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Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff: 'We've definitely gotten better'


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Consecutive 7-9 campaigns for the Atlanta Falcons have put grand expectations and high stakes upon this upcoming season for general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn.

It's hardly news to the GM or anything he's avoiding.

"There are high expectations coming into this season," Dmitroff said on the Bird Noises podcast, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Everyone knows that. No one is shying away from that. Dan and myself included."

Looking to turn from the tribulations of two seasons past, it's been an offseason of significance where the roster is concerned.

Falcons mainstays such as tight end Austin Hooper, running back Devonta Freeman, pass rusher Vic Beasley and cornerback Desmond Trufant are gone.

New faces such as running back Todd Gurley, tight end Hayden Hurst, pass rusher Dante Fowler and first-round cornerback A.J. Terrell have arrived.

They are changes that Dimitroff believes have the Falcons poised to improve upon back-to-back seasons of struggles.  

 

"I feel like we've definitely gotten better," Dimitroff said. "Of course, we've lost some very good football players."

Atlanta, which also has safety Keanu Neal (Achilles), wide receiver Calvin Ridley (abdomen), guard James Carpenter (concussion) and defensive end Takkarist McKinley (shoulder) hopefully returning healthy, last made the playoffs in 2017, but has seemingly been in a stumble since it appeared in the Super Bowl the year prior.

With likely Hall of Fame talents Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, the time is now might well be a slogan for this flock.

Dmitroff believes the talent is in place and the growth of a winning foundation must follow.

"I do believe this is a very talented football team," Dimitroff said. "We need to continue to grow together as a football team. We need to continue to be consistent and work through things together."

NFL.com

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13 minutes ago, ya_boi_j said:

If Dirk learns from his run his run game errors and Quinn doesnt call any plays on defense, I honestly think we see a huge improvement 

I think we will too. But coaching and players might have to be exceptional to beat out the competition within the division and conference 😕

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1 minute ago, UnrealfalcoN said:

I think we will too. But coaching and players might have to be exceptional to beat out the competition within the division and conference 😕

I dunno. I've always been a best team shows up type. As good as some of the opponents are, they have the same job as the Falcons. Come up with a game plan and execute. Dont have to be world beaters. 

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Just now, ya_boi_j said:

I dunno. I've always been a best team shows up type. As good as some of the opponents are, they have the same job as the Falcons. Come up with a game plan and execute. Dont have to be world beaters. 

I'm much more optimistic. I like having high hopes!!

I see us surprising A LOT of folks by fielding another historic offense and top 5 defense. It;s just too quiet right now. Good quiet.

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2 minutes ago, ADAMSVILLE GYM said:

I'm much more optimistic. I like having high hopes!!

I see us surprising A LOT of folks by fielding another historic offense and top 5 defense. It;s just too quiet right now. Good quiet.

I could never be that optimistic lol. The potential is definitely there but injury history for the team in general is also there. Knowing that they don’t handle injuries well I keep those expectations tampered a little bit there’s nothing wrong with being overly optimistic 

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38 minutes ago, ya_boi_j said:

If Dirk learns from his run his run game errors and Quinn doesnt call any plays on defense doesn't do or say anything at all ever, I honestly think we see a huge improvement 

sorry couldn't help myself lol. We definitely did enough with the draft and FA to be a better team but NO is always a pain and TB obviously got better.

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We weren't that far away before this off-season. Between the injuries in 2018 and clueless use of personnel for seven weeks last year, we wasted two years of Matt and Julio's careers. I'm a DQ fan but when you have 7-9 seasons, coaching is ALWAYS the reason why. If you can win ~half of your games, the season comes down to a few blown plays, not injuries. Hopefully, the right lessons were learned and the right players developed into capable starters or competent depth. I'm happy with the off-season acquisitions but we really need Coach to go from being good to great if we're going to make noise.

