FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons today signed rookie free agents, defensive tackle Trey Bryant and defensive end Rajon Henley.

Bryant, 6-2, 315 pounds, finished his collegiate career at Baylor having registered 80 tackles (42 solo), nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and three passes defensed. Last season, he posted 24 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack. In 2008, Bryant was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fall.

Henley, 6-3, 244 pounds, is a graduate of Texas Tech University. In 46 career games, he totaled 107 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and five passes defensed. Last season, Henley produced his highest sack total with five while contributing with 31 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four passes defensed. Following his sophomore season in 2007, he was voted an All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention after logging 52 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss.

Saturday, May 8 (First Practice)
Practice – 10:30 a.m. (Practice is open to the public, gates open at 9:30 a.m.)

Saturday, May 8 (Second Practice)
Practice – 4:15 p.m. (Practice is open to the public, gates open at 3:15 p.m.)

RELATED LINKS:

• ROSTERS: Click here for the updated Falcons roster
• DRAFT: Click here for 2010 Draft coverage from AF.com
• FAQ: Common questions about attending Mini Camp
• DIRECTIONS: Info and directions to Flowery Branch

Banks, 6-3, 243 pounds is a native of Memphis, Tennessee who transferred to Southern Mississippi from Coahoma Junior College. In two seasons at Southern Miss, he totaled 34 receptions for 462 yards and four touchdowns. In 2009, he recorded 29 catches for 375 yards and three scores. At Coahoma, Banks was a second-team North pick on offense by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College coaches.

Buckley, 6-1, 185 pounds, started the last two seasons under center for the Alcorn State Braves. He completed 315 of 611 career passes for 3,930 yards, 27 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. Buckley also added 725 career rushing yards. Last season, he set collegiate highs with 1,949 passing yards and 16 touchdowns.

Bush, 5-11, 195 pounds, is a native of Williston, South Carolina. He made 222 career tackles and scored three touchdowns as a senior at South Carolina State.

Daniels, 6-2, 190 pounds, totaled 66 career tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. Last season, he posted 42 stops, one interception and one fumble recovery. At East Bay High School, Daniels was an all-conference, all-county and Second-Team All-District in 5A selection.

Derricks, 6-3, 202 pounds, was a four-year starter on the Toreros’ secondary. Last season, he totaled 58 tackles (30 solo), one interception, two passes defensed and one forced fumble. Derricks was also named a two-time PFL first-team selection (2008-09).

Drescher, 6-1, 230 pounds, was only one of three players in Colorado history to handle long snapping duties for all four years on the team. For two consecutive spring seasons (2007-08), Drescher was the Iron Buffalo Award winner among specialists, which is awarded to players for hard work, dedication, toughness and total poundage in strength and conditioning.

Harvey, 6-4, 205 pounds, recorded 131 career receptions for 1,835 yards and 11 touchdowns at Villanova University. In his senior campaign last season, he led the team in receiving with 53 catches for 694 yards and five touchdowns.

Johnson, 6-3, 233 pounds, was an Academic All-Mountain West Conference award winner at Wyoming. He totaled 229 career tackles and last season, finished with 106 stops (43 solo), 13 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three interceptions, three passes defensed, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.

Lindholm, 5-9, 190 pounds, converted 15 of 18 field goals and 43 PATs for a total of 88 points last season at Tarleton State. He hit a 64-yard field goal as time expired (third longest in NCAA history) to send his team to overtime in the first round of the FCS playoffs against Texas A&M Kingsville.

Nance, 5-10, 218 pounds, totaled 482 rushes for 1,934 yards with 19 touchdowns and 63 receptions for 463 yards with one touchdown in his Arizona State career. He led the Sun Devils in rushing for two straight seasons (2008-09).

Palmer, 6-5, 260 pounds, is a local product from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He attended Parkview High School. In his career at Clemson, Palmer totaled 73 receptions for 825 yards and eight touchdowns. Last season, he set collegiate highs with 43 receptions for 507 yards and four scores.

Peek, 6-6, 255 pounds, was a member of Alabama’s 2009 National Championship team. The Ponte Vedra, Florida native recorded 19 receptions for 213 yards and one touchdown last season. Peek was a transfer from Georgia Tech following the 2007 season. He saw action in nine games during his freshman season with the Yellow Jackets and in 2007, he registered 25 receptions for 248 yards and one touchdown.

Stephens, 6-3, 255 pounds, totaled 40 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three passes defensed and two forced fumbles in two seasons (2008-09) at Ole Miss. Prior to transferring, he attended Blinn Junior College and earned second-team All-America honors by the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Wolfe, 6-2, 210 pounds, was the first-ever two-time first-team all-conference receiver in school history. He totaled 283 career receptions for 3,495 yards with 15 touchdowns and 35 rushes for 238 yards and one score with the Rebels. Last season, Wolfe led the team in receiving with 74 catches for 760 yards and two touchdowns.

Woods, 6-0, 245 pounds, totaled 277 tackles in his career at Troy. Last season, he set a collegiate-high with 143 stops, leading the team.

MORE 2010 NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• VIDEO: Press conferences, features and more from the Draft
• TRANSCRIPTS: Dimitroff Day One | Smith Day One | Dimitroff Day Two | Dimitroff Day Three
• WEATHERSPOON: Feature from ‘Spoon’s’ first day in Flowery Branch | Transcript
• BLOG UPDATES: J. Michael Moore updates pick-by-pick in the 2010 NFL Draft | Quick Hits
• DRAFTCAST: Exclusive video features from the first night of the Draft (Part 1 | Part 2)
• PRESSER: Sean Weatherspoon meets with the Atlanta media
• TWITTER: Follow the Falcons draft team on Twitter
• FACEBOOK: Support the Falcons as part of the Facebook family
• HOMEPAGE: Complete AF.com NFL Draft coverage

Opening Statement
“The final day of three and obviously a very busy three-day stretch here. We kicked off today focused on acquiring another offensive lineman who we feel is very versatile. Joe Hawley from UNLV is a center/guard, again versatility being the key for our offensive line acquisitions. That is very important for us going forward. After Joe Hawley we came back at 135 and traded up with St. Louis from 149. We had an opportunity to acquire a corner that, fortunately for us, dropped in the draft a great deal from where he was projected, in Dominique Franks from Oklahoma, an underclassman. He is a fast individual who brings us another good sized corner to throw into the competition in an improved secondary. We are looking forward to seeing how that competition works out with Dominique. He also has return skills which should not be understated. We felt that was a positive and worthy of our movement up to 135 from 149. After that we came back at 165 and went with a receiver in Kerry Meier from the University of Kansas. He is another very smart football player. He was a converted quarterback who has the skills. He has a nice set of hands. He is a very good concentration guy. He is a very smart football player who knows the field very well from his time at quarterback. We are looking forward to him competing for one of the receiver spots. He is a good size guy and a good target. You never can have enough of a receiver that is a legitimate target coming over the middle. Finally we finished off with another Montana guy for Kroy Biermann in Shann Schillinger. He was a safety that we were focused on a quite a bit. We brought him in here for one of our top 30 visits. He is a guy who we have a good feel for as far as his ability to move around and his speed. He is a fast guy, a 4.50 guy at 6’0, 200 lbs. and has the ability to fly around the field. He is a very smart player. He will hopefully have Kroy Biermann to help him out along the way to be one of his Montana brethren. This guy is going to compete for one of the spots at safety as well as be a legitimate potential core special teams guy.”

On Kerry Meier’s speed.
“He came in at a high 4.59 so he is right at the borderline into the 4.6’s. That’s good for a guy who is 220 lbs., a smart route runner and a guy who has a very nice feel on the field for getting to the open spot. Combine that with his concentration and hands. We were comfortable with that.”

Why did Dominique Franks fall to you?
“Interestingly enough I am not exactly sure why he fell. We have done a lot of work on the secondary and we always will. Year in and year out that will be a focus position for us. It just is in the NFL. It is important that you are dialed in on your secondary. As we all know, we saw some of the repercussions of challenging situations last year. That said, interestingly enough, I have had number of conversations with a number of teams who were really surprised that he did fall to that point. As you saw right after that, to me and our organization we did the right thing there because there was a real run on corners after that. If you look back, there might have been five or six corners who flew off the board and the idea that we were able to get a guy who has good size, has proven himself in a pass happy league, and he has very fluid movement was good. He has speed and he has return skills that we think we can improve upon.”

Have you talked to the Meier family about their loss and expressed your condolences?
“I haven’t talked to them personally, but I have talked to Kerry when we delivered the message that he was going to be picked. It is a very unfortunate and heartbreaking story. To be honest, I had that proverbial lump in the throat. I think it was one of those things that you could tell how happy and excited they were. I could hear his family in the background. My heart goes to the Meier family.”

Talk about not selecting a defensive end.
“We decided that with the movement up to us picking Sean Weatherspoon that we were going to go with a linebacker in the first round. Past that point there were a certain amount of defensive ends that we would have considered. It got to a point where you were talking about marquee pass rushers, people that we felt could be marquee players for years to come, those players usually go off the board quite a bit earlier than we might have considered. There were some good football players out there. There were other situations where other players might not have fit into our system. In the end, we feel very strongly about our young guys. We want to continue to develop Lawrence Sidbury. Obviously, Kroy Biermann is a guy who can get us legitimate pressure. We truly believe as an organization that John Abraham still has ability to get up the field, around the corner and to bend naturally. We are hoping through our continued concentration inside whether it is with Peria Jerry coming back or Corey Peters, that we are going to open up things on the outside a little bit. So as I mentioned before, there are a number of ways to eliminate the explosive plays in the pass and to improve our pass rush. Not just on the outside but through the inside, as well as being creative with linebacker blitzes. We have a linebacker who has just joined us through the draft who has legitimate speed and I think we can be creative going forward. In the end that is where our decision came in to focus on others spots.”

What position will Jamaal Anderson play in 2010?
“He is still going to be viewed as a defensive end/defensive tackle. He is going to be a guy that has versatility. Coach Smith has talked about times where there will be scenarios where he will be reduced and other times where he will be expected to be on the outside in a regular defense. We will be creative with our sub defenses as far as getting up field and who we feel are our best past rushers from play to play.”

Is Jamaal Anderson’s bulking up foreshadowing for a defensive tackle position?
“Prior to making our decision on drafting Corey Peters and how I mentioned yesterday on how important it was for us to have a deep rotation inside, Coach Smith did focus on Jamaal continuing to gain some weight. I think Jamaal is a very fit individual so I am sure that he is happy that he is not going to be forced to be a 300-pound interior guy solely. Again, versatility is the key with Jamaal and I think that he is in a spot where he can go either way. That is fortunate for us and him with the way the draft played out.”

What was the reaction to Tampa Bay’s first two selections?
“When Tampa Bay picked that second defensive tackle we all looked around the room saying that this will be a team to be reckoned with against the run. We are a power driving type of offense. Hopefully, Michael Turner will be back and we are counting on him being back 100 percent. We are counting on having some girth and toughness on the inside by adding depth on the offensive line through the guys we drafted. They are definitely going to be a team with a very challenging and talented defensive line.”

While drafting did you take notice of your divisional opponents?
“I think we do but that is not the driving force of what we do. It is a sidebar and a secondary issue that Coach Smith and I will look at and exchange a few comments on. It is not the driving force or a big point of conversation in the draft room.”

Talk about the Panthers drafting quarterback Jimmy Clausen.
“Well let’s face it, Charlie Weis is a fantastic coach and having been under Weis and his tutelage he is definitely pro-ready. I am never happy to see who we determine as being a good potential prospect in this league at the quarterback position going to a team in our division. Good for them that they got him, but obviously
we have to keep an eye on it closely.”

What is your overall synopsis of the draft class?
“Just before Mr. Blank left the building we sat down and opened up my multiple-scenario screen on my computer. I showed him the number one scenario was getting the exact positions that we got with the players that we truly targeted. I know that sounds almost like I am pumping that, but it is the truth. There might have been a player or two fall off, but usually what we do at each one of the positions is have one or two players that we truly target and we determine through a lot of analyzing where that player might be. We are not unrealistic about it. If we are looking at defensive tackle we are not going to have the top rated defensive tackle in that group, but we came away with everything that we were truly looking for. Not only from a position stand point, but all of these guys on this list were definitely targeted. We are very excited about having their skills on the field, but these guys are all outstanding individuals as well. They are guys that we feel are going to be very nice fits.”

Talk about some of the positions available at the end.
“It was incredibly refreshing. We had such great discussion and we really did pull back and look at everything. Today it was a lot easier to move some of those tags into an isolated area on the board that you are truly looking at going into the last three or four picks. The fact that we were able to contemplate from both sides of the board made it a lot easier and a lot less stressful. That makes the draft that much more enjoyable.”

Talk about potential undrafted free agents.
“There is no question that we have been thinking about that. That is an art within itself and Les Snead and his group do a great job at it. They are game planning on it right now in our draft room. It is obviously premature because when you are slotting your potential CFA’s those guys get picked. We had a few guys already come off our CFA board that were drafted. It is kind of interesting when you are in that draft room when that started happening with the gasps and the oh nos. There is a lot of work that goes into that as well and to your point there will probably be 11 or 12 CFAs that will come onto our campus here.”

Talk about Shann Schillinger’s position.
“He is a free safety with ability to be interchangeable, but most ideally he will be a free safety.”

Where will Joe Hawley play?
“He is a center/guard. He has played both. He started this year at guard and last year at center. He is quite adept at the shotgun snap which is important as well. Again we can’t stress versatility enough along the offensive line.”

Did Shann Schillinger have a serious injury as a senior?
“He had an injury, but not serious enough to make us not consider him. He was a very clean medical guy for us. We were very comfortable with that.”

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

Norwood, a 2006 third round draft pick by the Falcons, has totaled 373 rushes for 1,987 yards and seven touchdowns in his four seasons with the team. He has also contributed with 903 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns and ranks third in franchise history with 2,987 kickoff return yards.

In 2007, Norwood became the third player in NFL history to have his first three career touchdown runs each go over 60-plus yards. His 78-yard touchdown run against Arizona in Week 4 of the 2006 season is the second longest in club annals behind Warrick Dunn’s 90-yard touchdown rush the following week.

Koenen has spent six seasons in a Falcons uniform, serving as the team’s punter and kickoff specialist. He has totaled 366 punts for a 42.3 average and 362 kickoffs with 83 touchbacks.

Last season, Koenen ranked tied for second in the NFL with 28 touchbacks. He also tied a club record with five kickoff touchbacks in a game on two occasions, both against the Carolina Panthers.

Rader competed in two NFL seasons and saw action in six games with one start in 2008 with the Falcons.

Atlanta selected linebacker Sean Weatherspoon with its first round (19th overall) selection on day one. Weatherspoon was a standout linebacker at the University of Missouri where he started each of his final 41 games and recorded 413 career tackles (240 solo), 12.5 sacks, 43.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 17 passes defensed. In 2009, he was also named a second-team All-America selection and Butkus Award finalist.

With two third round picks on day two, the Falcons selected defensive tackle Corey Peters (83rd overall) out of Kentucky and offensive lineman Mike Johnson (98th overall) out of Alabama. In 2009, Peters posted career highs in tackles (49), tackles for loss (11) and sacks (tied with four). He was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection from 2007-09. Johnson was the unquestioned leader of the offensive line for Alabama’s 2009 National Championship team. Last season, he set the school record for games played with 54 while blocking for Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram. Johnson was also named a first-team All-America selection and first-team All-SEC pick in both 2008 and ’09.

On the third day of the draft, the Falcons made four selections including, center Joe Hawley (fourth round), cornerback Dominique Franks (fifth round), wide receiver Kerry Meier (fifth round) and safety Shann Schillinger (sixth round).

Hawley, 6-3, 310 pounds, is a versatile offensive lineman from UNLV who competed in 47 career games (33 starts). Last season, he started all 12 games at right guard and did not allow a sack. Hawley was also voted an honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference selection.

The Falcons made a trade with the St. Louis Rams to move ahead 14 slots in the fifth round and select cornerback Franks out of Oklahoma. Franks is a two-time All-Big 12 Conference selection (2008-09) as the Tulsa, Oklahoma native collected 95 career tackles (62 solo), six interceptions, 15 passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Two of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns as well as one fumble recovery. Franks also returned 29 career punts in his collegiate career for 346 yards and an average of 11.9 yards per return.

With their second pick in the fifth round (165th overall), the Falcons selected Meier, a wide receiver from Kanas. Meier caught 226 career passes for 2,309 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding 417 yards and six touchdowns on 118 carries. He also amassed 2,029 yards in total offense and 2,726 all-purpose yards. Kerry holds the school career record with 226 receptions, which also ranks eighth in Big-12 Conference history. In 2007, Meier became the first Kansas player to record a rushing, passing and receiving touchdown in the same season since Garfield Taylor in 1981.

With their lone selection in the sixth round and final pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Atlanta chose Shann Schillinger, a safety out of Montana. In 57 career games, he totaled 255 tackles, 10 interceptions and 19 passes defensed. In 2008, Schillinger was Montana’s leading tackler with 108 stops as he was named a second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection.

Below is a breakdown of Atlanta’s round-by-round picks in the 2010 NFL Draft.

^Falcons acquire St. Louis’ fifth round selection (135th overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft in exchange for selections in the fifth (149th overall) and sixth round (189th overall).
*Falcons acquire Detroit’s sixth round selection (171st overall) and a conditional pick in the 2011 NFL Draft in exchange for cornerback Chris Houston.

