The Center Position??

[Bobby.Digital]

1 hour ago, kiwifalcon said:

This is my contention so in your eyes your gut'stelling you this as I'm sure a lot of the mainstream has also looked at the games you have seen and ar not rating him that highly off the bat.

If only the mainstream was always right......

[thanat0s]

3 hours ago, Bobby.Digital said:

Nah dude Mack was bad this year. If your thinking he can get back to his own form that's one thing but I'm assuming you think he had a good year based on him making the probowl. Which history has shown is reputation based espically on the Oline. 

We just have to disagree on that. 

[etherdome]

Center is our number one need.  Without an upgrade at that position, we will kiss another season good bye.  This off season will feature a number of free agent Centers that fit into our blocking scheme.

 

Alex Mack - A multiple pro-bowler.  He will be expensive, but would also be a stalwart for the next four seasons.  That would give the Falcons a few seasons to draft a Center and develop him slowly.

 

Stevan Wisniewski - A solid Center will the skills to work in a ZBS.  I don't know if he has played in a ZBS, but I believe that he could anchor the middle of the line and do a far better job than any of our roster guys.

 

Ben Jones - A UGA product that has been playing in Houston's ZBS and doing a good job.  He is young and experienced.  I think that he provides great bang for the buck.  He won't demand more than $4million/year and can probably be counted on for years and years.   

 

Tony Bergstrom - A third-round pick that was drafted for Oakland's ZBS.  He is the odd man out now, because the Raiders have switched to a power blocking scheme.  I don't know if we can count on him to be a perfect fit, but he is probably better than what we have today.  

 

We need to sign one of the above-mentioned guys first and foremost.  If we draft another Center, fine, but we need a good Center now.   

[MAD597]

Bad play at center cost us 4 games this season, draft a center in the first 3 rounds and sign a quality vet center. Honestly we need to stop dicking around with the OL and fix it once and for all. 

[LookAboutFalcon]

We have been searching for a center since Todd McClure left after the 2012 season.  I agree with Etherdome, that the center position is the number one need for this team and if we don't address it this off season and go with duck tape and spit again it will be 2014 and 2015 all over again.

[autigerfan]

While I agree that upgrading the center position this offseason should be our #1 priority, I don't think Mack is the most desirable solution.  We will soon have to pay Schraeder, top flight money, not to mention we have Levitre eating a significant chunk of change.  I would sign one of the second tier centers like Wisniewski (whom I had in my mock offseason) or Ben Jones.  We don't need a world beater but someone that is solid and durable ala Todd McClure will do.  

[Adam25]

On ‎2016‎-‎02‎-‎01 at 7:55 PM, Bobby.Digital said:

Im honestly amazed how overrated Alex Mack is on this board. His play has fell off big time. 

Mike Matthews is the answer. I know he's a rookie but he's a stud prospect imo. 

Overrated Alex Mack might be, but he's light years better than what we have right now. Also, Mike Matthews isn't ready to be an NFL starter. A much better option is Nick Martin out of Notre Dame. The dude is going to be an instant starter in the league and will probably an all-pro. We can land him with our second round pick as well.

[Adam25]

Drafting Nick Martin out of Notre Dame makes a ton of sense with our second round pick. Add to the youth of the OL and can be had with our second round pick. He had a really good showing at the senior bowl and Mayock said he solidified his self as a second round pick all day. I think he fits our OL well and that way we could address OG in FA. I think we'd have to keep one of Chester or LeVitre, but a remake of the whole interior might be hard to do in one off-season.

[FalconFanSince1970]

Dimi inherited the second best center in franchise history. He declined to bring him back when his contract expired in 2012, after confirming he wanted to come back. I heard a radio interview with Tyson Clabo last week who said Mud Duck was the glue on that Oline. Dude lasted through four regimes.

Dimi chose to roll with the two centers he drafted. One in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, after passing on TATF fav Geno Atkins. Then he passed on Lavonte David and double dipped in 2012 with King Konz, who was passed over by every other team and might be out of the league now.