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These are my best guesses as far as production/impact:

  • Hurst = Hooper 
  • Fowler > Beasley
  • Hennessy > Carpenter/Brown
  • Gurley > Freeman
  • Terrell = Trufant (Tru was pretty rough the past few seasons, AJ will take his lumps but be decent)
  • Full commitment to outsize zone > weird inside power staggered guards with zone tackles/C 10 times a game for 20 yards.
  • Walker ?? Campbell - hard to know, Campbell was pretty bad sometimes.
  • Davidson > Nickle DT's from last year; Davidson < Clayborn at 5tech DE
  • Keanu Neal > Backup SS lineups
  • 2020 Ridley > 2019 Ridley

All in all it appears we've made net positives at a lot of positions, and some breakevens that could have higher ceilings (Hurst's atheleticism could allow him to surpass Hoops production for example). We should have much better rotations and better scheme fits for our lines to allow more POA dominance.

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2 hours ago, ADAMSVILLE GYM said:

"I feel like we've definitely gotten better," Dimitroff said. "Of course, we've lost some very good football players."

Atlanta, which also has safety Keanu Neal (Achilles), wide receiver Calvin Ridley (abdomen), guard James Carpenter (concussion) and defensive end Takkarist McKinley (shoulder) hopefully returning healthy, last made the playoffs in 2017, but has seemingly been in a stumble since it appeared in the Super Bowl the year prior.

With likely Hall of Fame talents Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, the time is now might well be a slogan for this flock.

Dmitroff believes the talent is in place and the growth of a winning foundation must follow.

"I do believe this is a very talented football team," Dimitroff said. "We need to continue to grow together as a football team. We need to continue to be consistent and work through things together."

We're all pulling for the same thing it seems. This is a good, positive mental attitude.  

And from what I have seen, overall, TATF seems to feel positive as well.   

I really don't think TD is worried about his job.  He knows it's on the line & is doing what he can to make us better. 

As he should, he'll not live his life in fear.  

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2 hours ago, ATLFalcon36 said:

These are my best guesses as far as production/impact:

  • Hurst = Hooper 
  • Fowler > Beasley
  • Hennessy > Carpenter/Brown
  • Gurley > Freeman
  • Terrell = Trufant (Tru was pretty rough the past few seasons, AJ will take his lumps but be decent)
  • Full commitment to outsize zone > weird inside power staggered guards with zone tackles/C 10 times a game for 20 yards.
  • Walker ?? Campbell - hard to know, Campbell was pretty bad sometimes.
  • Davidson > Nickle DT's from last year; Davidson < Clayborn at 5tech DE
  • Keanu Neal > Backup SS lineups
  • 2020 Ridley > 2019 Ridley

All in all it appears we've made net positives at a lot of positions, and some breakevens that could have higher ceilings (Hurst's atheleticism could allow him to surpass Hoops production for example). We should have much better rotations and better scheme fits for our lines to allow more POA dominance.

Which leaves the unspoken X-factor and winner of this year's Rashede Hageman Untapped Beastmode Potential Award:

Will the Falcons decline Takkarist McKinley's 5th year option ...

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8 minutes ago, JayOzOne said:

Which leaves the unspoken X-factor and winner of this year's Rashede Hageman Untapped Beastmode Potential Award:

Will the Falcons decline Takkarist McKinley's 5th year option ...

As falcons fans we can only hope that Healthy 2020 Takk > Injured 2019 Takk

*cue "Abraham's groin style" lord please put your hands on Takk's shoulders prayer*

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No we haven't, skill positions are a wash, our secondary has some huge question marks and may just be to young at CB and our DL has as many questions as ever. Fowler has only had one decent year and our interior DL is still only Grady and a bunch of scrubs.

Combine that with our brutal schedule and this does not look like a team that's better than 7-9

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3 hours ago, HASHBROWN3 said:

really don't think TD is worried about his job.  He knows it's on the line & is doing what he can to make us better. 

As he should, he'll not live his life in fear.  

I have felt this pressure daily in the civilian workforce since I was discharged from the military in 1978. (Military is job security.)

Now I work part time to have somewhere to go and interact and afford my vices. 

But man, that 30 years of competition tired me out, but sharpened too.

You feel it. You do the same. It is in your words. Glad to be associated with you (And others.) on this board.

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