be for the fact that our defense doesn't look too good.

[JBender]

Man, you guys kill me hating on Worrilow. The guy's first job is to tackle. Period. Which is more than you can say about some other guys on our defense. Besides, doesn't sound tackling technique prevent "big plays" from happening?

BB you could say the same of Lofton. Tackling was the one thing Lofton did well but coverage was another matter. I like Worrilow but he is nothing special at this point.

[BankerBird™]

BB you could say the same of Lofton. Tackling was the one thing Lofton did well but coverage was another matter. I like Worrilow but he is nothing special at this point.

I agree and will grant you that. All I'm saying is, fundamentally speaking, Worrilow makes tackles, and most big plays involve tackling first and foremost.

[Bluedawg 1]

play them all and play to win !

[slamee101]

Preseason is just as important according to some here. If we lose those it's an indication that we're going to have a bad season so he needs to play those guys MORE in the preseason if you ask me.

Seriously though, guys have to get reps in preseason to try and get up to game speed against competition. Practice helps but it's not the same. Roddy wasn't right after that injury in Baltimore and neither was Asante so injuries like that may weigh on him but in the end you're going to have to take some risk by having guys out there. A guy getting injured 5 mins. into the 2nd or 3rd preseason game isn't something you can second guess, despite the fact that armchair coaches and GMs will do so.

I'd guess they'd probably play Julio sparingly though depending on where his foot is at that time.

[dmite]

I wouldn't be worried about any of that! I'd be on a beach somewhere soaking in the rays living off my guaranteed money!

[JOEinPHX]

Mike Smith will bring ewing back. That should tell you enough of what he will do and how he is.

Of course he'll bring Ewing back, health permitting. The guys a fifth rounder on a rookie contract. He'll also stack him against some competition, see if he can go, see if he can stay healthy, and then make the right decision at cut-down time.

Those are the smart moves, the ones Smitty will make.

Your agenda is showing.

.

[Boogie Man]

I wouldn't need the 2014 preseason to evaluate anyone on the current roster. I'd be using the last few garbage games for that.

[thamill]

Whatever the decision is, this board will endlessly criticize it.

fixed

[Thiccolas Cage]

I do not see a high rate of turnover with our roster especially with key components coming back. Out of the players we lost I can see Bierman, Ewing, and JJ making the roster the next go round with Johnson on the bubble.

Cuts: Snelling, Trueblood, Dent(?), Nich, Jerry, Jackson(?), Mass/Matthews(?), DiMarco, Samuel, Johnson

Roster as of my belief with holes to fill:

QB: MR, DD

RB: Quizz, Smith, Vaughan, Jackson(?)

FB: Ewing

WR: White, Jones, Douglas, Davis, Johnson, Cone

OT: Baker, Holmes, Schraeder, Jones

C: Hawley

RG: KONZ

LG: Blalock, Gunn

TE: Coffman, Toilolo

23/24 players. Leaving us short of 3/4 on the current depth chart: OFFENSE

RE: Osi, Maponga

DT: Babs, Peters, Robertson

LE: Mass or Matthews (?)(one of them will be ghost), Goodman

CB: Tru, Alford, McClain

LB: Spoon, Worrilow, Bartu, Dent(?)

Safties: DeCoud, Moore, Ishmael, Motta (I personally think safety should be addressed somehow)

18 players. Leaving us short 3 on the current depth chart: DEFENSE

ST: Bryant, Bosher, Harris

All three remain the same.

Based on this scenario it is possible that most of our team would come from the draft with maybe 1 or 2 surprise cuts filled in by a vet from FA. I do not think this is a roster I would keep personally but if I were M. Smith, I would bet we keep these players with a couple of question marks.