For some reason buddy let both of them go and went with Missing Person and R Stone. Now yall boys are saying we need to sign an aging $8M center who would be our fifth starter in five years. WTF?

State Line.

[Bobby.Digital]

1 hour ago, Adam25 said:

Overrated Alex Mack might be, but he's light years better than what we have right now. Also, Mike Matthews isn't ready to be an NFL starter. A much better option is Nick Martin out of Notre Dame. The dude is going to be an instant starter in the league and will probably an all-pro. We can land him with our second round pick as well.

Alot of centers are light years better than what we have. Doesn't mean you have to spending top center money on a declining player who is coming off a pretty bad year. It's a desperate move. 

 

As far as Matthews is concerned. I believe he can start day 1. He's being slept on for whatever reason. He's a really good prospect. I like Martin as well and wouldn't be mad if we chose him in the 2nd or 3rd. 

Edited February 3, 2016 by Bobby.Digital

[Adam25]

40 minutes ago, Bobby.Digital said:

Alot of centers are light years better than what we have. Doesn't mean you have to spending top center money on a declining player who is coming off a pretty bad year. It's a desperate move. 

 

As far as Matthews is concerned. I believe he can start day 1. He's being slept on for whatever reason. He's a really good prospect. I like Martin as well and wouldn't be mad if we chose him in the 2nd or 3rd. 

He graded out as a 75.6 on PFF and while it's not AMAZING it's better than average. Also, declining ? Also according to PFF at the beginning of the season he was by far the best C in the league. He had one bad year and was coming off of a back injury. I'm not saying fork out 8 million for him because I'm not, but he's in no way as "horrible" as you're making him out to be. Nick Martin is my first option this year. He's being slept on because he gets tossed around das a C and needs to add strength, he isn't good in the run game and has tight hips from what I've read, he's a project player for sure.

[Bobby.Digital]

4 hours ago, Adam25 said:

He graded out as a 75.6 on PFF and while it's not AMAZING it's better than average. Also, declining ? Also according to PFF at the beginning of the season he was by far the best C in the league. He had one bad year and was coming off of a back injury. I'm not saying fork out 8 million for him because I'm not, but he's in no way as "horrible" as you're making him out to be. Nick Martin is my first option this year. He's being slept on because he gets tossed around das a C and needs to add strength, he isn't good in the run game and has tight hips from what I've read, he's a project player for sure.

It's PFF. The same PFF that called his probowl nomination undeserving. Secondly I never called him horrible although I did say he is declining and had a bad year (according to Brown fans). Just read this thread http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=575004&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30 

If anything he played better later in the year or as the Brown fan said "sucked less".  Another gave him a C+ grade on the year. To the people that have watched his entire career he defiently had a down year. Some would say he sucked. But its clear he wasn't anything more than average. In that thread most are repeating what I'm saying. Someone will overpay him based on his reputation. Hopefully we aren't that team. 

 

As for Matthews can you show me any evidence of him being "tossed around" because I haven't seen it. For example both games against Bama the last two years he held up extremely well. Very  impressive tape. His size may look like an issue on paper however you wouldn't know watching him play. Plus they're multiple centers who have excelled playing under 300 pounds. Jeff Saturday, Kevin Mawae, Olin Krutz, Nick Hardwick etc. He's a rock in pass pro but needs to refine his technique in the run game. It has nothing to do with having "stiff hips" which I don't see at all. Even with that being said it's not like he's bad in the run game he's actually pretty solid but like all prospects he has some things he can work on. He's a day 1 starter imo. I think he might be slept on for his lack of versatility. He's strictly a C in the NFL. 

 

Edited February 3, 2016 by Bobby.Digital

[etherdome]

5 hours ago, Adam25 said:

Drafting Nick Martin out of Notre Dame makes a ton of sense with our second round pick. Add to the youth of the OL and can be had with our second round pick. He had a really good showing at the senior bowl and Mayock said he solidified his self as a second round pick all day. I think he fits our OL well and that way we could address OG in FA. I think we'd have to keep one of Chester or LeVitre, but a remake of the whole interior might be hard to do in one off-season.

I hate to repeat myself but "Center is our number one priority".  