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

Opening Statement
“An interesting two rounds to say the least. We put a lot of time and energy into these two rounds. We felt very strongly about our first round pick, and with our 83rd pick, we wanted to continue to add more versatility and depth to our defensive line with the addition of Corey Peters from Kentucky. We are also looking to maintain an active defensive line with a lot of depth. Rotation and versatility are huge along the front line and we believe that we added some consistency with the acquisition of our picks. We did this with our second pick and then came back on our 98th pick and added Mike Johnson, a tackle/guard. He’s another versatile offensive lineman from the University of Alabama. We were fired up that he was available. The fact that he’s versatile and played in the SEC helped to make our decision easier. He’s a smart football player who is definitely a big part of a winning program. He knows what it is like to play in front of large crowds and high pressure situations. I can’t stress enough how his abilities add versatility to a line, not only at offensive tackle, or offensive guard but also at the center position.”

Do the additional players that were drafted in the third round have the F-B-I (football intelligence) that your looking for?
“Football intelligence if a big part of what we are trying to develop here, and both of our picks today were in line with what we are looking for regarding this football team. Football intelligence and proper conduct off the field are two major characteristics that were important to us. Our coaches felt very comfortable with them (Peters and Johnson) throughout our interviewing process. We believe that they were well-developed, and versatile enough to be legitimate contributors to this team as we move forward.”

How did you come to the decision to draft Mike Johnson?
“He continued to impress us with each game that he played. The last two games he played against Florida and Texas were very impressive. They were very productive games for him and he continues to impress us. He is a very athletic player with a big body that can pull very well. We look forward to his progression and seeing how he learns under our coaches. He comes from a system ran by Coach Nick Saban and played under Joe Pendry at Alabama. Joe Pendry is a fantastic offensive line coach that spent a lot of time in the National Football League. All of these factors work to his favor and are a plus for Mike Johnson.”

At what position will you start Mike Johnson?
“We are trying to determine that and it is still being discussed. Again, he comes in with the versatility to line up at many positions. We have a nice rotation where he can roll in at guard or the tackle position.”

Did you think Corey Peters would have been available when your draft opportunity arose?
“During the third round, a lot of defensive linemen were coming off of the board. Normally, when there is a run on linemen, everyone moves up. There is no question that a number of organizations were interested in Peters during the third-round. We had a number of calls from our contacts from other teams around the league that gave us the feeling that they would have drafted him during that round if we did not take him.”

How do you project tomorrow will be with the five remaining picks?
“Right now, we are actively involved. We have a four, two-fives, and two-sixes. We have it calculated right now, but I don’t want to get into the specifics as to our philosophy. What I will say is that the players that we have picked are the positions that we wanted to fill in the first two-days. We are very excited that we ended up with a wheel-back, a defensive tackle and an offensive lineman.”

Do you think you got a good bargain with Mike Johnson as the last pick in the third round?
“Yes. That third-round pick was a compensatory pick, and in essence, it is a fourth-round pick for us. We picked up Thomas DeCoud a few years ago in this round, and those are always very good value picks. Interestingly enough, our contacts at Denver advised us that he was one of the players they were also looking to draft. I only bring up Denver because we have familiar contacts there that also seem to have similar outlooks on players and systems based on my past connection with them. It’s always interesting talking about some of those players that you pick up.”

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

Peters, 6-3, 295 pounds, was Atlanta’s first of two selections (83rd overall) in the third round. A starter on Kentucky’s defensive line in his last three seasons on the team, Peters recorded 146 career tackles (83 solo), 27 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and one interception.

In 2009, Peters posted career highs in tackles (49), tackles for loss (11), sacks (tied with four) and passes defensed (five). He was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection from 2007-09 while being named Kentucky’s Most Improved Defensive Player by the team’s coaches in ‘07.

Johnson, 6-5, 312 pounds, was the unquestioned leader on the offensive line of Alabama’s 2009 National Championship team. He graduated as the longest tenured player on the team, starting in 41 consecutive games while setting the school career-record by appearing in 54 contests. For two consecutive seasons (2008-09), Johnson was voted a first-team All-America selection and first-team All-SEC pick, starting in 14 games each season.

In his Crimson Tide career, Johnson recorded 264 knockdown blocks, 39 touchdown-resulting blocks and 18 downfield blocks. Last season, he was part of an offensive line that provided rushing lanes for Heisman Trophy winner, running back, Mark Ingram, as Johnson totaled a career-high 98 knockdown blocks and 16 touchdown-resulting blocks.

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

General Manager Thomas Dimitroff Opening Statement on outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon:
“Normally, this process takes 14 months for us to pick Sean’s name from the draft board, but, we’ve been monitoring this young man for much more than 14 months. At one time, there was a rumor that Sean would come out early as an underclassmen, so, we’ve been dialed-in on him for a long time. We’ve done a lot of research. Coach Smith and I have had constant conversations about Sean and what we are going to do going forward in this year’s draft. Our plans culminated with our pick yesterday, and we are very excited that Sean is a part of our Falcons family. Moving forward, we have quite a few picks in the next couple of days but this is one that we are obviously excited about. Again, Sean brings so much to the table for us. He brings athleticism and a very keen awareness of the game of football. He’s a very smart football player that brings enthusiasm to this team, and also increases our enthusiasm on all levels. At this time, we see Sean as a four-down player in this system. Not only are we are looking forward to what he’ll bring to the field but we are also looking forward to what he’ll bring to the community. Without going on and on about his accolades, I’d like to bring up Coach Smith to discuss where Sean fits in with the Atlanta Falcons.”

Head Coach Mike Smith

Head Coach Mike Smith on outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon:
“When we were doing our due diligence, it was very obvious that the skill-set that Sean had, was exactly what we were looking for. The thing that attracted us the most, was his versatility and his ability to play multiple positions. We spent a significant amount of time in scouting Sean, and early in the process, it became very apparent, that there were some traits that we really liked on and off the football field. We came away very impressed with his attitude, with his work ethic and his F-B-I (Football Intelligence). The NFL game right now is evolving into a spacing game. Offensive formations are making more “three” and “four” wide-sets, and not necessarily with three or four wide-receivers in a game. In today’s league, teams are producing more and more, athletic tight ends and running backs. In order to compete, you have athletic linebackers that can match those types of athletes, and Sean definitely has those skills. I am very, very excited about adding Sean to our linebacking core. As we watched him in college, we could see his tackle production go off the charts. His ability to create plays in the backfield was also very impressive. All of these traits reinforced our decision as we went through this process. When we were on the clock, there was no doubt that this was a guy we wanted to have on our football team. The person I’d like to introduce right now is our next and newest Atlanta Falcon, Sean Weatherspoon.”

Outside Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon

Talk about your encounters with the Falcons and what you plan to do for this organization:
“First of all, I would like to thank God. This whole process has been a lot of fun and I know it was a blessing from God. I would like to thank Mr. Blank, Thomas Dimitroff, and Coach Smith for choosing me to be a part of this organization. Last night was a big deal for me and my family. I would like to thank my Mom who is here with me today, and the rest of my family that could not make it. They have supported me for years, and they are the reason why I am here today. I’m very excited to be a part of this organization. Throughout the process, I had a feeling that I would end up with the Falcons. They showed a lot of interest in me. I sat down with them at the combine and had a great meeting with them. They also came out to Missouri and saw me work out personally. Their actions really showed me that they were considering me as a draft pick. I had a great meeting with their staff and it was an exciting time for me. Once I came to Atlanta for my visit, it gave me another opportunity to sit down with their staff and their organization. After that meeting, I just knew that this was going to be the place for me. I just had a feeling. It is a blessing for me to get picked by a team and an organization that I really want to play for. It’s great for me and my family and I’m really excited.”

“I’m looking forward to coming in and working hard. I want to come in and put my nose to the ground. I hope to come in each and every day and learn how to be a great player. I want to help this team in any way that I can, whether it’s special teams or wherever they need me. Eventually, I want to work my way into the line-up but when it is all said and done, I want to be a great player. I am looking forward to working with the great linebacking core that they have here. I had an opportunity to speak with Curtis Lofton earlier today and we’re both very excited to work together. He’s a guy that I played against when he was in college. Obviously, he’s a great player and he’s doing great things here. I’m also excited about working with Mike Peterson, Coy Wire, and Stephen Nicholas. These are guys that play the game well and I just want to do whatever I can to help them out and become a cohesive unit. Getting drafted was a very big deal for me and my family and I am very excited and thankful to be here. I thank God that this day has come. It has been a great ride so far, and hopefully, I can come onto this team and help the city of Atlanta and this organization.”

How would you describe the last 24 hours?
“The last 24 hours have been amazing.  My family members constantly asked me if I was ready to be drafted. I had to tell them not to get ahead of themselves, but once I got the call, it was amazing. I first got the call from Les Snead. He told me what the Falcons might do with their draft picks, then he said he wanted to call me back. I was so anxious about their decision, that I asked to speak to Thomas Dimitroff and told him to keep me on the line while they worked out the details. The only time I had butterflies, was when he put me on hold to speak to Mr. Dimitroff. Once I spoke to Mr. Dimitroff and Coach Smith, they connected me to Mr. Blank, explained their plans to me and it was finally complete. Moments later, my name went across the television screen and my family went crazy. I was very excited. After that, I had an opportunity to spend time with my family and friends. This whole experience has been surreal. I don’t think I’ve wrapped my mind around it yet but I think it’s starting to set in now.”

Where did you start playing football, and who is the best basketball player in your family?
“The best basketball player in my family has to be me. I was all-district in high school for basketball, but, I started to play football when I was a kid. I had two older brothers that roughed me up a lot in the backyard, so, I was really young when I first started. I was seven or eight years old when I played in my first game. I played quarterback and linebacker at the time, so I was pretty versatile. It was a good time and it felt like something that was very fun. Playing football as a kid, made me want to work and continue to make it to this point today. Overall, it has been a fun ride and I’m excited about it.

How did you end up going to the University of Missouri and what was your recruiting like?
“I’m from southeast Texas, and in 2005, during my senior season, hurricane Rita hit Jasper, Texas. Up until that point, I knew my senior season was going to be big. I had a good junior year. We went to states and I got some publicity, but I knew my senior year was going to be a big year for me. The hurricane forced me and my team to miss four to five weeks of football. We had to play about two games a week to make up for that lost time. Before the hurricane, I was talking to a lot of schools, such as, LSU, Arkansas and Texas A&M, but Missouri was one of the schools that spoke to me the earliest. It seemed like Missouri was the type of school that always found me. It seemed like I was always moving around. The linebacker coach at that time always contacted me. Anytime we spoke, it wasn’t just about Sean Weatherspoon the football player, but Sean Weatherspoon the person. He always wanted to know about me and my family, and what we were doing. I went on a visit there and the family atmosphere seemed like the place for me. It was around Christmas. I went to the mall after my visit, and walked into a sporting goods store. The entire time I’m walking in the mall, I am thinking about where I want to go. As I stepped into the store, I saw a Mizzou Sweatshirt. The store was in southeast Texas, so it seemed strange that they would have carried anything for Mizzou. Once I saw it, I realized it must have been a sign. At that time, I realized that the University of Missouri was the place for me. I went home, talked to my parents about my decision, and I called up the coach and told him that I wanted to be a Tiger. Once I got to Missouri, things didn’t always go well. I thought I was going to play outside linebacker, but they wanted me to play inside linebacker. Throughout all the obstacles I encountered, I continued to work hard. I backed up the senior captain and I relished my role. During my time on the team, it always seemed like my teammates dubbed me as the ambassador for the team. I relished that role and I accepted it with pride. I moved to the weakside linebacker during my sophomore year and lead the team in tackles. We had a good run, and I enjoyed my time at Missouri. I’m glad I went there. Looking back, I could not have seen myself going anywhere else.”

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

“In the A!!! I’m home!!”

The message was short and straight to the point and, even though his followers on Twitter couldn’t see him, it was easy to know Weatherspoon was smiling.

RELATED LINKS:

• BY THE NUMBERS: More on the Falcons newest outside linebacker
• TRANSCRIPT: Dimitroff, Smith and Weatherspoon talk to the media

That smile and enthusiasm were boiling over as Weatherspoon was introduced to the Falcons community at a press conference on Friday afternoon. Flanked by General Manager Thomas Dimitroff and Head Coach Mike Smith, his first words spoken in front of the cameras and lights at Flowery Branch were in response to Dimitroff’s opening of, “looking good.”

Weatherspoon smiled and said, “feeling good.”

Then the smile grew.

Sitting in front of gathered media and Falcons personnel, it was hard for Weatherspoon to believe that 24 hours hadn’t passed since he learned he was being drafted by the Falcons. He was sitting with family and friends in Jasper, Texas when the call came from Les Snead, director of player personnel.

“It was just surreal,” said Weatherspoon, who later said he wasn’t truly nervous until Snead put him on hold. Snead wanted to hang up and have Dimitroff call the newest member of the Falcons family a little later. But Weatherspoon begged Snead not to hang up.

So he waited.

Weatherspoon laughed, “It was the only time I had butterflies”.

And now that the butterflies are gone, Weatherspoon says his life hasn’t changed too much. “I have been getting a lot of text messages and phone calls, but that’s about it. I don’t think I’ve wrapped my mind around this concept yet.”

What he does know is that he’s going to have to come in to camp and work hard. Even though coach Smith said Weatherspoon will have an opportunity to win a starting job, he knows he’s starting from scratch. Instead of saying he was ready to produce at the NFL level, Weatherspoon preached work ethic.

“I feel like I can come in and work hard,” Weatherspoon said. “I feel I can come in with a positive attitude and ready to learn. I know there are going to be some bumps and bruises and it won’t be easy. You can’t just walk in, you have to come in and work.”

Weatherspoon also knows he’s going to need some help.

He’s already spoken with Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton, whom he competed against in Big 12 competition when Lofton was at Oklahoma. He’s also been in constant contact with former teammate and 2009 second round draft pick William Moore.

“It’s going to be great, us together again,” Weatherspoon said of Moore. “We feed off each other.”

Weatherspoon already has a good body of work from Missouri, a base to start building upon. He led Missouri in tackles for three straight seasons and finished his career with 413 tackles, placing him third on the all-time tackles list at Missouri.

If Lofton feeds off Moore and continues to hone his tackling skills from Lofton, he’ll have a bright future with the Falcons. But until the pads are on, Weatherspoon just plans to try and relax and take things one day at a time. He went fishing the morning of the draft and says that he takes his MacBook everywhere. If he’s not online or using a fishing line he’s reading or listening to music.

“I am pretty versatile,” Weatherspoon said speaking about the artists on his iPod. He said he has everything from 50 Cent to Carrie Underwood, and even some Miley Cyrus.

“I have a pretty good voice,” he responded, when asked if he could sing. “But I don’t want the veterans to know.”

Sorry Sean. The cat’s out of the bag.

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

722 – Number of miles from Weatherspoon’s home as a high school athlete to his new home as a professional, Atlanta.

12.5 – Number of sacks — rank 13th — in school history at Missouri.

43.5 – Tackles for loss — 10.53 percent of his total tackle number for his career.

413 – Career tackles at Missouri. Ranked third in school history, 10th on the all-time Big 12 Conference chart.

132 - Average number of tackles per season in each of his three years as a starter at Missouri.

2 – Number of times Weatherspoon was a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker.

11 – His cousin’s, Teresa Weatherspoon, number for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks

8,150 – With a birthday of December 29, 1987, the number of days Weatherspoon lived before being drafted by the Falcons. (Also 22 years, 3 months and 25 days)

3 – Number of months (approximately) until Falcons training camp opens and Weatherspoon takes the field for the first time as a professional.

686 – Number of miles from University of Missouri to the Georgia Dome.

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

What was the rationale in drafting Sean Weatherspoon?
“The rationale was that he was a guy that we had targeted all along. We were very excited to have the opportunity to take an outside linebacker that is going to ramp up our speed, our enthusiasm and our athleticism. In our minds he is a guy that is going to be a four-down player for us.”

How much did it help seeing what Sean was able to do while you were looking at William Moore last year?
“It plays into it. You always keep your eyes open on the whole field and Sean was a guy who definitely stood out in having an opportunity seeing them play together. It was ironic, that was not something that drove this decision obviously, but it will be interesting to see how the two of them interact together on this football team.”

How important was it to get a play-maker in the first round?
“I think that as Mike (Smith) and I talked about the ramped up enthusiasm we believe he will bring to this rather young defense, I believe that he will fit in very well at so many different levels. The fact that you get a linebacker who has versatility is very, very important for this defense. That is very encouraging going forward.”

How different was it having the NFL Draft in primetime on Thursday night?
“Honestly, we were quite focused on the draft. It was a little bit of a sidebar for us. We were very involved in discussions along the way with the Broncos about possibly shifting around. In our minds, philosophically we felt that we were very zeroed in on Sean Weatherspoon and we did not want to try to be cute and creative and lose a guy that we were focused on. We decided to pull that tag off the board very aggressively at pick 19.”

What point where you zeroed in on Sean Weatherspoon?
“There were a handful of guys that we were interested in.  That handful happened to be three players and he was one of the three.  Sean was top of the charts of the three that we had in our handful.  It was one of those situations that we felt we might as well capitalize on instead of trying to move back and hoping that he would be there four or five picks later.”

Did William (Moore) give you any insight into Sean the person, not just the player?
“You always seek insight from teammates.  It is not something that is the end all obviously, but it is always important to discuss interaction and how people get along. It was not one of those things that would have killed the deal so to speak, but William was very positive. I know that through our interviews with Sean throughout the spring that he was very positive about having the opportunity to work side by side with William Moore.”

Are you still hopeful to move into the Second Round of the Draft tomorrow?  Are you receiving any calls?
“We are getting calls, we have gotten calls prior to the draft, and we still have opportunities possibly.  It is just a matter of us determining whether it is worth the movement. It is going to be quite rich to move up into the middle to the back third. We just need to determine if that is worthy of our movement given the players that will be available at that time. This is not necessarily going to be a busy night, but a busy day tomorrow through discussion and possible interaction with a lot of teams that might want to move out of that area in the second round.”