[PokerSteve]

The starters get very few reps where the whole 11-person unit is intact during preseason games because you're always mixing in other players to see how they perform with the top group. Couple that with the fact there aren't many opportunities to even practice in pads anymore, and I think we'll see Mike Smith playing his starters in preseason games a lot more this coming year than previously. He really can not afford for the team to stumble out of the gate. The constant media speculation about his job security would quickly become a major distraction if that happens. So, I'm sure he'll try to have his starters revved and ready as possible for the opening bell, risk of injury be damned. In the final analysis though I think the thing Mike Smith needs to do to save his job is to grow and evolve past his super-safe, timid, obsolescent, play-not-to-lose Smittyball roots. Smittyball is not going to get this team to the play-offs next year and, failing to evolve into a more aggressive, complex and creative scheme on both sides of the ball will ultimately spell Smith's demise at the end of 2014.

[lee sunset]

Just win baby! (RIP Al Davis)

[Mega Flare]

Promote Nolan to head coach.

[Eye of the Falcon]

Reginald VelJohnson---"first thing I do: put on a bra"

You could say the same for the OL and DL

Edited December 5, 2013 by Eye of the Falcon

[Macintez]

If I'm Mike Smith, I'm throwing all caution to the wind. I'm leaving it up to the players to take care and protect themselves. In other words, there will be no holding back. As a matter of fact, before we even step out on the field for the first practice I would gather all the players for a meeting. I would tell them that they will have to caution themselves throughout the offseason and training camp. When the first game of the season comes, we will come out guns blazing. If you get injured, you get injured. We can't afford to hold anything back and while we won't be practicing at gamespeed, I will be critiquing my players with an absurd amount of detail as if we were in a game. Right now, we have a lot riding on this season, more than any other season that I've been here. Mr. Blank will not settle for losing in this organization. We need leaders to step up and help push their teammates by being more vocal and less laxed. We will do our job by making sure that we put you in a position where you can make a play and contribute to the success of this team. I say success because I'm not settling for a playoff spot or one or two wins...There's no point in playing this game if you're not in it for a championship. If we feel the product we put on the field is not championship caliber, we will make WHATEVER changes necessary to get to that level. So you guys better be analyzing yourselves and your play.

I can go on but I'm tired...

[Guest]

If I'm Mike Smith in 2014 Im hoping I sell a car this week or someone hires me as a coordinator.

[Guest fibonacci]

Of course he'll bring Ewing back, health permitting. The guys a fifth rounder on a rookie contract. He'll also stack him against some competition, see if he can go, see if he can stay healthy, and then make the right decision at cut-down time.

Those are the smart moves, the ones Smitty will make.

Your agenda is showing.

.

Smith Agenda was showing with keeping inuried players year after year. No way Norwood should have lasted as long as he did. 3 years under Smith.

and don't get me wrong. I like guys like Ewing and Norwood, but when a guy is hurt over and over...... ummm it's time to go.

[egoprime II]

Granted, with the exception of only a few key players (e.g. Ryan, Julio, Roddy, Worrilow, Spoon, Trufant, etc.), no one has a clue yet what the final Falcons 53-man roster will look like in 2014 (not to mention the impact the Draft will have on the roster.) However, just for the sake of discussion, given the number of players we're expecting to return from injury next season, I'm curious to know, if you were Mike Smith, how would you approach the preseason as it relates to playing time for certain players?

Would the number of injuries the team has incurred this season make you less hesitant to play them (perhaps at the expense of the starting offense and defense not being fully in-sync by Week 1?) Or, would the pressure of not making the playoffs this year - knowing that Arthur Blank has, thus far anyway, committed to keeping you on only for the 2014 season - make you more determined to ensure your starters are clicking like a well-oiled machine coming right out the gate?

Discuss...

Our O line figures to be much different next season, they need to work together. As PokerSteve pointed out, with the CBA limiting practices, the preseason games become even more important in building team cohesion especially on our O line and on the defense.

We need to play Ryan so that all our WRs are in sync. SJax needs to be sat down a lot.

And we do need to let our backup QB play a bit more behind our starting O line. I think our O linemen get spoiled by Ryan's quick read quick release game. A different QB who takes longer to throw the ball is what the linemen need so they can learn to hold thier blocks longer.