We can plan to draft a player like Martin in the second round, but what if we see him drafted ahead of us?  Are we really willing to go into another season without a reliable Center?  

In my opinion, we should go into this draft with our staring Center already on the roster.

[gazoo]

I STRONGLY urge the Falcons to get their starting center in free agency. Geno is a fine backup, but no way do I want him starting. We can draft one as well, but OL repair is a critical urgent need to fix, no rolling of the dice assuming a rookie is going to step in please.

Let's  not forget about Peter Konz who everyone in the world thought at the time was an outstanding pick by TD and would immediately be out starting center for years to come. Of course, with the advantage of retrospect, many Falocns fans forgot all about how much they liked him and continue to beat up TD for the pick even to this day. If you go to NFL.com and look up Konz profile, you'll see literally hundreds of Falcon fans comments after the draft celebrating the acquisition of Konz.

DRAFT ANALYSIS:

Mayock's take: "Another one of those plug-and-play offensive lineman who is coached so well. The only downside is that not once in three years did he complete a season without missing a game, so injury has to be a concern. But I think he starts Day 1 in Atlanta."

 

• 6'5"HEIGHT
• 33"ARM LENGTH
• 314LBS.WEIGHT
• 9 1/4"HANDS

OVERVIEW

Konz is the premier center in this year's draft, and his selection will likely be solely based off team needs toward the end of the first round. He has a massive frame for the center position but has impressive knee bend, which allows him to play the position effectively. He made all the calls at the line and was the centerpiece of a dominant Wisconsin line loaded with NFL size and talent.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Konz looks natural sitting in his stance and swiveling his head to make all the line calls, which is impressive given his uncommon height. He is a smooth athlete who has demonstrated the ability to uncoil his hips into defenders and blow them back to create quick holes in the run game. Konz is a smart player who picks up stunts well and uses his strength and anchor to sit and stall any oncoming bull rushers. He works fluidly with his guards when pulling and sealing. He has all the tools to be an elite center for years to come.  

[delaigle]

They've Drafted 1 QB, 2 OTs, 1 DT, 1 CB, 1 DE, 1 LB, 1 WR  in the first rnd and expected them to start immediately

Question  Why does everyone want to draft a rookie center AND sign a vet????

Get Kelly in rnd 1 and throw him in there

[AndySG]

If we signed Kelly in round one with the number of defensive playmakers likely to be on the board then I would cry. 

[delaigle]

4 minutes ago, AndySG said:

If we signed Kelly in round one with the number of defensive playmakers likely to be on the board then I would cry. 

I know they will not

  But I would---so  many D players some will fall to rnd 2  but Kelly will not and there are some other good centers but i think Kelly stands above them 

and no I'm a UGA fan + WF + (small) Berry   not a fan of Ala.

[Adam25]

4 hours ago, etherdome said:

I hate to repeat myself but "Center is our number one priority".  

We can plan to draft a player like Martin in the second round, but what if we see him drafted ahead of us?  Are we really willing to go into another season without a reliable Center?  

In my opinion, we should go into this draft with our staring Center already on the roster.

Center is a pretty big need, but this draft has 3 or 4 that could come in and start, I'm sure they won't put all their eggs in one basket and pray for Nick Martin. It's a suggesting of adding the youth to the OL while signing a vet OG to maintain the group. Someone like Alex Boone...

[gazoo]

11 hours ago, autigerfan said:

While I agree that upgrading the center position this offseason should be our #1 priority, I don't think Mack is the most desirable solution.  We will soon have to pay Schraeder, top flight money, not to mention we have Levitre eating a significant chunk of change.  I would sign one of the second tier centers like Wisniewski (whom I had in my mock offseason) or Ben Jones.  We don't need a world beater but someone that is solid and durable ala Todd McClure will do.  

This is exactly how I see it. No need to sign the all word budget buster, plenty of second tier vets we can sign in free agency and we can also draft a young center to develop. I do not want Geno starting, although think he's a fine backup.