Did the draft room take a close look at Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas?
“We were out at his workout in full form the other day and unfortunately he was not able to run his routes in full. Obviously, things worked out very well for him with Denver. It is always tempting when you have an athlete that is that size, has that speed and has the ability to have an impact. He has the ability to jump over the smaller defensive backs in this league, so there is no question that we contemplated. In our mind, as I mentioned before, we definitely are needs based. We have spent a lot of money on Roddy White and Mike Jenkins to be our guys and we are excited about where we are with the recovery of Harry Douglas. In our minds he was not as pressing of a need as what we have at this point.”

Anything surprise you about the first round?
“I think it fell into place, for the most part, as we had expected. There were a couple of spots here and there, where we did not expect teams would take a player. I think that in the end, our idea was making sure that we analyzed what their needs may be and I think the teams that stepped out of line were picking the best player available on the board at that point. Those were usually the ones that were more surprising.”

Were you surprised that Pittsburgh took Pouncey at pick 18?  Was he someone that you were high on?
“He was another guy that was definitely a consideration for us. He was one of the scenarios that we looked very closely at. I had a discussion with Kevin Colbert at Pittsburgh and I knew that they were very zeroed in on a player. I had assumed that Pouncey was their player, so it was not something that I really thought would come into fruition for us. In the end if he were to be sitting there at the same time as Sean, we would have picked Sean.”

MORE ON WEATHERSPOON:

• BIO: Weatherspoon’s bio on AF.com
• PHOTOS: Images of new Falcon Sean Weatherspoon
• VIDEO: NFL Network highlights of Weatherspoon

WEATHERSPOON HIGHLIGHTS:

• YOUTUBE: Universal Draft Presents
• YOUTUBE: Sean Weatherspoon “Right Now”
• YOUTUBE: Post-Practice Interview
• YOUTUBE: A Day in the Life — Sean Weatherspoon

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

What do you have in a player like Sean Weatherspoon?
“A very urgent and passionate football player that can play both the Sam and the Will linebacker in our scheme. He was very productive at the University of Missouri. I think he is a guy that is able to matchup and play tight ends as well as play in the box.”

How does Sean fit into your scheme?
“Our outside linebackers are interchangeable. Basically a Sam can play at Will and a Will can play at Sam. Sean will be competing for an outside linebacker position.”

How important was it to get a play-maker in the first round?
“In our division you are going to face some very athletic tight ends and that is something that we wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity to counteract. That position is crucial for our defense.”

One of the first things you mentioned was Weatherspoon’s speed. Was that the first thing that caught your eye with this guy?
“Yes, he is a guy that runs very well. He was a little heavier this year as a senior. His playing weight played lighter in the postseason all-star game. He is a guy that is a run and hit outside linebacker.”

What is the one thing that Weatherspoon does that sets him apart?
“The thing that stood out the most was that in the Big XII Conference, they faced a lot of the spread offenses. He is able to play out in space and I have said many times that the game is becoming a spacing game. I think that it is a definite advantage to have guys that can run and matchup with tight ends and running backs that we are going to face in our division.”

You all said that you like to accentuate the positives. Even Sean said that he was hearing complaints about his pass rushing ability. Was that a factor for you all? Do you require that of that position?
“Well it is not one of the biggest requirements. We like our linebackers to be able to blitz and have blitz ability, and that is something that you could see with his tackles for loss. He does have the ability to do that when he is the fifth or sixth pass rusher, he was very affective. Occasionally, they would rush him in four-man rushes and I think he alluded that it was one of things that he needed to improve on, when he was one of the four primary rushers.  He has had very good body control to be able to sliver and blitz.”

MORE ON WEATHERSPOON:

• BIO: Weatherspoon’s bio on AF.com
• PHOTOS: Images of new Falcon Sean Weatherspoon
• VIDEO: NFL Network highlights of Weatherspoon

WEATHERSPOON HIGHLIGHTS:

• YOUTUBE: Universal Draft Presents
• YOUTUBE: Sean Weatherspoon “Right Now”
• YOUTUBE: Post-Practice Interview
• YOUTUBE: A Day in the Life — Sean Weatherspoon

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sean Weatherspoon is scheduled to meet with the media at 4 p.m. Friday, April 23. The event will be shown LIVE on AF.com.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons today selected outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon with their first round (19th overall) pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Weatherspoon, 6-1, 239 pounds, was a standout linebacker at the University of Missouri where he started each of his final 41 games and recorded 413 career tackles (240 solo), 12.5 sacks, 43.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 17 passes defensed.

“Sean Weatherspoon was a guy that we had targeted all along,” said Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff. “We were very excited to have the opportunity to take an outside linebacker that is going to ramp up our speed, our enthusiasm and our athleticism. In our minds, he is a guy that is going to be a four-down player for us.”

The Jasper, Texas native is just the third player in school history to lead the team in tackles three times in a career as his 413 stops rank third in school history and 10th on the Big 12 Conference all-time list. Last season, Weatherspoon was voted a second-team All-America selection by the Associated Press, The Sporting News and Walter Camp while earning third-team honors from The NFL Draft Report. As a team captain last year, his 111 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and one interception landed him as a Butkus Award finalist, Lombardi Award semifinalist and Lott Trophy quarterfinalist.

“We have a very urgent and passionate football player that can play both the Sam and Will linebacker in our scheme,” said Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith. “Sean was very productive at the University of Missouri and I think he is a guy that is able to matchup and play tight ends as well as play in the box.”

For three consecutive years (2007-09), Weatherspoon was named a first-team All-Big 12 selection as he averaged 132 tackles per season. In his junior campaign (2008), he set collegiate-highs in tackles (155), tackles for loss (18.5), interceptions (three) and sacks (five).

As a prep star at Jasper High School, Weatherspoon was named the Texas District 22-3A Player of the Year as a senior while adding second-team all-state honors. He also added all-state honors in track as a high jumper and was an all-district performer as a guard in basketball.

Weatherspoon becomes the first linebacker selected by the Falcons in the first round of the NFL Draft since Keith Brooking was picked as the 12th overall selection in 1998 out of Georgia Tech. He is also the fourth player in Falcons history selected from the University of Missouri and the second in as many years (William Moore, second round in 2009).

MORE ON WEATHERSPOON:

• BIO: Weatherspoon’s bio on AF.com
• PHOTOS: Images of new Falcon Sean Weatherspoon
• VIDEO: NFL Network highlights of Weatherspoon

WEATHERSPOON HIGHLIGHTS:

• YOUTUBE: Universal Draft Presents
• YOUTUBE: Sean Weatherspoon “Right Now”
• YOUTUBE: Post-Practice Interview
• YOUTUBE: A Day in the Life — Sean Weatherspoon

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE:

• DRAFTCAST: Video coverage, photos and a fan chat from The Branch
• DRAFT BLOG: All my draft-related updates
• TWITTER: Follow me on Twitter | Other Falcons users
• FORUMS: Talk about the draft with other fans
• HOMEPAGE: Complete draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com

The Falcons will face NFC South Division rivals, Carolina, New Orleans and Tampa Bay twice this season while battling the NFC West and AFC North divisions. Atlanta will also travel to NFC East rival, Philadelphia, in Week 6 and host NFC North foe, Green Bay, in Week 12.

Along with competing against the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints on two occasions, the Falcons will matchup with five 2009 NFL playoff teams including Arizona (Week 2), Philadelphia (Week 6), Cincinnati (Week 7), Baltimore (Week 10) and Green Bay (12).

“This season’s schedule is a demanding one, however, we are excited to take on the challenge,” said Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith. “We’ll be tested right out of the gate with a road meeting at Pittsburgh followed by a home contest against Arizona and a trip to New Orleans. I’m looking forward to the Georgia Dome atmosphere with our two prime time games against Baltimore and New Orleans as well.”

RELATED LINKS:

• PRINTABLE SCHEDULE: Light Background (PDF) | Dark Background (PDF)
• SCHEDULE PAGE: List of Falcons 2010 opponents, dates and times
• FORUMS: Talk about the schedule release with fans on FalconsLIFE
• TICKETS: Click here for Falcons season ticket information

The Falcons take to the road in the season opener for the first time since 2007 (Minnesota). In the last visit Atlanta made to Pittsburgh in 2002, both teams battled to a 34-34 tie. The Falcons won the last contest held at the Georgia Dome between the two teams (2006) in a shootout by a 41-38 margin.

Atlanta opens the home slate with a Week 2 meeting against Arizona. The Falcons had pieced together four consecutive victories from 1999-2006, before the Cardinals defeated Atlanta in a 2007 regular season contest and a 2008 NFL Playoff Wild Card matchup.

Week 3 features a trip to New Orleans as the Falcons battle the Super Bowl Champion Saints for the first of two games between the two teams this year. The series between these rivals is close as Atlanta holds a 44-35 advantage, dating back to the first contest (1967).

The Falcons return home to battle San Francisco in Week 4. Last season, Atlanta defeated the 49ers by a 45-10 margin in San Francisco to increase its regular season record to 3-1. In that game, quarterback Matt Ryan threw for a career-high 329 yards and wide receiver Roddy White set a franchise single-game receiving record with 210 yards on eight receptions.

Atlanta heads to the road in Weeks 5 and 6 to take on Cleveland and Philadelphia, respectively. The Falcons will look to halt a Browns winning streak that sits at two games, with the last win coming in 2006. The Falcons and Eagles have met on five occasions in the last five years, which includes an NFC Championship Game matchup in 2005. Atlanta last defeated Philadelphia in the 2005 regular season home opener on Monday Night Football by a 14-10 margin.

Cincinnati will travel to the Georgia Dome in Week 7 in the first game between the two teams since 2006. The Falcons have won the last two matchups (2002, ’06) by a combined score of 59-30.

Following a Week 8 bye, Atlanta will play host to Tampa Bay for the first of two meetings. Last season, the Falcons swept the Buccaneers in the season series for the first time since 2006. The season finale win over Tampa in 2009 solidified back-to-back winning seasons for Atlanta for the first time in team history.

The Falcons will kickoff the NFL Network Thursday Night Football schedule with a home contest against the Baltimore Ravens. Atlanta won the lone series meeting between the two teams at the Georgia Dome with a 20-17 win in 2002.

Week 11 brings a road trip to St. Louis, as the Falcons battle their old rival for the third time in the last four years. Atlanta defeated the Rams in the last meeting by a 31-27 margin as running back Michael Turner topped the 200-yard rushing plateau (208 yards) for the second time that season.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers visit the Dome in Week 12. The Falcons have won two of the last three meetings against the Packers, including a 2008 matchup at Lambeau Field (27-24).

The Falcons take to the road for three consecutive weeks (Weeks 13-15) with contests at Tampa Bay, Carolina and Seattle. Atlanta holds an 18-12 series lead over the Panthers and will host Carolina three weeks later in the season finale. The Falcons make their first trip to Seattle since 2005. The Seahawks lead the all-time series, however, Atlanta claimed a victory in the last meeting between the two teams in 2007 (44-41).

Atlanta closes the season at home with two division opponents, the first coming against New Orleans on Monday Night Football (Week 16) followed by Carolina in the season finale. The Falcons have not closed the season with two division opponents since 2005.

2010 PRESEASON SCHEDULE

2010 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

Home games in bold caps; all kickoffs are Eastern.
* Denotes Flexible Scheduling

]]> http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010/04/falcons-announce-2010-regular-season-schedule/feed/ 0 http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010/04/falcons-to-host-draft-day-parties-at-taco-mac/ http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010/04/falcons-to-host-draft-day-parties-at-taco-mac/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:36:06 +0000 J. Michael Moore http://www.atlantafalcons.com/?p=3481  

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons and Taco Mac will be hosting draft day viewing parties at Atlanta area Taco Mac locations on Thursday, April 22nd.

Falcons fans in attendance will have the opportunity to hear exclusive analysis from Owner & CEO Arthur Blank, President Rich McKay and General Manager Thomas Dimitroff during the first night of the draft through closed circuit televisions at participating Taco Mac locations. Wes Durham of the Falcons radio network, 92.9 DAVE FM, will host two half hour segments live from the team’s Flowery Branch headquarters at 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
 
“We are excited about this unique extension with our partner, Taco Mac,” said Falcons Chief Marketing Officer, Jim Smith. “Taco Mac restaurants will provide an exciting setting for the first day of the draft. This event will also mark the first time the organization will reach out to the fans at area Taco Macs with exclusive content throughout the evening.”
 
“Taco Mac is excited to be the draft headquarters of the Atlanta Falcons,” said Bruce Skala, Vice-President of Taco Mac/Tappan Street Restaurant. “Football fans will be able to get the inside scoop from Falcons executives via a live feed from Flowery Branch, which can be viewed at our Atlanta locations.”

RELATED LINKS:

• DRAFT HOME: More draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com
• TACO MAC INSIDER: Help select the new face of AF.com web video
• DRAFT NIGHT: More details on draft night at Taco Mac locations

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Seven members of the Atlanta Falcons signed their tender offer from the team today, including: Tyson Clabo, Harvey Dahl, Quinn Ojinnaka, and Jason Snelling.
 
Clabo and Dahl, both starters on the offensive line, blocked for a Falcons passing attack that posted 3,571 total yards and averaged 223.2 yards per game last season. The offensive line also totaled an average of one sack allowed per every 21.1 passing plays, the second-fewest allowed for a single season in franchise history.
  
Ojinnaka saw action in nine games last year, starting in five. He also competed heavily on special teams for the Falcons.
 
Snelling was a solid contributor to the Falcons offense last season. In 14 games (three starts), he posted 142 carries for 613 yards and four touchdowns. Snelling also compiled 30 receptions for 259 yards and one TD. In the season finale at Tampa Bay, he recorded a career-high 147 yards in an Atlanta victory.

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA —  The Atlanta Falcons today promoted Tim Zulawski to Vice President of Sponsorship Sales and Services. 

Zulawski joined the Falcons in 2003 and just completed his fourth season as Director of Sponsorship Sales for the Club.

Zulawski leads the Falcons initiative to develop and maintain corporate partnerships with local, regional and national corporations. This includes overseeing day to day activities associated with promotional rights, television, radio, print and digital advertising, custom experiences, hospitality and the sale of annual signage rights at the Georgia Dome.

During his time in Atlanta, Zulawski has helped the team secure a number of valuable corporate partnerships with companies such as the Ford Motor Company, Georgia Lottery, Kraft Foods and Piedmont Healthcare.

Prior to coming to Atlanta, Zulawski was the Senior Corporate Sales Manager for Palace Sports & Entertainment, charged with negotiating sponsorships for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL, Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League and St. Pete Times Forum.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Zulawski holds a Management Information Systems degree from State University of New York College at Fredonia and a Masters degree in Sports Management from Springfield College. Zulawski is also an active member of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Metro Atlanta.

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – The Atlanta Falcons today promoted Jim Smith to Chief Marketing Officer.
 
Smith has served as the Vice President of Marketing with the Falcons for the past six seasons. He came to Atlanta following five successful years as General Manager and then President/General Manager of Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew based in Columbus, Ohio.
 
Smith, 44, will continue to lead all the Falcons business and market development strategies, marketing planning, advertising and overall marketing sales efforts.
 
Some of the Smith’s responsibilities entail maximizing local and national revenue opportunities by managing all brand affinity, inventory, including stadium assets, broadcast rights, team marketing rights, new media and event marketing. Smith and his partnership sales teams have increased the club’s local sponsorship and broadcast revenues by more than 300% since 2003. Smith’s impressive work in the Atlanta marketplace has witnessed new partnerships formed with companies like Ford Motor Company, Verizon, AirTran Airways, Russell, Quikrete and SunTrust.
 
Smith’s clever advertising campaign in 2008 accounted for the largest new season ticket sales increase in NFL history. His new media team has received considerable acclaim for its use of emerging technology and social media to provide fans unprecedented access to the Falcons organization, while the club’s website is widely regarded as one of the sports media industry’s most innovative and engaging.
 
A product of Milford, Connecticut, Smith earned a Bachelor of Science degree in radio, TV and film at Northwestern University and a Masters of Arts in Sports Management at Ohio State. Before joining The Crew, Smith served as the Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications at Ohio State. He was responsible for the direction and coordination of eight department heads in marketing, athletic communications, publications, external relations, merchandise sales, premium seat services, video services and concessions.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – The new 2010 Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders will be selected this Thursday, April 15 at The View at King Plow in downtown Atlanta.
 
After 286 candidates performed at the Georgia World Congress Center on Sunday, April 11 for preliminary auditions, the finalists will be back to compete for 40 lucky spots and be part of history. The 2010 Falcons squad is taking it to a whole new level with a new look, new uniforms, new logo and a brand new approach. The new look consists of searching for ladies who epitomize the New South – young, hip, glamorous, attractive and intelligent.
 
The cheerleaders will play a bigger role in the game day experience for Falcons fans this season. Their increased presence at the Georgia Dome in 2010 will include such things as greeting fans at gates as they enter the stadium, visiting fans in the stands and visiting fans in suites, among other activities.
 
Celebrity judges who will help choose the new Falcons Cheerleaders on Thursday include: D. Orlando Ledbetter (Atlanta-Journal Constitution), Ryan Cameron (WVEE radio station V103) Sam Crenshaw (WXIA-TV Channel 11), Anthony Amey (WSB-TV Channel 2) and Matt Chernoff (WCNN radio station 680 The Fan). 
 
The final cheerleader auditions are not open to the public but will be covered live on atlantafalcons.com/live. 

RELATED LINKS:

• FEATURE: Recap of preliminary auditions from Sunday
• YOUTUBE: A look at cheerleader auditions at GWCC
• IMAGES: Photos from 2010 Cheerleader auditions

A new draft class is two weeks away from joining the team, hoping to continue to write a new chapter of history for the franchise. The sideline team of ladies who lead the Georgia Dome crowds in cheering for the hometown team are also updating their squad.

And starting new traditions.

Sunday the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders held preliminary auditions to find new talent to add to their existing, 32-lady roster. With new additions come new programs to make the Falcons cheerleading team an even more visible part of the franchise and community.

The phrase “New South” has been coined to describe the transformation of the collection of ladies, a group that strives to uphold the same values as the franchise they represent.

“New South: that’s just hip, attractive, glamorous, outgoing, kind, and articulate,” said Chato Waters, The Falcons cheerleading coordinator. “(It’s) basically enhancing what we have. The new thing about the program is that we’re going to new levels with new logos, new uniforms, a swimsuit shoot in Cancun and more exposure for the girls.”

Waters, a 13-year veteran of cheerleading with the Falcons, believes the new group has a unique opportunity to not only experience life-changing moments in their own lives, but also enhance the lives of fans on game day and around the community.

It’s a rigorous selection process.

Over 250 women showed up at the Georgia World Congress Center for the first round of tryouts. After four hours and two rounds of performances and cuts, only 50 remained.

Waters said this year the roster will increase to approximately 40, the additional eight serving in support roles for appearances. All existing cheerleaders on the squad were given a bye for the first round, but will compete for a position on the team at the final auditions Thursday evening.

For the current members of the Falcons cheerleading team, the new changes are exciting, but stressful. The level of competition has risen.

“Considering this is my third year, it is extremely, extremely stressful,” said April, a member of the franchise’s current cheerleading roster. “I think it’s even more stressful when you’ve already been on the team because you’ve already experienced it and you know exactly how much fun it is and you know what you would be missing out on. So, for me, this year I’m just going to have a good time and do the very best that I can because that’s all you can do.”

April, like many of the cheerleading hopefuls present Sunday, has something in common with the players on the field: Performing in front of a packed Georgia Dome crowd.

“Nothing can explain cheering in front of 75,000 people,” said the three-year veteran. “I’ll never forget my first year coming into the Dome. No words can explain how wonderful an experience it is. The Falcons have great, great fans. They’re extremely supportive.”

Every potential cheerleader Sunday wants to experience that thrill in 2010.

As Waters called the numbers of the final 50, after all the energy was spent and dance moves were complete, the room was silent.

There were those upset about not making the cut, but for those that moved a step closer to living their own football dream, it was thrilling.

Many of the ladies selected Sunday understand the idea of “New South” image and that being an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader is more than just a Sunday job. Becoming a part of one of the bright, young franchises in the NFL is an achievement and with it comes responsibility.

“I not only accomplished something, but I get to be a bigger part of the community,” said Theresa, a finalist and former University of Central Florida cheerleader. “I’m kind of an ambassador, instead of just for a college, now I’m an ambassador for a whole city. I think that’s really exciting.”

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga.

A chance meeting with one of the region’s most active advocates for a healthy planet pointed him in the right direction.

Mughelli didn’t have an answer when Laura Turner Seydel asked him what he was doing to take care of the environment.

The daughter of high-profile business man Ted Turner, Seydel, who serves as the chairperson of the Captain Planet Foundation, has devoted herself to causes helping the Earth.

Mughelli used to litter and waste water.

“I didn’t think I had any type of responsibility to this planet: I take care of me and my family and I’m doing good,” Mughelli said. “She looked at be and was dead serious; she wanted to know what I’m doing.”

Mughelli knew he needed to change so why not help youth do the same?

“I want to use all my free time, all my energy, toward a charitable cause toward the environment and helping out the Earth,” he said after a recent workout at the Falcons practice facility, his backpack filled with a playbook and textbooks on the environment, recycling and conserving energy.

Mughelli says “there’s 1,000 different ways” to help the planet and improve the lives of youth.” He’s trying to learn as many as possible to make a series of events and workshops effective and life-changing for middle and high school students.

For his efforts through the Ovie Mughelli Foundation, he was recently awarded the Super Hero for Earth Award from the Captain Planet Foundation.

“I get more and more knowledge every day and every week of being in this space and trying to learn… I try to have the kids do the same thing,” he said.

Since starting the green initiatives in his foundation, Mughelli has met several key leaders including former Vice President Al Gore.

Mughelli admits a successful approach to cleaning the planet includes plenty of research and a meaningful explanation. Students have heard the statistics about global warming. Mughelli wants to give them the power to do something — knowledge that turning off lights and recycling saves money. He sometimes passes out cash as rewards for correct answers at workshops.

He’s worked these ideas into a football camp/environmental workshop — the first of its kind. This year’s camp will be held in May.

The fullback is also hosting Ovie Mughelli’s Recycle Relay held at the Chattahoochee Nature Center April 17 and making an appearance at the Alive! Expo May 16 and 17.

Mughelli likes to involve guest speakers ranging in profession from landfill operations to organic clothing lines to show real-world applications and examples.

“As much as people want to make it a political thing, it’s not,” he said. ”Republican, Democrat… We know we’ve made a negative effect on this planet,” he said. “How much is debatable, but we’ve made a negative effect on this planet and it’s our job to turn it around.”

With a documented turnaround, Mughelli uses himself as an example. There’s power that the message.

“When you give a child the power of information they feel pretty powerful. They’re not going to care when you tell them why they should care,” he said. “Once they have that power they can make a whole lot of difference.”

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – What started as a grassroots campaign to show solidarity for Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith has become a full-on blitz to help the community.

The newly-formed Falcon Nation Charity Organization (FNCO) grew from a devoted group of FalconsLIFE message boarders eager to help Smith, who was facing a fine from the NFL for his actions toward Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall during a game last season.

Smith was coming to the aid of his players and fans, who obviously admire Smith for his role in creating back-to-back winning seasons in Atlanta, supported him.

The money raised — more than $3,500 — went to The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to add a playground to a park in Vine City.

That’s when Hal Moore, a long-time Falcons fan and one of the leaders of FNCO, knew the fan base had found something special. The Falcons Nation Charity Organization was born.

FNCO offers fans a new way to connect with the team and simultaneously serve the Falcons community. It is now fully organized and planning future fundraising activities for 2010.

“Our mission is to partner with the team and create fundraising events to specifically support charities of players, coaches, cheerleaders and the Falcons organization,” Moore said.

Now in the offseason, the group is planning a pair of events to raise money for charity.

First is a 2010 NFL Draft party at Cheyenne Grill in Buckhead. Fans are invited to come out for the first round of the draft on April 22 to meet former Falcons players and win some prizes. The entry fee is one can of food for the Atlanta Community Food Bank or $1.

On May 11, FNCO will host the first “Lunch with Legends” event at Cheynne Grill. Fans can purchase tickets and mingle with former Falcons  Buddy Curry, Jessie Tuggle and Jeff Van Note.

Proceeds go to Curry’s charity, Kids and Pros.

Moore said the organization is growing quickly and fans are eager to contribute beyond game day.

“We’re finding people are just really thirsty for this kind of stuff,” he said. “They want a connection with the team and love the aspect of helping others at the same time. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Plans are forming for a Falcons alumni weekend in the fall, including a golf tournament, “pros vs. joes” flag football game and a banquet to support FNCO causes.

Moore and others recognize team Owner and CEO Arthur Blank has created an atmosphere of giving that stretches across the community. That’s helped fans recognize the importance of getting involved and gaining a “real, heart-felt connection with the organization.”

But the group hasn’t misplaced its roots.

The spirit will always be to support the Falcons — on the field and through the community.

“This is the fan base; this is the piece this city really hasn’t been able to form,” Moore said. “It’s been fickle disappointment for 44 years instead of that loyal connection… This isn’t just a small group running this. We’re completely open to the entire fan base.”

RELATED LINKS:

• TWITTER: Follow the Falcon Nation Charity Organization
• FACEBOOK: Become a fan of FNCO
• HOMEPAGE: More information on FNCO
• TICKETS: Ticket information for Lunch with Legends

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — For the second year, Atlanta Falcons punter Michael Koenen will host the annual Dream House Golf Classic to benefit Georgia’s medically fragile children. Koenen will bring together Atlanta Falcons teammates, local NFL Alumni and media personalities to make this 7th annual charity tournament the biggest yet. All event proceeds will benefit Georgia-based children’s charity The Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Inc.
 
Tee-off is Tuesday, April 6 at the beautiful Hamilton Mill Golf Club in Dacula, Ga. Check-in, lunch and pre-event activities begin at noon, with a shotgun start scheduled for 1 p.m. An awards banquet and live auction follow play.
 
“As the Dream House golf tournament gets closer, I get more and more excited,” commented Michael Koenen. “With such a great event last year, this year’s is shaping up to be an even bigger and better event! Everyone has really bought into such a great cause with me.”
 
“We are humbled by the incredible support for this year’s Dream House Golf Classic, with record sponsorships and participation,” said Kim Marks, Dream House Chief Program Officer. “Michael Koenen is a good friend to Dream House, and has been very instrumental in broadening awareness for the specialized transition care programs and services Dream House provides to medically complex children across Georgia.”  
 

About Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Inc.
Dream House is a 501(c)3 children’s charity teaching families and communities how to help kids with very complex health issues live at home. Heroic medical efforts save sick and injured children who would not have previously survived, leaving some medically fragile – fully dependent upon medications, equipment and therapies. Sadly, however, families and communities find themselves unprepared, unable or even unwilling to “deal” with the reality of the complex care these children require.
 
A critical first step for these children (biological, adopted or foster), and their families, is access to the innovative Dream House Family for Keeps® Transition Care Program. With local roots, this hospital-to-home program is setting the standard for the home care of Georgia’s medically fragile children. Dream House has been awarded the first and only Children’s Transition Care Centers license in the nation, after years demonstrating the transition care model with 100 percent successful outcomes.
 
Since inception in 2001, via the Family for Keeps® Transition Care Program, the Dream House organization has served nearly 1,000 children in 46 Georgia counties. Named a Best in America Local Independent Charity, by the Independent Charities of America, Dream House supporters invest in a mission that uses more than 80 cents of every dollar donated to directly benefit medically fragile children and their families. Family for Keeps® provides a pathway for Georgia’s medically fragile children to get out of institutional care into stable, single-family homes. For one-third the cost of housing these kids in hospitals or adult nursing homes, Family for Keeps® is the resource that enables medically fragile children to have a home, a family and a future.
 
Visit www.DreamHouseForKids.org for more information or call 770-717-7410.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons today announced their 2010 preseason schedule which includes home contests against Kansas City (Week 1) and New England (Week 2) and road meetings at Miami (Week 3) and Jacksonville (Week 4). The Falcons game against New England will be broadcast nationally on FOX on Thursday, August 19. Dates (with the exception of the Jacksonville game) and times for the remaining preseason games have not been finalized.

Dates and times for 2010 regular season opponents could be announced in early- to mid- April.
 
The Falcons and Chiefs have met on six occasions in the preseason with Kansas City leading the series with a 4-2 mark. The last preseason contest between the two teams came in 1988 when the Chiefs visited the Falcons at Fulton County Stadium.

Atlanta and New England are knotted at five wins apiece in its preseason series. The Patriots, who visited the Georgia Dome in 2006 for a preseason matchup will again come to town for a Thursday Night (August 19) nationally televised game on FOX.

The Falcons will make their first road preseason trip in Week 3 when the team travels to Miami. Atlanta holds a 5-4 preseason series lead over the Dolphins as the teams have traded victories in each contest dating back to 1967. The game marks the Falcons first visit to Miami in the preseason since 2005.

Atlanta will conclude the preseason schedule on the road against Jacksonville. Each team has won three contests in the six-game series thus far as the Falcons visit the Jaguars in the preseason for the second time in the last three years.
 
Dating back to 2004, the Falcons have not witnessed a losing preseason record as Head Coach Mike Smith has guided Atlanta to 2-2 preseason marks in his first two years at the helm (2008-09). Below is a look at the Falcons preseason opponents.

Date	Opponent	Time	TV
TBD	vs. Kansas City	TBD	WXIA
Thursday, August 19	vs. New England	8 p.m.	FOX
TBD	at Miami	TBD	WXIA
Thursday, September 2	at Jacksonville	TBD	WXIA

RELATED LINKS:

• TICKETS: Click here for Falcons season ticket information
• FORUMS: Talk about preseason opponents and more on FalconsLIFE
• BLOG: Thoughts on the Falcons 2010 regular season opponents
• OPPONENTS: Notes and thoughts on the regular season opponents

ATLANTA — Linebacker Curtis Lofton will be the honorary chair of Rally Foundation’s inaugural Fashion Funds the Cure Atlanta on Tuesday, March 30, at Saks Fifth Avenue at Phipps Plaza, sponsored by Mercedes Benz.  Proceeds from the event will directly benefit the Aflac Cancer Center & Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta through the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.
 
“I tackle some of the toughest and meanest football players in the NFL, but that is nothing compared to what these kids tackle every day with cancer,” said Lofton. “The mission of Rally has become so important to me, and I will continue to be involved with this event as it grows each year.”
 
Tickets for Rally Foundation’s Fashion Funds the Cure Atlanta are $100 each. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in both live and silent auctions while also enjoying a variety of food and drinks. Patron tickets are also available for $250 each and will allow guests to attend a VIP cocktail reception with Lofton and other local celebrities.
 
Jeff Dauhler, from Q100’s “The Bert Show,” and his wife Jessica, from Q100’s “Jessica Shops Atlanta” and jessicashops.com, will serve as the celebrity emcees for the evening.
 
In addition to professional models showing the best of Saks’ 2010 collections, the event will feature Rally Kid models that have battled or are currently battling childhood cancer.
 
“Rally is looking forward to another successful event and is thrilled to have Curtis Lofton on board to help make that happen,” said Dean Crowe, Founder and CEO of Rally Foundation. “It is our hope that this new event will allow us to raise even more money to fund critical research for children fighting cancer.”
 
In just three years, Rally Foundation awarded more than $1 million in research grants while supporting 40 projects in 23 hospitals nationwide. At the Aflac Cancer Center & Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Rally funds the following: the collection of non-tumor tissue in childhood cancer survivors; the comparative genomic hybridization between tumor cells and somatic cells study; a Senior Bone Marrow Transplant Research Nurse and the Phase I solid tumor clinical trial of the Sunshine Project. Rally also funds the Young Adult Survivors Cancer Clinic at the Emory University School of Medicine.
 
To find out more about the Rally Foundation and its inaugural Fashion Funds the Cure Atlanta, including sponsorship and ticket information, visit: http://rallyfoundation.org/index.php/fashion_funds_the_cure.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have selected three finalists for the Taco Mac Insider competition. The winner will serve as the primary video personality on AtlantaFalcons.com through the 2010 football season, beginning with the NFL Draft on April 22. The finalists will compete in three broadcasting skills competitions with the first round taking place at three Metro Atlanta Taco Mac locations from March 29-31.

In this challenge, contestants will be asked to interview a mystery Falcons player “on the fly,” not knowing who the player is.
 
Fans are encouraged to attend at each location listed below where they can hear the contestants, talk football with celebrity judges and receive autographs from the high-profile mystery Falcons players. Fans may also watch the taped interviews on AtlantaFalcons.com/insider and vote for their favorite on-air talent.

A combination of fan vote totals and celebrity judges’ assessments will determine the winner of each skills challenge (below).
 
The event starts at 6 p.m. at each location.

Date	Taco Mac Location	Celebrity Judge
March 29	573 Main Street Atlanta, Georgia 30324 (map)	D. Orlando Ledbetter, AJC
March 30	2607 Peachtree Parkway Suwanee, Georgia 30024 (map)	Randy Waters, 11Alive WXIA-TV
March 31	5600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, GA 30342 (map)	Wes Durham, Voice of the Falcons

The Taco Mac Insider Finalists

Finalists will each be profiled on AtlantaFalcons.com. Here are details on skills challenges:

• On The Fly (next week): Conducting a spontaneous interview with a Falcons player, coach or front office member. The contestant will not know the interviewee’s identity until shortly before the interview takes place
• Prep School: (week of April 5) Producing a finished feature video package. Each contestant will be provided a videographer and editor and asked to produce a 1:30 segment on an NFL Draft related subject. Each contestant will write his or her own piece, select the b-roll to include, tape intros/outros and lay down voiceovers where appropriate.
• Radio Row (April 19): A live on-air discussion on AtlantaFalcons.com to test Falcons knowledge.

Videos from each challenge will be evaluated by both the fans and a panel of celebrity judges, comprised of prominent media members from the Atlanta local market. The fans and celebrity judges will crown a winner on April 20. The first assignment for the Taco Mac Insider will take place on Draft Weekend, April 22 through April 24.

Click here for more information.

RELATED LINKS:

• HOME: Everything you need to know about the Taco Mac Insider competition
• VIDEO INTROS: Rebecca Hill | Britton Lynn | Niki Noto
• PHOTOS: Images from the Taco Mac Insider photo shoot and contest
• RELEASE: Fans can attend first round of competition at Taco Mac
• JUDGING: Details on skills challenges and judging procedure

]]> http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010/03/fans-can-see-start-of-taco-mac-insider-competition/feed/ 0 http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010/03/falcons-receive-two-compensatory-selections-in-draft/ http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010/03/falcons-receive-two-compensatory-selections-in-draft/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:57:25 +0000 J. Michael Moore http://www.atlantafalcons.com/?p=3469  

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. –  The NFL today has awarded the Atlanta Falcons two compensatory picks in the 2010 NFL Draft.
 
With the additional selections, the Falcons will have extra picks toward the end of the third and fifth rounds. Below is a look at Atlanta’s round-by-round selections in the 2010 NFL Draft.
 

Falcons Picks
1st Round (No. 19 overall)
3rd Round
3rd Round (Compensatory Selection)
4th Round
5th Round
5th Round (Compensatory Selection)
6th Round
6th Round
 

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. –  The Atlanta Falcons today announced the hiring of Mark Collins as the team’s new defensive assistant.
 
Collins, a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan holds 11 years of coaching experience. Following his graduation from East Tennessee State, he coached his alma mater in a variety of positions from 1999-2002. Collins then joined the University of Michigan coaching staff for two seasons (2003-04) prior to a one-year stint at Elon University as the school’s defensive coordinator.
 