[DoYouSeeWhatHappensLarry]

9 hours ago, FalconFanSince1970 said:

Dimi inherited the second best center in franchise history. He declined to bring him back when his contract expired in 2012, after confirming he wanted to come back. I heard a radio interview with Tyson Clabo last week who said Mud Duck was the glue on that Oline. Dude lasted through four regimes.

Dimi chose to roll with the two centers he drafted. One in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, after passing on TATF fav Geno Atkins. Then he passed on Lavonte David and double dipped in 2012 with King Konz, who was passed over by every other team and might be out of the league now.

For some reason buddy let both of them go and went with Missing Person and R Stone. Now yall boys are saying we need to sign an aging $8M center who would be our fifth starter in five years. WTF?

State Line.

Lavonte David was also passed over by every team in the league. And so was Vinny Curry. And Kelechi Osemele. And TY Hilton. 

Shut the **** up, Donny. 

[DoYouSeeWhatHappensLarry]

16 hours ago, Bobby.Digital said:

I think he signed that contract with the Jags but the Browns had the right to match and they did. 

Yep. Which is was a possibility from the moment he signed the Jacksonville deal.

Which is why the Jacksonville deal had a ton of guaranteed money up front, a player opt out after two years and a bunch of protections against franchise tagging later in the deal. 

 

[Adam25]

8 hours ago, Bobby.Digital said:

It's PFF. The same PFF that called his probowl nomination undeserving. Secondly I never called him horrible although I did say he is declining and had a bad year (according to Brown fans). Just read this thread http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=575004&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30 

If anything he played better later in the year or as the Brown fan said "sucked less".  Another gave him a C+ grade on the year. To the people that have watched his entire career he defiently had a down year. Some would say he sucked. But its clear he wasn't anything more than average. In that thread most are repeating what I'm saying. Someone will overpay him based on his reputation. Hopefully we aren't that team. 

 

As for Matthews can you show me any evidence of him being "tossed around" because I haven't seen it. For example both games against Bama the last two years he held up extremely well. Very  impressive tape. His size may look like an issue on paper however you wouldn't know watching him play. Plus they're multiple centers who have excelled playing under 300 pounds. Jeff Saturday, Kevin Mawae, Olin Krutz, Nick Hardwick etc. He's a rock in pass pro but needs to refine his technique in the run game. It has nothing to do with having "stiff hips" which I don't see at all. Even with that being said it's not like he's bad in the run game he's actually pretty solid but like all prospects he has some things he can work on. He's a day 1 starter imo. I think he might be slept on for his lack of versatility. He's strictly a C in the NFL. 

 

• 1/9/16: Matthews was solid overall, but he needs to get stronger and be more physical in order to pan out in the NFL.
  
  8/15/15: Matthews had an excellent start to the 2014 season against South Carolina. He was a good run-blocker and effective in pass protection. The only games that Matthews underwhelmed in were against Mississippi State and Alabama. The junior was generally very steady for the Aggies.
  
  Matthews took over at center in 2013 and had a quality season. He needs to add more strength for the NFL, which would help improve his effectiveness in the ground game. Matthews could become a solid starter and looks like a nice fit for a zone-blocking scheme.
  
  Matthews is the son of NFL Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. Older brother Jake Matthews was Texas A&M's top lineman for a few years and the seventh-overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2014 NFL Draft. Another older brother, Kevin Matthews, was a 2-year starter at center for the Aggies (2008-2009).
  
  
   
• Read more at http://walterfootball.com/draft2016C.php#W8hBsF8eqFv5jcKO.99
  
  Stiff Hips was wrong, watched some tape on him (yes flame me for not watching before hand) He can get out and space and block. His game in 2014 vs South Carolina was phenomenal, his pass protection was great and his run game was too. Versus Bama in 2014 he had another real solid showing. He had one bad snap that almost caused a safety and Ragland's incredible interception was on Matthews as well. Other than that he looked real good, even though they didn't run the ball, when they did he showed some nastiness. Ole Miss in 2014 he was stout again, honestly, I went of some evaulations of other people/sites and they said he gets tossed around, I have't seen it to this point. I haven't found any tapes on 2015, but I'' definitely be looking out for them
  
  I actually agree that he could start in the NFL year one if he gets a bit stronger. He reminds me a ton of Weston Richburg who was underrated heading into last years draft I believe. All this being said, he's impressive, therefore I do think he'll go before the 7th, I'd almost take him in the fourth ?