In 2006, Collins served as the linebackers coach at Georgia Southern University under then-Head Coach Brian VanGorder. The following year, he was hired as a graduate assistant at Georgia and in 2009 was an assistant coach for the University of Louisiana Monroe.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons today signed safety Matt Giordano and released cornerback Tye Hill.
 
Giordano, a graduate of California, is a five-year NFL veteran who has competed with the Indianapolis Colts (2005-08) and Green Bay Packers (2009). In 60 career games (six starts), he has totaled 79 tackles (53 solo), three interceptions and seven passes defensed. In 2007 with the Colts, Giordano intercepted two passes, one of which was returned 83 yards for his first career touchdown.
 
Hill saw action in eight games last season and contributed with seven tackles and one interception. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2006 where he spent the first three years of his career.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Dunta Robinson likes to surprise people on the football field, but not necessarily by jumping a pass route.

He likes to hit people. Hard.

“I don’t think you see many cornerbacks play the way I do,” said Robinson, a six-year veteran who signed a free-agent deal with the Falcons over the weekend. “I don’t know one cornerback that hits the way I do. A lot of guys can cover, a lot of guys can run around, but can you hit a 220-pound running back or a 250-pound tight end and make him look at you like ‘That little guy didn’t just hit me?’

“That’s my style of play and I love it.”

Robinson, a 5-foot-10, 182-pound athlete originally from Athens, Ga. joins the Falcons with 13 career interceptions and countless big hits. He started for the Texans as a rookie in 2004, recording six interceptions and introducing himself to the league with a swagger reserved for veteran defensive backs.

But that’s not all he could bring to the Falcons starting in 2010.

You see a twinkle in the eye of General Manager Thomas Dimitroff when he talks about Robinson — another addition in the process to add “speed and urgency” to the team’s defense.

The Falcons put together back-to-back winning seasons over the past two years thanks, in part, to passionate and physical play. But rebuilding a defense to fully meet that style takes time. It started with the selection of hard-hitting linebacker Curtis Lofton in the 2008 NFL Draft, followed by the first-round selection of nimble defensive tackle Peria Jerry in 2009.

It continues with Robinson, who enters 2010 with 382 career tackles and 63 passes defensed.

“I really feel Dunta has the skill set you’re looking for in a No. 1 corner,” Head Coach Mike Smith said Monday. “This past season the Texans, as Dunta said, used him as the guy to shadow the No. 1 receiver. That gives us an option here. I think the thing Dunta has is a complete game. We talked about his ability to tackle and that is very important. I think tackling is a lost art in this league and I think it’s very important. I think that’s the thing that stands out the most in regards to his skill set.”

What the Falcons actually do with Robinson remains to be seen. Through the first two years with Smith at the helm, the team worked primarily in zone defenses, assigning roles of “right” and “left” cornerbacks. If Robinson shadows a team’s top receiver — wherever he is on the field — the scheme opens up to more creative play calling.

His physical play alone should help disrupt a receiver’s timing at the line of scrimmage.

Robinson said he’s prepared to face the best receivers in the NFC South because of his experience against Peyton Manning and Colts’ Pro Bowlers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

Wayne had 11 catches for 83 yards and a score in two games against the Texans last season. Robinson also drew the assignment of Randy Moss (five catches for 75 yards, no touchdowns), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (four catches for 53 yards, no touchdowns) and Terrell Owens (five catches for 39 yards, no touchdowns) in 2009.

When passes are completed against Robinson, he uses his aggressive nature to get turnovers. He had three forced fumbles as a rookie.

“Dunta Robinson is very fast. He is very aggressive, very physical,” Dimitroff said. “He has an uncanny ability, in our mind, to dig the ball out and make plays on the ball. He is very confident and he has — and you will see the way he carries himself — an element of swagger we definitely are looking for on this football team to help this young defense and to help this young secondary. We are really excited about having Dunta help this team move in that direction. That is very important to us.”

Dimitroff met Robinson in 2004. Then a scout for the Patriots, the Falcons general manager had a feeling he’d one day work with the cornerback with fluid hips and ball skills. In six years in the NFL, Robinson has also developed his leadership qualities.

He said he’s excited to work with Brent Grimes and Christopher Owens — incumbent starters who have a combined three years experience.

He also rattled off names of other players on defense as if he’s all ready spent time in the locker room.

In time, they too will see Robinson’s hard-hitting skill set.

And experience the advantages of having him on the defense.

“We have it on the front end, we have it in the middle and I’m that piece I think that can help get it done on the back end.” Robinson said Monday evening. “I think it’s going to be a great season. I think the future is bright for this program.”

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons today signed cornerback Brent Grimes to an exclusive rights contract and waived wide receiver James Swinton.
 
In 16 games (eight starts) last season, Grimes compiled 67 tackles (58 solo), 13 passes defensed and one fumble recovery while leading the team in interceptions with six. The Shippensburg graduate also picked off four passes in the final three contests of the season. Grimes was originally signed as a rookie free agent by Atlanta on May 16, 2006. He has tallied 114 career tackles, seven interceptions, one sack, one fumble recovery and 19 passes defensed.
 
Swinton was signed by the Falcons to the practice squad on Dec. 15, 2009 where he spent the remaining three games of the season.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is a transcript of select portions of Dunta Robinson’s introduction to the Atlanta media on March 8, 2010.

Owner and CEO Arthur Blank

Opening Statement:
“What you’ve seen this offseason is typical of what you’ll see every offseason from your football team. After the season is over we spend a lot of time evaluating our coaching staff and our players. We do that no matter how many games we win and I think this is a result of that process. We’re committed to getting better ever year. We’re committed through free agency or the draft, whatever the case may be. I think the commitment to bringing this young man here to play with us is what we’re all about.

“Through last year I was about putting together back-to-back winning seasons; that was important. I’m no longer about back-to-back winning seasons. I’m about rings now. I’ve moved on from back-to-back winning seasons to rings. I’ve made that clear to Smitty and Thomas both and to Rich McKay as well. Atlanta supported and applauded what we did last year and it was great but we need to focus now on getting some rings…

“There’s a recent column by Jeff Shultz and he talks about one of the qualities important when he looks at folks in professional sports and that is a sense of urgency. I think we’re blessed in having a general manager where that’s in his veins.  He is about urgency. He is about being responsive. He is about taking advantage of opportunities…

“Fundamentally, I should make it clear to everybody – and I think Thomas and Smitty will make it clear as well – is we believe about building our team through the draft. We’re not a team that plays really heavily in free agency. We’ve done it selectively in the past. In 2008 we brought in a great running back in Michael Turner who turned out to be a Pro Bowl player for us. Last year we brought in Tony Gonzalez who will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and this year Dunta, who I think will be an outstanding player for us. We play in free agency selectively. We do it with a lot of thought and we do it with a lot of care…

“What you find in this league as in life in any organization is that people will stay someplace if they have a contract or commitment. The position we’ve always taken is we want to create an environment where a player wants to be here, not because of the contract, but because we created the right kind of environment… My standard is without a contract would players want to be here, whether they’re existing players or players on the outside? It’s a credit to our organization that what we would argue the top cornerback available in free agency made only one stop this year. You can argue he doesn’t live far from here in Athens, and that’s true. But the mere fact he made only one visit I think is a credit to all the people I mentioned before. Dunta, I want to thank you for coming to Atlanta first. I also want to say ‘welcome home’ to you and your fiancée and you’re whole family…

General Manager Thomas Dimitroff

Opening Statement:
“First of all I want to echo what Arthur said as far as his thank yous to Rich McKay and Nick Polk on the contract negotiation side of things, Mike Smith, our personnel department and Les Snead and on and on… I echo everything you say as far as people helping to make my job a lot easier and better.

“I think before we introduce our new addition to the Falcon family I want to take this opportunity to thank our Owner and CEO Arthur Blank not only for his financial commitment here but even more so in my mind as a general manager – and I’m sure speak for Mike Smith – for his intense drive and competitiveness in putting this team together and helping us and providing us with the resources we need for providing the city of Atlanta a competitive football team.

“We talked last year and our mantra was we wanted to get faster (and) more urgent on defense. We wanted to have a presence on defense and that was going to be our drive going into last year’s draft and free agency as well. Here we are, fast forward, and we are looking at an individual in Dunta Robinson that will definitely improve us in the urgency part of the game, the speed part of the game and will help increase our consistency with this football team.

“Dunta Robinson is very fast. He is very aggressive, very physical. He has an uncanny ability, in our mind, to dig the ball out and make plays on the ball. He is very confident and he has – and you will see the way he carries himself – an element of swagger we definitely are looking for on this football team to help this young defense and to help this young secondary. We are really excited about having Dunta help this team move in that direction. That is very important to us.”

“I do want to add a little bit of a story here… Let’s back track to 2004, the very first time I met Dunta Robinson at South Carolina. We had a workout with him – an individual workout. I was with the Patriots at that time.  This kid was out there moving around like you wouldn’t believe – smooth, urgent, hips were very fluid, breaking on the ball. I said to the (coach) with me, I whispered to him, ‘Man, we have to have this guy on our team.’ Unfortunately at that point we weren’t able to get him up to New England but I said to the other coach that was with me, ‘One day, I somehow think we’ll work together.’ Here we are, fast forward six years later, and I always thought as we moved into this situation with Atlanta if there were to be one of three defensive backs in this league as far as what we’re doing, one of those individuals (and he was a high number in that three) was Dunta Robinson.”

Cornerback Dunta Robinson

Opening Statement:
“Wow. To stand up here in front of this red and black is something I always dreamt about. Growing up in Athens, Ga. this was the first professional football team I wished I could play for. To be here today and that be possible… It’s truly a great feeling. I’m home. This is where I need to be and this is where I feel the most comfortable. As I stand before you guys it’s truly a blessing. I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough to Mr. Blank, Thomas and the head coach Mike Smith. I’m definitely in a great situation. I want to thank (my family) for coming out… These are the people that stand behind me. We stand like an army together and I just want to thank them for coming up and being a part of this.

“I’m going to continue to say thank you because I’m so happy about this situation. I didn’t get the chance in 2004 to come here and play for the Atlanta Falcons but what better chance now? God works in mysterious ways and here I stand before you today and am happy to say I am an Atlanta Falcon and I’m so happy to be a part of this organization.

“I’m looking forward to the upcoming season. I think with the things they have in place on the offensive side of the ball and what they’re trying to build as a team offensively and defensively I think we have a chance to do some special things here. Teaming up with John Abraham again, Curtis Lofton, Erik Coleman, Thomas DeCoud – who I think is one of the hardest-hitting safeties I’ve had the pleasure to watch play – Mike Peterson – who I went up against a few times in Jacksonville – is a born leader, it’s great to play with guys like that and also Jonathan Babineaux – a guy who can get pressure up the middle. We have it on the front end, we have it in the middle and I’m that piece I think that can help get it done on the back end. I think it’s going to be a great season. I think the future is bright for this program. Like I said earlier, I’m happy to be a part of this.

“I want to thank Bob McNair and the Houston Texans for giving me a chance to start living out my dream back in 2004 when they drafted me out in Houston. They gave me the opportunity. Things didn’t work out there and here I stand today as an Atlanta Falcon – I keep saying that because it hasn’t clicked yet.”

On the deciding factors to come to Atlanta:
“About 12:30 a.m. Friday morning, here I am, watching TV. I got a call from my agent, Jason, and he was running through the list of teams that were a possibility that would probably like to bring me in for a visit. He went through about three teams and he got to the Atlanta Falcons and I told him: ‘Stop, don’t say anything else. Whatever you have to do to get that done, let’s get it done. I’m not interested in the other visits. If they want me there, I want to be there.’ They set it up. I was in here on Mr. Blank’s private jet and I was sold from that point on.”

On differences between schemes in Houston and Atlanta:
“There are a lot of similar things. They like for corners to get up in a guys face, bump and run and make the receiver work at the line of scrimmage. That’s something I was used to doing out in Houston. Those things are pretty much the same. As far as differences, there aren’t many differences. The scheme is basically the same so this is a situation I think I’ll fit right in to.”

On following teams’ No. 1 receiver:
“I just want to be used in any way. That was the way the Texans wanted to use me. I don’t argue about the way I’m used. I just go out there and do what they ask me to do. That’s how I look at that situation. Whether it’s outside, inside, blitzing, dropping back in coverage… Whatever they ask to do here I just want to make sure I’m ready and I’m willing to do whatever they ask.”

On facing Peyton Manning twice a year to facing Drew Brees:
“You lose a lot of sleep when you have to face Peyton twice a year but, in that situation, I come from one great quarterback to another. Being in the same conference as the Super Bowl champions, I’ve been in that situation before. It’s kind of like a déjà vu situation. One thing about Peyton that wowed me was he didn’t throw my way much. To know the greatest quarterbacks to play the game respects you was something big for me and giant for my confidence. I went out into every single game playing with a lot of confidence. If Peyton isn’t throwing at me, I don’t have much to worry about other Sundays.

“I’m excited to bring something new to this team. I don’t think you see many cornerbacks play the way I do. I don’t know one cornerback that hits the way I do. A lot of guys can cover, a lot of guys can run around but can you hit a 220-pound running back or a 250-pound tight end and make him look at you like ‘That little guy didn’t just hit me?’ That’s my style of play and I love it.

“It’s going to be fun playing in this conference. I look forward going up against every quarterback in this conference and every receiver in this division.”

On studying the Falcons offense and that influencing his decision:
“To come to a team with two, back-to-back winning seasons that came into play. Look at the offensive side of the ball: Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White, Michael Turner… They have a lot of great players on that side of the ball and now it’s about adding other pieces to make everything click. I think, on the defensive side, I’m the piece we can turn the corner with. Those guys definitely came into play when I was making this decision because I come from an explosive offense playing out in Houston. To come from one explosive offense to another one, you know they’re going to put up points. You know teams are going to be throwing the ball and you get a chance to make plays on the ball. I was very comfortable when I had to make my decision to be an Atlanta Falcon.”

On seeking advice from Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (a former Falcon):
“I didn’t seek any advice while I was making the decision but I talked to Matt on numerous occasions and he talked about how it was a first-class organization and how he loved the years he spent in Atlanta. Like I said before, I sat down with these guys going into the draft back in (2004). It’s something I would have loved to have done but it didn’t work out that way. But now I’m here and we’re going to take off running…”

On receivers in the NFC South:
“Trust me, I’ve had my share of practice. I’ve gone against Marvin Harrison twice a year for five or six years. Reggie Wayne, I’ve seen him twice a year every year. Though there are great receivers in this division, I’m used to going against great receivers. I guarded every team’s best receiver last season. I’ve had my experience. I’m actually looking forward to playing against those guys, lining up and getting in their face and just going to battle. It’s a great situation for me. I feel wanted here and anytime you feel wanted you’re willing to go out there and lay it on the line every Sunday. Facing great receivers brings out the best in me so it’s definitely going to be fun.”

On practicing against Andre Johnson:
“He’s one of the best in the league. But I get that same opportunity here with Roddy White, who I faced back in 2007. I didn’t think there were too many receivers at the time behind Andre Johnson and (White) was the second-best wide receiver in the league. I still feel that way. We’re going to have a lot of fun in practice. He’s going to make me better and I’m definitely going to make him better.”

On his community efforts:
“Through the years I’ve gotten into doing things for my computer. My first thing is I am from Athens, Ga. I grew up and played little league football and we have a few guys in the NFL that came from Athens, Ga. but we never saw those guys much. It’s like someone you can’t touch so you still don’t believe that dream can come true for you. I always told my mom and dad if I ever made it to the NFL I’d come home and start my own little league football team… It just wasn’t about having the little league football team. I’ve seen many great players come from my high school and I shouldn’t be the only guy from that high school in the NFL. I think a lot of it has to do with guys not knowing and not believing that they could.

“I started my own little league football teams called the Athens Oilers – we probably need to change that name soon. Besides just playing football I implemented rules. They have to do well in school and they have to turn in progress reports; they have to turn in their report cards.  I kind of run it the way high school does. If you have more than one failing grade – I’d like you not to have any – then you can’t play football. This starts from age 5 all the way to age 12. It’s getting these guys used to doing certain things knowing this is what they have to do if they want to continue go forward. I’m not just looking for the best youth football players I’m looking for guys who want to grow into young men.

“I also have my own foundation, the Dunta Robinson Foundation. It’s for underprivileged families in need. Coming to a team where the owner is so into the community is going to be a good thing for me because I know we’re on the same page; we have the same passion for people in general and both want to give and do whatever we can to make people feel good. That’s very important to me.”

On his role as a leader:
“The good thing about this situation is I get to play with two really good young corners in (Brent) Grimes and (Christopher) Owens. I watched Grimes play a little bit last year in the Monday Night Football game out in New Orleans and I remember him jumping… I’d never seen anyone jump that high. I know they have young corners with potential. Hopefully I can come here to make these guys better football players and do whatever I can to help these guys become leaders themselves. I’m not coming in here to step on any toes. I’m coming in here to fit in and help this football team win and bring out the best in the guys on the back end. I think it’s going to be a great situation…

Head Coach Mike Smith

On Dunta Robinson’s skills:
“I really feel Dunta has the skill set you’re looking for in a No. 1 corner. This past season the Texans, as Dunta said, used him as the guy to shadow the No. 1 receiver. That gives us an option here. I think the thing Dunta has is a complete game. We talked about his ability to tackle and that is very important. I think tackling is a lost art in this league and I think it’s very important. I think that’s the thing that stands out the most in regards to his skill set.

“The other thing is we’re a very young group there in the back end. We don’t have a whole lot of experience back there. In fact, he and Erik Coleman, six years in the league, will be our most experienced defensive backs. As we were doing our due diligence it was very obvious Dunta is a leader and he’ll be counted on that here in Atlanta as well.

“I know the guy likes to practice and anyone who has been out to see knows we practice hard and have fun. I’m looking forward to the DBs and the wide receivers mix it up because I think it will be very lively when we get going in May.”

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons today traded cornerback Chris Houston to the Detroit Lions. In exchange, the Falcons will receive Detroit’s sixth round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft as well as swap choices with the Lions in the fifth round. Atlanta now enters the draft with six selections, pending compensatory picks awarded based on free agency.
 
Houston, a Falcons 2007 draft pick, competed in 44 career games in three seasons with the team.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons today re-signed long snapper Joe Zelenka.
 
Zelenka was signed by the Falcons last season on December 1, 2009 and handled all long-snapping duties for the remaining five games of the year. An 11-year NFL veteran, Zelenka spent the majority of his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2001-08).

RELATED LINKS:

• FREE AGENCY HOME:  More information on the Falcons 2010 free agents
• NFL Q&A: Commonly asked questions about the CBA and free agency
• QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: More on free agency in this FAQ
• LABOR NEWS: Updates on NFL labor at NFLLabor.com
• NFL.COM: Free agency news from NFL.com
• TRANSACTIONS:  Click here for a list of Falcons official transactions from 2001 to present
• IMPORTANT DATES: Key days in the 2010 NFL Offseason

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. –  The Atlanta Falcons today signed free agent cornerback Dunta (pronounced Dontay) Robinson, a six-year veteran who has spent his entire NFL tenure with the Houston Texans.

In 84 career games (79 starts), Robinson has totaled 382 tackles (310 solo), 13 interceptions, 63 passes defensed, four sacks, six forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Known as an aggressive and speedy cornerback, Robinson leaves Houston as the team’s all-time leader in interceptions and passes defensed. He also posted a streak of 57 consecutive starts from 2004-07. Robinson burst on to the NFL scene in his rookie year of 2004 and led the secondary in tackles (85) while adding a career-high six interceptions and three forced fumbles. For his success, he was named the 2004 Pro Football Weekly Defensive Rookie of the Year and the 2004 Touchdown Club Rookie of the Year.

TALK ABOUT THE MOVE TO SIGN ROBINSON ON FALCONSLIFE

The following year, Robinson enjoyed similar success starting in all 16 games while finishing with a career-high 93 tackles. He was awarded the Mickey Herskowitz Award that season, which is given to one member of the each NFL team deemed as the most media-friendly player.

Over the next four seasons (2006-09), Robinson has recorded 155 tackles (49 in 2009) while adding six interceptions, 30 passes defensed and one forced fumble. He also returned an interception nine yards for his first career touchdown against Buffalo in 2006.

Robinson is a native of Athens, Georgia and was a three-year starter at defensive back, running back and wide receiver at Clarke Central High School. He graduated as the school’s record holder for interceptions (17) as he also rushed for six touchdowns and ran back a punt and kickoff return for TDs. At the University of South Carolina, Robinson competed in 42 career games and posted 114 career tackles, five interceptions and 22 passes defensed. He was named the team’s Defensive Most Valuable Player as a senior.

RELATED VIDEO:

• THOMAS DIMITROFF: GM talks free agency after season | Combine
• MIKE SMITH: Head Coach talks free agency after season | Combine

RELATED NEWS UPDATES:

• BLOG: Report on Falcons restricted free agent tender offers

RELATED LINKS:

• FREE AGENCY HOME:  More information on the Falcons 2010 free agents
• NFL Q&A: Commonly asked questions about the CBA and free agency
• QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: More on free agency in this FAQ
• LABOR NEWS: Updates on NFL labor at NFLLabor.com
• NFL.COM: Free agency news from NFL.com
• TRANSACTIONS:  Click here for a list of Falcons official transactions from 2001 to present
• IMPORTANT DATES: Key days in the 2010 NFL Offseason

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Former Falcons running back Warrick became a limited partner of the Atlanta Falcons this week following the closing of his minority ownership purchase of the club. The Falcons announced Dunn’s agreement to become a limited partner on Dec. 17, 2009, after his ownership stake was unanimously approved by NFL owners on December 16. Terms of the final agreement were not disclosed.

When first announcing Dunn’s pending ownership, Falcons Owner and CEO Arthur Blank said, “During his tenure with the Falcons and throughout his NFL career, Warrick represented the highest of NFL standards on and off the field. “Warrick has a special affinity for the Falcons, as we do for him, and we are very happy he will be back in the Falcons family representing our club as a limited partner.”

Dunn joined the NFL in 1997 as the first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He signed with the Falcons in 2002 after playing five seasons with the Buccaneers. In 2007, Dunn became the 22nd player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career rushing yards and the seventh player in league history to reach the 10,000 rushing yard and 4,000 receiving yard plateau. After six seasons with the Falcons, Dunn played his final NFL season with the Buccaneers in 2008.

“This opportunity fulfills one of my professional goals to expand my knowledge and experience in the area of NFL team management, branding and operations,” Dunn said. “I am excited to be back as part of the Falcons team and, in particular, to work with Mr. Blank.”

Dunn is also highly regarded for his work in the community. Since 1997, through his Homes for the Holidays program, Dunn has assisted 91 single parents and their children or dependents in achieving first-time home ownership. In 2002, he established the Warrick Dunn Foundation, which expanded upon his dedication to providing opportunities for economically-disadvantaged single parents and children. Dunn is also a co-founder of Athletes for Hope, a non-profit organization that helps professional athletes develop their passion for philanthropy.

Dunn has received numerous honors in recognition of his NFL work on and off the field, including receiving the 2009 Bart Starr Award, and being named the 2004 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and 1997 NFL Rookie of the Year.

Dunn joins the following prestigious limited partners of the Falcons:

• Ronald E. Canakaris – Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Montag & Caldwell
• Douglas J. Hertz – President and CEO of United Distributors
• John P. Imlay, Jr. – Chairman of Imlay Investments, Inc.
• Ed Mendel – Co-Founder of the Ned Davis Research Group and Davis, Mendel & Regenstein, Inc.
• Derek V. Smith – Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Global Prescience
• John A. Williams – Chief Executive Officer of Williams Realty Advisors, LLC  

Blank will continue to hold more than 90 percent of the ownership interest in the team after the admission of Dunn as a limited partner.

Dunn also becomes a member of the Atlanta Falcons Board of Advisors, which is comprised of the other limited partners, as well as Hank Aaron, John E. Aderhold, Steve Bartkowski, Glenda Hatchett, David E. Homrich, Billy Payne, Felker W. Ward, Carl Ware and Ambassador Andrew Young.

The role of the board of advisors is to support Falcons business and player development efforts, and to serve as Falcons ambassadors in the community.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following transcript was provided by the NFL for free agency and the CBA.

Questions on Free Agency

Q.  When can players start being signed in the 2010 free agency signing period?
A.  Beginning at 12:01 AM ET on Friday, March 5.  

Q.  What are the categories of free agency?
A.  Players are either “restricted” or “unrestricted” free agents.  Within the categories are also “transition” and “franchise” players.

Q.  What is the time period for free agency signings this year?
A.  For restricted free agents, from March 5 to April 15.  For unrestricted free agents who have received the June 1 tender from their prior Club, from March 5 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later).  For franchise players, from March 5 until the Tuesday after the 10th week of the regular-season (November 16).  If he does not sign by November 16, he must sit out the season.  There are no transition player designations this year.

Q.  What is the difference between a restricted free agent and an unrestricted free agent?
A.  In the 2010 League Year, players become restricted free agents when they complete three, four or five accrued seasons and their contract expires.  Unrestricted free agents have completed six or more accrued seasons.  An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any club with no compensation owed to his old club.

Q.  What constitutes an “accrued season?”
A.  Six or more regular-season games on a club’s active/inactive, reserved-injured or “physically unable to perform” lists.

Q.  Other than accrued seasons, what determines a restricted free agent? 
A.  He has received a “qualifying” offer (a salary level predetermined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and its players) from his old club.  He can negotiate with any club through April 15.  If the restricted free agent accepts an offer sheet from a new club, his old club can match the offer and retain him because it has the “right of first refusal.”  If the old club does not match the offer, it can possibly receive draft-choice compensation depending on the amount of its qualifying offer.  If an offer sheet is not executed, and the player receives the June 1 tender from his old club, the player’s rights revert exclusively to his old club on June 1.

Q.  What determines an unrestricted free agent?
A.  A player with six or more accrued seasons whose contract has expired.  He is free to sign with any club, with no compensation owed to his old club, through July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later).  At that point, his rights revert to his old club if it made a “tender” offer (110 percent of last year’s salary) to him by June 1.  His old club then has until the Tuesday after the 10th week of the season (November 16) to sign him.  If he does not sign by November 16, he must sit out the season.  If no tender is offered by June 1, the player can be signed by any club at any time throughout the season. 

Q.  What determines a transition player?
A.  A transition player must be offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of the prior season at the player’s position or 120 percent of the player’s prior year’s salary, whichever is greater.  A transition player designation gives the club a first-refusal right to match within seven days an offer sheet given to the player by another club after his contract expires.  If the club matches, it retains the player.  If it does not match, it receives no draft pick compensation from that club.  In 2010, a club may designate a franchise player or a transition player in lieu of a franchise player, as well as one additional transition player. 

Q.  What determines a franchise player?
A.  The salary level offer by a player’s club determines what type of franchise player he is.  An “exclusive” franchise player — not free to sign with another club — is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position for the current year as of April 15, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, or the average of the top five salaries at his position as of the end of last season — whichever of the three is greater.  If a player is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries of last season at his position, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, he becomes a “non-exclusive” franchise player and can negotiate with other clubs.  His old club can match a new club’s offer, or receive two first-round draft choices if it decides not to match. 

Q.  Can a club decide to withdraw its franchise or transition designations on a player?
A.  Yes

Q.  Can a club then use them on other players?
A.  Not in the 2010 season.  A club can withdraw its franchise or transition designations and the player then automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent either immediately or when his contract expires.

Questions on the CBA

Q. When does the CBA expire should there be no extension to the agreement?
A. In March of 2011.

Q. Will there be a college draft in 2011?
A. Yes.

Q.  What is the “Final League Year” in the current agreement?
A.  The “Final League Year” is the term used in the CBA to refer to the last year of the agreement, which is 2010.  The 2010 League Year begins on March 5. 

Q.  What are the differences between the “Final League Year” and any other “League Year?”
A. The principal differences are that in the “Final League Year” there is no salary cap and there are substantial additional restrictions on player free agency and reductions in player benefits.

Q. Are current player benefits affected in the Final League Year?
A. We expect the amount of current player benefits to decline in the Final League Year.  The union agreed that in the Final League Year, clubs would be relieved of obligations regarding numerous benefit programs.  Examples include second career savings (401K), player annuity, health reimbursement arrangement, severance pay and performance-based pay.  The total league-wide contributions to such plans in 2009, the last capped year, were in excess of $335 million or more than $10 million per club. 

Q. Are retired player benefits affected in the Final League Year?
A. Commissioner Goodell has stated in a letter to the NFL Alumni Association Board of Directors that there will be no reduction in pension or disability payments to retired players during the Final League Year (2010).  Since at least the fall of 2007, NFL owners have consistently agreed and planned that they will not reduce the funding for pension or disability benefits for retired players, nor will they change qualifications on payments to players under the 88 Plan during the Final League Year. 

Q. What determines an unrestricted free agent in the Final League Year (2010)?
A. In capped seasons, a player whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent if he has four or more accrued seasons.  In the Final League Year (2010), a player whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent only if he has six or more accrued seasons.  An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any club with no compensation owed to his old club. 

Q. What determines whether a player is a restricted free agent in the “Final League Year?”
A.  In capped seasons, a player whose contract expires becomes a restricted free agent if he has three accrued seasons.  In the Final League Year (2010), a player whose contract expires becomes a restricted free agent if he has three, four or five accrued seasons.

Q. In addition to the right to designate a franchise (or transition) player each capped year, can clubs designate additional players in the Final League Year?
A. Yes, one additional player can be tagged.  In capped years, a club may designate a franchise player or a transition player in lieu of a franchise player.  In the final league year (2010), the above rule also applies, however, a club may also designate one additional transition player.  A transition player must be offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of the prior season at the player’s position or 120 percent of the player’s prior year’s salary, whichever is greater.  A transition player designation gives the club a first-refusal right to match within seven days an offer sheet given to the player by another club after his contract expires.  If the club matches, it retains the player.  If it does not match, it receives no draft pick compensation from that club.

Q. What is the Final Eight Plan?
A.  During the Final League Year, the eight clubs that make the Divisional Playoffs in the previous season have additional restrictions that limit their ability to sign unrestricted free agents from other clubs.  In general, the four clubs participating in the championship games are limited in the number of unrestricted free agents that they may sign; the limit is determined by the number of their own unrestricted free agents signing with other clubs.  They cannot sign any UFAs unless one of theirs is signed by another team.

For the four clubs that lost in the Divisional Playoffs, in addition to having the ability to sign unrestricted free agents based on the number of their own unrestricted free agents signing with other clubs, they may also sign players based on specific financial parameters.  Those four only will be permitted to sign one unrestricted free agent for $5,807,475 million or more in year one of the contract, plus the number of their UFAs who sign with another team. They also can sign any unrestricted free agents for no more than $3,861,823 million in year one of the contract with limitations on the per year increases.
           
In the case of all final eight teams, the first year salary of UFAs they sign to replace those lost cannot exceed the first year salary of the player lost with limitations on the per year increases.

Q. Is there an Entering Player Pool in the Final League Year?
A. Yes.  The CBA provides that the league has the right to keep the rookie pool in the Final League Year. 

Q. Is there a Minimum Team Salary in the Final League Year?
A. There is no Minimum Team Salary in the Final League Year.
 
Q. Are there individual player minimum salaries in the Final League Year?
A. Yes, but they rise at a rate somewhat slower than player minimum salaries rise in capped years.

Q. Do any player contract rules from capped years remain in place for the Final League Year?
A.  Yes.  Some rules like the “30% increase rule” are still in effect in the Final League Year for player contracts signed in capped years.  That rule restricts salary increases from 2009 to 2010 and beyond.  For example: a player with a $500,000 salary in 2009 would be limited to annual salary increases of $150,000 ($500,000 x 30%) beginning in 2010.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons today agreed to terms on a contract extension with quarterback Chris Redman. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Redman, an eight-year NFL veteran, has spent the last three seasons with the Falcons as the backup quarterback. In 23 career games (12 starts), he has completed 264 of 466 passes for 2,971 yards and 21 touchdowns while compiling a 79.3 passer rating.

Redman joined the Falcons as a free agent in 2007 and competed in seven games while starting in four. He totaled 1,079 passing yards and 10 touchdowns while finishing the season with a 90.4 passer rating. Redman was inserted as the starting quarterback for the final five games of the ’07 campaign and won the season finale against the Seattle Seahawks. In that game, he threw for four touchdowns en route to being named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Having provided valuable guidance for quarterback Matt Ryan in the last two seasons, Redman also filled in under center in three contests last year. After replacing an injured Ryan against Tampa Bay in Week 12, Redman led the Falcons back from a four-point fourth quarter deficit and completed the game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White with 23 seconds left in the game. Redman finished the ’09 campaign having completed 69 of 119 passes for 781 yards and four touchdowns.

Redman was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 and spent four seasons with the team before being released in 2003.

RELATED VIDEO:

• THOMAS DIMITROFF: GM talks free agency after season | Combine
• MIKE SMITH: Head Coach talks free agency after season | Combine

RELATED NEWS UPDATES:

• BLOG: Report on Falcons restricted free agent tender offers

• FREE AGENCY HOME:  More information on the Falcons 2010 free agents
• QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: More on free agency in this FAQ
• LABOR NEWS: Updates on NFL labor at NFLLabor.com
• NFL.COM: Free agency news from NFL.com
• TRANSACTIONS:  Click here for a list of Falcons official transactions from 2001 to present
• IMPORTANT DATES: Key days in the 2010 NFL Offseason

INDIANAPOLIS — Eric Norwood has spent his whole life proving people wrong.

As a senior at North Cobb High School in Acworth he was recruited by South Carolina, Auburn, Boston College, and Oklahoma State among others.

But some felt he was lazy.

The 6-foot-1, 245-pound linebacker didn’t have the grades to get into college. A bright kid, Norwood was more concerned with football than books. It wasn’t until he realized football fields and classrooms have to be in harmony that he made some changes.

Even once the light bulb came on, it took him three tries to get into school. Denied admission, the school allowed his admittance under special circumstances and upon completion of specific tests. Once at South Carolina, it was on. But he’s never let go of the feeling that many believed he wasn’t committed enough in the classroom to play college football.

“I think that kind of offended me in a way,” Norwood said at the NFL Combine last week. “My coach (former defensive coordinator) Tyrone Nix told me to always keep that chip on my shoulder. My teammates held me accountable also because they knew what my struggle was to get in. From there, it just took off.”

All he did in four years with the Gamecocks was earn First-Team All-SEC honors three times — at two different positions. He holds South Carolina’s sack record (29), surpassing Falcons defensive end John Abraham, and the all-time mark for tackles for loss (54.5).

Tying an NCAA record with two returned fumbles for touchdowns in one season is something he’s proud of. He’s pleased with being the active leader in the SEC in sacks (when he was playing). But what he’s most proud of is his 38 consecutive starts in a conference known for its tough defense and fierce running games.

“Durability in that conference alone speaks a lot for itself,” Norwood said.

But there almost wasn’t a senior season for Norwood.

After a strong junior year, he declared for the NFL Draft. A few days later he changed his mind, deciding to return to school. He smiles when he talks about the decision, saying he had a few records to break.

Entering his senior year, he sat one sack behind Abraham, a player he admires.

His decision to return came down to security. He believed entering the draft in 2009 would have been a gamble. After receiving a second-day grade, Norwood felt one more year in the SEC would help prepare him for the NFL.

It was also important for him to graduate.