[FalconFanSince1970]

2 hours ago, DoYouSeeWhatHappensLarry said:

Lavonte David was also passed over by every team in the league. And so was Vinny Curry. And Kelechi Osemele. And TY Hilton. 

Shut the **** up, Donny. 

We're not talking about other 31 teams counselor. We're talking about the Dimi built Falcons son. And you can bet your as we are the only team in the league who could have five different starting centers in a five year period. Now un hitch your lips from Dimi's scrotum and get back on ABF where you belong. 

Edit: Make that seven different starting centers in five seasons. And we still can't make it through a game without botching a snap. Admit it.  Dimi doesn't know Jacksht about building an Oline. Or a front seven for that matter. 

[Bobby.Digital]

1 hour ago, Adam25 said:

• 1/9/16: Matthews was solid overall, but he needs to get stronger and be more physical in order to pan out in the NFL.
  
  8/15/15: Matthews had an excellent start to the 2014 season against South Carolina. He was a good run-blocker and effective in pass protection. The only games that Matthews underwhelmed in were against Mississippi State and Alabama. The junior was generally very steady for the Aggies.
  
  Matthews took over at center in 2013 and had a quality season. He needs to add more strength for the NFL, which would help improve his effectiveness in the ground game. Matthews could become a solid starter and looks like a nice fit for a zone-blocking scheme.
  
  Matthews is the son of NFL Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. Older brother Jake Matthews was Texas A&M's top lineman for a few years and the seventh-overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2014 NFL Draft. Another older brother, Kevin Matthews, was a 2-year starter at center for the Aggies (2008-2009).
  
  
   
• Read more at http://walterfootball.com/draft2016C.php#W8hBsF8eqFv5jcKO.99
  
  Stiff Hips was wrong, watched some tape on him (yes flame me for not watching before hand) He can get out and space and block. His game in 2014 vs South Carolina was phenomenal, his pass protection was great and his run game was too. Versus Bama in 2014 he had another real solid showing. He had one bad snap that almost caused a safety and Ragland's incredible interception was on Matthews as well. Other than that he looked real good, even though they didn't run the ball, when they did he showed some nastiness. Ole Miss in 2014 he was stout again, honestly, I went of some evaulations of other people/sites and they said he gets tossed around, I have't seen it to this point. I haven't found any tapes on 2015, but I'' definitely be looking out for them
  
  I actually agree that he could start in the NFL year one if he gets a bit stronger. He reminds me a ton of Weston Richburg who was underrated heading into last years draft I believe. All this being said, he's impressive, therefore I do think he'll go before the 7th, I'd almost take him in the fourth ?

His game vs Bama this year was actually impressive to me. I find myself not agreeing with Walters evaluations alot of the time. Funny you metion Richburg because that's who Ive been saying he kind of reminds me of. Im honestly amazed at how Matthews is flying under the radar. He has the tape, school, and pedigree. I actually have a mid 2nd round grade on him and wouldn't be opposed to taking him in the 2nd. But I think because of his lack of versatility and this being a strong year for centers he should be avaliable in the 3rd or 4th. 

Edited February 3, 2016 by Bobby.Digital

[DoYouSeeWhatHappensLarry]

30 minutes ago, FalconFanSince1970 said:

We're not talking about other 31 teams counselor. We're talking about the Dimi built Falcons son. And you can bet your as we are the only team in the league who could have five different starting centers in a five year period. Now un hitch your lips from Dimi's scrotum and get back on ABF where you belong. 

Edit: Make that seven different starting centers in five seasons. And we still can't make it through a game without botching a snap. Admit it.  Dimi doesn't know Jacksht about building an Oline. Or a front seven for that matter. 

False. 

And if you're suggesting Center has been a long term problem for this team....well.....you'd be just as wrong as you always are. So I guess I'm not sure why I'd be surprised.