It turns out the player South Carolina denied three times only needed three-and-a-half years to graduate. In December, Norwood got his degree in Criminal Justice and he says it’s the most important thing he’s accomplished in his life.

But knows he’s destined for more.

“It doesn’t rival anything,” said Norwood of his early degree. “Everything I’ve done to get to this point is just a fraction of everything that I can do.”

His next step is the NFL. He’s spent weeks training at XPE Sports in Boca Raton, Fla. with high-profile players like Eric Berry, Ricky Sapp and Rolando McClain.

He approached the Combine process with an open mind, feeling he’s done all he can on the field to show teams what he can do. But recognized the interview portion of this experience is also critical.

He’s put in the time to study posture and remove the use of incorrect grammar from speech. A player that some have compared to Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil says he’s taken every opportunity to let teams know he’s coming to play.

“(I’m) letting them know that I’m not a liability off the field or on the field,” said Norwood. “I’m a very productive player and I can do exactly what they need me to do.  I’m efficient. I’m the guy. I’m the guy that you want on your ball club.”

There are those that call Norwood a “tweener,” a player not stout enough to play defensive end and lacking the speed to play linebacker. Others look at his 4.67-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine, his two interceptions as a senior, and that he held his own as a weakside linebacker in the SEC and believe he can be a 3-4 rush end or middle linebacker.

Maybe a 4-3 linebacker.

Norwood says teams are discussing him at multiple positions and he believes he can fit in anywhere, including with his hometown team, the Atlanta Falcons.

“Yeah, I’ve talked to the Falcons,” he said with a smile, perhaps imagining competing with and learning from Abraham on a daily basis.

Maybe even talking about that record…

MORE ON THE 2010 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE:

• NFL.com: Combine Homepage | Participants
• TWITTER: Follow J. Michael Moore on Twitter
• NFL NETWORK: Combine Workout and Programming Schedule
• WORKOUTS: What Will the players be doing at the Combine?
• RESULTS: Top Performers at the 2009 Scouting Combine

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons long snapper Mike Schneck announced his retirement today.
 
Schneck spent his 12-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1999-2004), Buffalo Bills (2005-06) and Atlanta Falcons (2007-09). Last season, he served as the Falcons long snapper before injuries forced him to injured reserve on November 5, 2009. Schneck was signed by the Falcons as a free agent on October 1, 2007 and was inserted as the starting long snapper immediately. In his three seasons with the Falcons, Schneck also totaled five special teams tackles.
 
Schneck’s career was highlighted by a 2005 Pro Bowl selection as a member of the Buffalo Bills. That season, he converted 132 long snapping opportunities and posted four special teams tackles. Schneck also competed in seven career postseason contests (six with the Steelers and one with the Falcons).

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons today agreed to terms on a contract extension with cornerback Brian Williams. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
 
Williams, a veteran of eight NFL seasons, has compiled 507 tackles (404 solo), 19 interceptions, 73 passes defensed, nine forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 112 career games (98 starts). After being signed by the Falcons as a free agent on September 6, 2009, Williams became the starter at left cornerback and recorded 23 tackles (17 solo), one interception, two passes defensed and two fumble recoveries in five games before suffering a knee injury against the Chicago Bears in Week 6.
 
Williams competed in Jacksonville for three seasons (2006-08), two of which under Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith who was his defensive coordinator. In 2007, Williams set a Jaguars team record having intercepted a pass in three consecutive games.
 
In 2003, Williams posted one of his best NFL seasons. As a member of the Minnesota Vikings, he registered 80 tackles, five interceptions, 16 passes defensed and two forced fumbles. Williams tied a Minnesota single-game record with three interceptions against Detroit on November 23, 2003 and became only the fourth player in Vikings history to post 200-plus interception return yards.

RELATED VIDEO:

• THOMAS DIMITROFF: GM talks free agency after season | Combine
• MIKE SMITH: Head Coach talks free agency after season | Combine

RELATED NEWS UPDATES:

• BLOG: Report on Falcons restricted free agent tender offers

• FREE AGENCY HOME:  More information on the Falcons 2010 free agents
• QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: More on free agency in this FAQ
• LABOR NEWS: Updates on NFL labor at NFLLabor.com
• NFL.COM: Free agency news from NFL.com
• TRANSACTIONS:  Click here for a list of Falcons official transactions from 2001 to present
• IMPORTANT DATES: Key days in the 2010 NFL Offseason

INDIANAPOLIS — If someone told you there was a defensive end that, as a high school senior, posted 145 tackles, a state-record 35 sacks and 61 tackles for loss, you’d think he was likely the NFL’s next, great pass-rushing terror.

Brandon Lang believed it, knowing one day he’d find himself on a podium talking to media at the NFL Combine.

Last Saturday his dream came true, but the path to Indianapolis for the Tucker, Ga. native was a long and winding one — far from what he expected.

Highly-touted and heavily-recruited out of Tucker High School in 2004, Lang’s suitors included Georgia, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee among others. The 6-foot-4, 266-pound defensive end committed to Georgia, but SAT scores got in the way.

Lang says he met all other academic requirements; he just couldn’t get his SATs high enough to meet Georgia’s standards. To try to gain eligibility, he enrolled at Hargrave Military Academy — a prep school in Virginia.

After a semester of test-taking at Hargrave, he decided to transfer to Alabama’s Troy University. Lang said he took the test multiple times and decided to “take another route.”

He sat out the 2005 season because of the transfer and in 200 — two full seasons after he was one of the nation’s top recruits — he began his freshman season. Lang credits Troy’s head coach of 19 years, Larry Blakeney, with making him feel at home.

“I love him to death,” Lang said. “He got me to come down there. He’s family oriented. His relationship with his players is not just a coach and player relationship. He gets to know you on a personal level and that really meant a lot to me.”

It wasn’t how he expected to spend his first two years after high school, but Lang knew he could do worse than Troy, a school that had recently produced two top pass rushers in New York’s Osi Umenyiora and Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware.

After missing his sophomore season with a torn ACL, Lang began to emerge as one of the top young defensive ends in the nation in 2008. That year he broke two of Ware’s school records: tackles for loss yardage and sack yardage.

Just as Ware did, many scouts believe Lang may switch to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme, a position some believe is a better fit for Lang’s size and skills. For Lang, his time at the Combine is strictly about introducing teams to what he’s capable of, regardless of scheme.

“I hope to show that I can play in any scheme, 4-3 or 3-4,” said Lang. “To help boost my stock, any way possible. To just come out here and show what I can do.”

To accomplish that, the defensive end has been training at WPI Sports and Fitness in suburban Atlanta with former Falcons Chuck Smith and Eric Johnson. WPI is quickly developing a reputation for teaching prospective pros on the offensive and defensive lines. Five of their trainees in 2009 were drafted in the first two rounds including Andre Smith, Larry English and Robert Ayers.

But WPI didn’t just teach Lang the art of terrorizing a quarterback, they also taught him the business, specifically how to stick around in the NFL.

“The main thing was just off the field: your character, not doing anything to get yourself in trouble,” said Lang. “On the field-wise, playing 100 mph, trying to do everything right, not busting on any assignments, and just being a fundamental player.”

Scouts like the three-year Trojan starter’s hard hits, technique, and short-area athleticism, but were disappointed by what he posted at the Combine during his workout. Many believe his playing strength and speed is better than the 4.96 40-yard dash and the 20 bench press reps he produced.

Lang believes it.

“I bring intensity,” he said. “I’m a live player. I like to go 100 mph every play. I hope that can get me to the NFL.”

Getting to the NFL was at one time Lang’s highest aspiration. After his academic struggles and setbacks (he is aware he should have been in the 2008 NFL Draft) just getting through college became the goal.

While his 2009 stat line (8.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles) is lighter than what he produced as a senior in high school, he did dominate during his stay in the Sun Belt Conference.

But he still gets asked about that jaw-dropping total as a prep star.

“Well it was high school so it was pretty easy,” he said, shaking off the awe-inspiring numbers as inconsequential. “Just run around guys, that’s all.”

Lang’s spent the last six years developing as a pass rusher and improving his game at every level he’s stopped.

He knows that next stop won’t be as easy.

MORE ON THE 2010 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE:

• NFL.com: Combine Homepage | Participants
• TWITTER: Follow J. Michael Moore on Twitter
• NFL NETWORK: Combine Workout and Programming Schedule
• WORKOUTS: What Will the players be doing at the Combine?
• RESULTS: Top Performers at the 2009 Scouting Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — NFL scouts love bloodlines.

The league is entering an era when many of its former players’ sons are preparing to start their own professional careers. The abilities of those players, many believe, are enhanced by DNA and growing up exposed to a high-level brand of football.

When Georgia’s Geno Atkins is discussed in white board sessions in franchise offices this offseason, they’ll quickly mention his father.

Gene Atkins spent 10 seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins before retiring in 1996. That exposure to the sport at an early age in the younger Atkins’ life was beneficial. Now, as the defensive tackle makes his way through the process leading up to the NFL Draft, he takes advantage of his father’s advice.

“I just grew up around football, watching him play for the Saints and the Dolphins,” Atkins said at the NFL Combine. “He just gave me lots of tips about what to expect in high school and in college. Now at the next level, how the business is and what I should do to prepare for it.”

But Atkins’ development on the way to the league didn’t rest solely on his father’s shoulders.

The 6-foot-1, 293 pound tackle played high school football at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, a school that boasts nine former and current NFL football players including Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin and Brian Piccolo, one of the most inspirational players in league history.

The talent that comes out of St. Thomas Aquinas, according to George Smith, the team’s coach for the past 33 years, is a direct result of talented players practicing against each other on a daily basis. He sees a new wave of young men coming out of his program getting ready to enter the league.

Atkins is at the top of that list because he went up against premier players.

“Every day he went against Sam Young, who started every game at Notre Dame, which has never happened in the school’s history as an offensive lineman,” Smith said earlier this week. “Also, Danny Wenger who was a starting center at Notre Dame and Marcus Gilbert who was a two-year starter at Florida as an offensive linemen and will be one of the top offensive linemen, supposedly, coming out next year. So those four guys practiced against each other every day.”

Smith’s pedigree as a head coach producing college and NFL talent is second to few.

He received the Power of Influence Award in 2008, given by the American Football Coaches Association and the American Football Coaches Foundation. He’s seen a lot of good players come and go and he always knew Atkins was a special player.

“He’s so strong and so quick,” Smith said. “His whole stay here was positive. He was never a discipline issue. He was a good student, very quiet, and a tremendous leader by example. An excellent football player and he was a very good distance shot put guy.”

The shot put is Atkins’ other claim to fame at UGA.

During his four years as a Bulldog, the defensive tackle was the only two-sport athlete at the university, competing in the shot put on the track and field team. He says the training he received in shot put has helped him with his explosion in football.

Now at the Combine hoping to reclaim his draft stock that took a hit after a decline in numbers as a senior, Atkins is trying to put his football lineage to good use. He got a head start in that process at the Senior Bowl in February.

Scouts were abuzz with his agility and burst off the ball against some of the top offensive linemen in the country. The scouting website NFLDraftScout.com ranks Atkins as the 11th-best defensive tackle and projects him as high as a third-round selection.

There are more than enough players in Atkins’ life from which to draw inspiration, but he’s currently studying a player already making a name for himself sacking the quarterback, New York Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck.

“I like how he uses his hands and how he comes off the ball with quickness and speed,” said Atkins. “I like how he stays active. Even though it looks like he’s blocked in a play, he just keeps moving and somehow makes the play.”

Smith said he was disappointed in Atkins senior season and believes his former player has fallen under the radar. But he said whatever team takes Atkins will get a young man ready to work hard to be a success.

“I just hope he gets a shot and I think he’ll prove himself,” Smith said.

Atkins shot started at the Combine Saturday when he began meeting with teams. No longer under the radar after what he accomplished at the Senior Bowl, Atkins continued his ascent on Sunday when he posted the third-most bench press reps among defensive linemen (34).

Where Atkins is from, football talent runs deep. He’s inherited it and gleaned some from others.

Now he’s trying to put it all together in the hopes of hearing his name called as early as possible in the 2010 NFL Draft.

MORE ON THE 2010 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE:

• NFL.com: Combine Homepage | Participants
• TWITTER: Follow J. Michael Moore on Twitter
• NFL NETWORK: Combine Workout and Programming Schedule
• WORKOUTS: What Will the players be doing at the Combine?
• RESULTS: Top Performers at the 2009 Scouting Combine

General Manager Thomas Dimitroff

Opening statement:
“This is my 21st Combine and honestly I never get tired and continue to be ramped up by the thought of the new and improving additions to our team. Going into 2010 for Atlanta, no question we have a lot of work to do. I think where we need the most improvement is on the side of consistency and we’ve talked about that last year. That was the one element I think we were lacking across the board. I think there’s room for evaluation at every level, myself included and we’re looking forward to continuing to improve and this is a great place for us to start.”

On the Combine through Saturday:
“This is always the best part. Leading up to this time it drags on a little bit at the beginning of the Combine. When you actually get a chance to put your eyes on some of these athletes juxtaposed with other athletes around the country. Seeing them move around. How they actually perform in those drills. Again it’s not competition on the field with pads on. But you really get a chance to truly see how these players are going to move. See them live and in person. We get a chance over the last few days and going forward to interview these guys as well. It really starts to pull things together as far as our draft board.”

On trading in the first round:
“My feeling has always been that it’s totally contingent on the draft. It depends on where we are, the type of player we’re looking for, the strength at a certain position. That’s what really determines whether we will trade down, or back, or even out of the first round. I will tell you it’s almost like going into a holiday season expecting a gift. And moving out of the first round and not having that prime gift is pretty difficult, at least for me. All the work you do as a scouting staff and as an organization, walking away without a first-round pick seems anticlimactic. I would venture to say you’ll rarely see that with me, but you know how things go. Things could change depending on the talent that’s there and what we’re looking for. “

On taking calls to trade out of No. 3 in 2008:
“We didn’t field that many. We had a couple of teams that were interested. Interestingly enough, we just flipped yesterday and we acquired 19 over 20, which was big for us. Obviously it’s nowhere near the comparison when we ended up getting No. 3. We probably wouldn’t have Matt Ryan on our team if we didn’t have the good fortune to flip for the third pick. That pick, there were some teams that were interested in a quarterback acquisition. For us we knew we had to stand pat and hopefully acquire a quarterback. There really was not that much action on the third. It’s a high-dollar pick obviously and you have to have an owner that’s understanding as far as putting that sort of money out.”

On reluctance to trade in the first round:
“Every year you have a lot of people that inquire about having someone move up into the single-digit picks and a lot of times we’ll avoid that and try to get into the mid-round or right around the 20’s. Fortunately that’s where we are this year and I had the good fortune over the years to be involved with the Patriots and we were right around that area. It’s a very good value in the draft. I personally feel quite comfortable being in that area and picking in that area.”

On the thought process at No.3:
“That took a lot of time and a lot of effort and consideration. We thought often about should we try to move back. Again, as we really looked at that, knowing that there was a quarterback there that we thought we were very comfortable with, it wasn’t as difficult. Other positions, interestingly enough, defensive line, you can make a lot of mistakes throughout the history of the drafts on defensive line that early as well. That happened to be the other position that we were seriously considering. So, again we have had the good fortune, at least to date, and we feel confident that we are moving in the right direction with Matt Ryan. After all is said and done on that pick, we feel comfortable with what we did.”

On restricted free agency this offseason:
“I believe there’s going to be probably that much more contemplation. To see who actually pulls the trigger will be very, very interesting. I think people want to see obviously what comes up in the tenders and I think it will be an interesting dynamic to see who’s going to be moving during that time. I think, again, there will be a lot more interest. I’ll be interested to see how many people really do go after it.”

On free agency landscape this offseason:
“Well I’ve gone around and around about that leading into this part of the preparation time. There aren’t that many players out there, as we all know, given the dynamic of what we call the U/R’s right now, given the CBA. I think in the past we would have seen a lot more numbers out there and we would have been contemplating about when March 5 came around, let’s jump in here and we’re going to be really, really busy during that time. I sense, at least speaking from our team, we are a lot more focused seemingly this year on draft preparation earlier. Usually we take this in cycles and segments, we often refer to them, and this was definitely a free agent segment leading up to the beginning of free agency. Now we tend to be focusing on the draft that much earlier. I will be interested to see how much interest there is going into free agency with the fewer numbers. I think there are some really good players out there but again, personally, we’ll really kick that off on the 5th of March.”

On Julius Peppers:
“As I said when the 5th comes around and we’re ready to focus on free agency—really, really focus on it—we will be open to considering any possibilities. We will research it hard. That’s part of our job to make sure we evaluate all the players that are of interest to us and who we deem as good, fiscally responsible moves. That’s going to be an important thing for us as a team. Not to be evasive about a certain player that was brought up. We need to improve in a lot of different areas. We feel the arrow is heading in the right direction and we’re heading in the right direction, but we’re always looking to upgrade our talent at every position. I’d probably say devoid of the quarterback position. We have a lot of work to do and we’re going to continue to build and we’ll approach free agency on the 5th.

On balancing the 2010 draft class:
“No question, last year I stood up here and I was very forthcoming with our draft philosophy and our approach. Some of the draft historians, if you really looked at the draft history, I don’t know how many teams were that lopsided in the draft in the past. I’d be interested to dig into that. First time I’ve ever been involved with virtually every one but one, we took Garrett Reynolds in the 5th round last year. Everything else happened to be defensive driven. That will not be the case this year. Both sides will be considered. That very first year we really spent a lot of time on the offense. We acquired some free agents and we acquired some draft picks. Last year we were really focused on having a younger defense, getting more urgent, speedier, and younger. We’re looking forward to this defense growing and evolving into that three-, four-, five-year group. With that said, we’ll still continue to look and improve in certain areas. But I believe it’s now focused on both sides of the ball because as you all know you tend to get older and you tend to look at contract situations in the future. We have to make sure we are building for sustainability and not just for the single year. And we feel we are continuing to do that.”

On Harry Douglas:
“When we drafted Harry a couple of years ago, ou
r expectations, having come from New England, were to have a player that was reminiscent of Wes Welker, slot inside, juxtaposed with two, big, tall wide receivers in Roddy White and Mike Jenkins and have that underneath guy. Quite honestly, we thought about that and were excited about that. We bring in Tony Gonzalez inside as well. And have Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood running the rock. We thought we had a lot of fire power there. So we’re getting back to thinking that we’re going to return to that idea this year. Hopefully if we can stay healthy, we’re excited about our possibilities of producing on offense.”

On tendering Jerious Norwood:
“We’ll make that decision right before the 5th.”

On New England’s former coaches and general managers around the league:
“I was up there arguing with (Scott) Pioli actually, we happen to have suites right beside each other, and we were just talking about that very thing. How you take all that you’ve learned from a certain organization, like New England, and the success we had. We tend to talk about that often, whether it’s on the trade side of things or whether it’s acquisition side. We do a little bit of busting on each other, no question about it. Especially if we feel like the other person cut around the back to try to get something taken care of. But we’re usually pretty good. I maintain that this league is about having a handful of allies and it’s very important. I think there’s a good group of us that have moved on from New England that have taken care of business in the right way. We’ve created and maintained some very good allies and relationships to be able to do business, like we did last year with Tony Gonzalez with Kansas City.”

On New England’s influence around the league:
“Bill Belichick does a fantastic job of realizing and understanding personnel matchups. Just when you think you have it figured it out, he’ll come up with a Julian Edelman. Before you know it you’re scratching your head thinking ‘We didn’t have that guy. He was a quarterback wasn’t he?’ I think he always tends to come up with something special so I think he’ll always figure something out. So I don’t think there will be that much of a lack of talent around.”

On restricted free agent decisions:
“I don’t think it’s that difficult. We were very calculated in our thought process of let’s go through the whole process here. Let’s get to the Combine and let’s see exactly what we have out here one last time before we make the decision. To me, that’s taking the whole body of work into consideration. We’ve been through the whole season, the in-season scouting that we referred to in the fall, as well as the All-Star season, and now we’re here. We get a chance to interview these players and then make a true decision at the end of this whole process and feel good and be able to look ourselves in the mirror and say ‘Ok, we gave this 100 percent consideration before we decided to tender a player a certain tender.’”

On Chris Owens:
“Chris has done a really good job for us. We drafted him in the third round. For whoever has looked at him, he’s a feisty football player. He’s fast. He’s got very nice ball skills and he’ll come up. For a smaller guy, he’s a very aggressive football player. We brought him in thinking that he was going to evolve into a No. 3, possibly, and you never know with the way that corners are in this league, to be a No. 2. Fortunately for us toward the end of the season he really stood up. He took some lumps along the way like a lot of corners do early, but what he has is a real knack for getting close to the ball as well. We’re excited about his possibilities going forward. I will tell you, he has a presence about him there and a swagger about him, that for a young guy, we’re excited about his evolution.”

On Bill Belichick’s decisions:
“I never second guess Coach Belichick’s approach. I understand that seems probably out of the norm, but he’s got a plan always and as we all know he’s very calculated with his decisions. I’m not one to sit up here and sort of judge what they’re doing or any other team. This is about our team obviously. I know right now we’re in a growing stage, and I’m fortunate, speaking of coordinators, that we have an opportunity to maintain for Matt Ryan, Mike Mularkey. Going into our third year it’s very important. We just re-signed Brian VanGorder and we’re excited about having him continue to be a solid force on the defense, a young defense. For us, and for Mike Smith, our coordinators having a very sound and solid background in the league is very, very important.

On the structure of contracts in an uncapped season:
“Well I think we’re going to be creative with our contracts no question about it, but that’s what this league is about. I think it’s really taking in consideration the uncertainty and I’ll be interested, honestly, to see how we end up doing a lot of contracts going forward. That’s going to yet to be seen, but no question you’re going to consider everything that’s out there as far as the uncertainty, as far as constructing those contracts.”

On a potential lockout’s effect on contracts:
“I think we’re just sitting back here, from our perspective, because obviously the league is taking care of what they need to take care of as far as the CBA. Again, I don’t mean to sound evasive about it. That’s their business, I’m sure they do a fantastic job in getting it taken care of. We can only project as far as what we’re going to do. I’m not speaking for any other team; I’m just speaking for us. I just know that we’re going to be very fiscally responsible going forward.”

On offseason training:
“I have the discussion about the number of games in a season as well as OTAs and practice situations with Mike Smith all the time. Our feeling is always it can happen, it’s just a matter of if it’s uniform and everyone has to deal with it then it’s fair, obviously. It’s not going to be something where one team’s going to get 15 (practices) and someone else is going to get 12. If we’re all underneath the equal playing field, then I don’t think it’s that big of an issue. Yes, everyone would like to have 25 practices, but I think as long as it’s the right thing, we train people correctly, we approach the practices the way we are—no contact—and we’re smart about how we train our guys, I think you can get by with being mindful of curtailing and cutting back a little bit. We already have. We’ve kind of gone back and forth with it. As a co-architect of this team with Mike Smith, it’s not something that we’re complaining about in the sense of how are we going to get through this and woe is us. This is about this is the way it’s going to be and eventually it’s going to continue to be this way. Let’s deal with it. Let’s figure out how we’re going to take care of business and move forward.”

MORE ON THE 2010 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE:

• NFL.com: Combine Homepage | Participants
• TWITTER: Follow J. Michael Moore on Twitter
• NFL NETWORK: Combine Workout and Programming Schedule
• WORKOUTS: What Will the players be doing at the Combine?
• RESULTS: Top Performers at the 2009 Scouting Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — Speaking to the media on Saturday at the NFL Combine, Atlanta Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff called himself the “co-architect” of the Falcons, a title he shares with Head Coach Mike Smith.

Dimitroff and Smith have worked hand-in-hand in their two years to construct a consistent contender, crafting an offense littered with weapons and a defense that is younger and more urgent.

Smith, who spoke with the media on Friday, and Dimitroff have always said they will build the Falcons through the draft with a few choice free agents sprinkled throughout.

Thus far, the regime has held true to that mantra, signing free agent running back Michael Turner in 2008 to pair with three draft picks who became starters that season. Last year, Dimitroff brought future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta for a 2010 second-round draft pick, signed 11-year veteran linebacker Mike Peterson, and gained one immediate starter in first-round draft pick Peria Jerry and one eventual starter in third-round cornerback Christopher Owens.

The two architects in Atlanta accomplished all of this without doling out excessive amounts of money in long-term contracts. Smith and Dimitroff say this trend will continue, despite the likelihood the 2010 season will be an uncapped year with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire on March 5.

Dimitroff said the lack of a salary cap when free agency begins would not signal a departure from how they’ve built the franchise.

“We can only project as far as what we’re going to do,” Dimitroff said of the team’s activity in free agency this year. “I’m not speaking for any other team; I’m just speaking for us. I just know that we’re going to be very fiscally responsible going forward.”

Smith echoed the same-as-any-other-year idea, sharing he and his coaching staff are evaluating the thinner pool of free agents this offseason. But their approach hasn’t changed at all, despite the knowledge that more money can be spent.

“The only way we can approach it as a coaching staff is that it’s going to be like any other year,” said Smith. “We’re going to go out and evaluate the players that are available and then it’s going to be up to Thomas Dimitroff and his staff to make those decisions. Really our approach as a coaching staff has not been any different this year than any other.”

The emphasis on using the draft to acquire talent is a system that has worked thus far for the Falcons.

Dimitroff pointed out due to the lower number of players available in free agency this year, focus on the draft became heightened. He and Smith are using the Combine process as a final evaluation in comparing the merits of potential free agents versus potential incoming draftees.

“We were very calculated in our thought process of let’s go through the whole process here,” Dimitroff said. “Let’s get to the Combine and let’s see exactly what we have out here one last time before we make the decision. To me, that’s taking the whole body of work into consideration.”

Atlanta’s brass believes the key to building a consistent winner is to remain budget-conscious, scout and draft well and think globally for the long term. The NFL has shown this is the most productive way to build.

“We have to make sure we are building for sustainability and not just for the single year,” Dimitroff said. “And we feel we are continuing to do that.”

Other Notes from the Press Conferences:

• Smith said running back isn’t a priority, but the team always want to have depth at a position that takes such a pounding.
• Smith likes the play of Spencer Adkins, a rookie from Miami who impressed on special teams, and second-year man Robert James. Both contribute depth to a unit he believes is maturing.
• Quarterback Matt Ryan, according to Smith, is running and should be ready for offseason conditioning after struggling in the second half of 2009 with a toe injury. The head coach pointed out Ryan’s toughness in coming back from an injury the team initially believed would keep him out up to six weeks.
• When he drafted wide receiver Harry Douglas in 2008, Dimitroff envisioned a player impacting Atlanta’s offense in a similar way that Pro Bowler Wes Welker has in New England. He’s also pleased with Owens play, surpassing expectations as a No. 3 cornerback.

MORE ON THE 2010 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE:

• NFL.com: Combine Homepage | Participants
• TWITTER: Follow J. Michael Moore on Twitter
• NFL NETWORK: Combine Workout and Programming Schedule
• WORKOUTS: What Will the players be doing at the Combine?
• RESULTS: Top Performers at the 2009 Scouting Combine

Head Coach Mike Smith

Opening comments:
“It’s great to be here in Indianapolis again. It’s going to be a good week. We’ve got an opportunity to evaluate some of the top prospects that are available in this year’s draft. I’d like to say that I’m disappointed in our season last year simply because we didn’t have an opportunity to make the playoffs. But with that being said, I like the way that our team finished. We finished strong. We won our last three football games when we were out of contention and I think that’s going to bode well for the future.”

On what Tony Gonzalez brought to the team:
“Well I think that Tony not only helped our offense, but I thought he helped our entire football team. Tony is a consummate professional in terms of his work habits and the way that he works. Here’s a guy that’s going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and he comes out early to work. He’s catching passes and I think that rubs off not only on the other receivers, but it rubbed off on our defensive linemen. I would notice our defensive linemen would be out early spending extra time. I think it was very good for Matt (Ryan) to have Tony, another weapon, in our arsenal. And I know that our offensive staff was real pleased with what we were able to do this season with Tony. I think we went from 19 catches at the tight end position in Year One to over 100 in Year Two, so I think it really opens up a lot of things for us.”

On Matt Ryan’s offseason health:
“We think that Matt will be ready to go on March 22 when we open up our offseason conditioning program. Matt had a significant toe injury there at the end of the season. They talked to us initially about him missing six weeks. He was able to come back in two weeks and I think that says a lot about the type of man that Matt is. He’s a tough guy and playing quarterback in the NFL I think is one of the most difficult positions and I think that Matt had a very good second season. It was a learning experience, but we don’t anticipate him having any setbacks between now and when we start on the 22nd of March. He’s actually back to running. “

On the evaluation of the defense:
“We spent a major part of our offseason evaluating everything that we do, watching the cutups. I felt that as the season wore on, we got better and better on defense. We finished against the run No. 10 in the league. I felt like that was something that we improved on immensely as the season went on. We did not play the pass as well as we would like. It’s something that we definitely have to address. Statistically we were not close to where we need to be or want to be. I think there’s a two-fold way that you address that. One is to improve your pass rush and number two is to improve your secondary play. Those are areas that we definitely will be wanting to address. I’m pleased with, when I say our secondary, our young corners. Brent Grimes had six interceptions this season. Christopher Owens had an opportunity to play when our starter Chris Houston went down and played well. I think that we have three young corners that will continue to grow, but they are very, very young. “

On defensive line and secondary issues in 2009:
“We’ve got a number of areas that we have to address. In Year One our draft was more titled toward the offensive side of the ball. In Year Two we definitely drafted more for the defense. I think what you’ll see in the draft this season is that it will be more balanced. We definitely have to address some areas on both sides of the ball and as well as our special teams.”

On Julius Peppers:
“Well I can tell you this, having Julius Peppers out of the NFC South would be a good thing. He has been an outstanding player for a number of years. He’s a guy that you always have to be aware of where he is aligned and you always have to scheme to try to protect your quarterback.”

On this year’s free agent class:
“Well this year the free agent class is not as deep. When I say not as deep, there’s not as many numbers. Of course we’re going to do our due diligence on every free agent that’s available. We’ve been spending a lot of our offseason not only on the personnel side, but with our coaching staff watching tape.”

On this year’s free agent environment:
“The only way we can approach it as a coaching staff is that it’s going to be like any other year. We’re going to go out and evaluate the players that are available and then it’s going to be up to Thomas Dimitroff and his staff to make those decisions. Really our approach as a coaching staff has not been any different this year than any other.”

On Matt Ryan’s development in his second season:
“I thought I saw growth in everything that Matt did this season. Statistically he had more pass attempts this year in Year Two. He was very similar in completions. More touchdown passes. I think the thing that any quarterback has to do in this league is do two things very, very well and the great ones do that. One, they have to be accurate with the football, and I think that Matt has done that. He’s improved his accuracy. Number two, he’s got to be a very good decision maker. I think he’s done that as well. That decision making process that a quarterback goes through has got to happen in the first two seconds of the play. I’ve said this many times: Playing quarterback in the National Football League, I think, is the toughest job there is in all of sports.

On the NFL’s passing explosion:
“I think it’s becoming a spacing game for sure. Formationally, you’re not seeing a whole lot of two-back running sets. They’re more single-back sets. It is a quarterback-driven league. I think that there were more 300-yard passing games as well, of course that makes sense with the number of 4,000-yard passers. I’ve always said that you’ve got to be able to run the football and stop the run and even though the Indianapolis Colts played in the Super Bowl and were No. 32 in the league in rushing. I don’t know if that’s an anomaly but if you look through the playoffs I thought they ran the ball very effectively. I really believe that you still have to be able to run the football and stop the run. But I do know this, the formations and what offensive coordinators are doing are making it very, very difficult because you have to defend 53 1/3 yards when they put their formations together.”

On the linebackers:
“I think it was a learning experience for Curtis Lofton. Curtis was our first- and second-down linebacker as a rookie who started from Day One. In Year Two he became a three-down linebacker. So he was going through some growing experiences as a sub linebacker. I thought that Mike Peterson came in and played well for us. Mike is a very experienced player. Stephen Nicholas became a full-time starter as well this offseason. We had some youth there in the linebacking corp. I’m very excited about the young guys that we drafted over the last two seasons. Robert James is a second-year player that got an opportunity to play on special teams as well as Spencer Adkins who was a defensive end at the University of Miami.”

On the evolution of passing games impacting the draft:
“I really think that it affects the way you put your football team together. When you’re talking about a spacing offense, you’ve got to be able to have guys that can match up. When people are putting out three receivers and a running back that can run routes just like a receiver, you’ve got four wide receivers and you’re going to have to be able to match up. The sub-linebacker position is something that I think is evolving and will continue to evolve. Where you’ve normally had linebacker types playing that, I think you’re going to see more safeties and p
ossibly big cornerbacks that will play on those downs. I think you’re going to see much more six- and possibly even seven-defensive back defensive schemes to match up with the skill players and the level of skill that the offenses are able to put on the field.”

On the drafting of Matt Ryan:
“When you’re picking in the first five, you’re always going to have some angst in terms of what direction you’re going to go. It became real obvious for us in our experience with Matt Ryan. About two weeks before the draft we made the decision that we were going to draft Matt. In terms of what happens at the Combine, you get an opportunity to visit with the players. You get the medical and I think that’s one of the biggest things that’s overlooked. We get the medical and the physical that takes place. They go over the players with a fine-toothed comb. We’ve got an idea about their character prior to coming here to the Combine. We’ve spent hours and hours on watching tape. Really, I think it’s the interview process and the physical. Matt did not throw here at the Combine, but he did have a private workout and at that workout he really showed well.”

On making the final decision on Matt Ryan:
“When you’re going through this process, you’re looking at hours and hours of evaluation from a number of people. I think what really sold us that we went up there as a staff. When I say as a staff, myself, Thomas Dimitroff, our owner Arthur Blank, our offensive coordinator, and our quarterback coach, and we had dinner with Matt at a restaurant there in Boston. That’s an intimidating thing to have seven guys and him at the table. Matt handled himself very, very well. Then the next morning we got together and talked football and put him up on the board. It became real obvious that he had all the skills that we were looking for to be a successful quarterback in the NFL.”

On Matt Ryan’s performance during the team’s pre-draft meetings:
“Matt’s skill set: height, weight, speed, arm-strength, and all that, I think it’s the prototype for an NFL quarterback. We felt Matt was going to come in and be a guy that was to lead our football team. It became real obvious. We had an open competition through training camp and after two preseason games I almost felt like the players knew who our best quarterback was. They were like, ‘Coach, there’s our guy, let’s get him in there and let’s go.’ Sometimes the players know before the coaches.”

On running back depth:
“Michael Turner, I thought, had an injury-plagued season this year. He really missed eight games this year. Jason Snelling came in and did an outstanding job for us. Not only did he play running back, but he played fullback for us when we lost Ovie Mughelli for a couple of weeks. Jerious Norwood is a guy that has given us some good snaps. I think Jerious is a guy that can create those matchup issues. You always want to try to add depth at the running back. That position is a position that takes the most pounding of any position in the league.  It’s not a top priority for us right now, but it’s definitely something that we will be evaluating.”

MORE ON THE 2010 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE:

• NFL.com: Combine Homepage | Participants
• TWITTER: Follow J. Michael Moore on Twitter
• NFL NETWORK: Combine Workout and Programming Schedule
• WORKOUTS: What Will the players be doing at the Combine?
• RESULTS: Top Performers at the 2009 Scouting Combine

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – The Atlanta Falcons today named Bill Musgrave the team’s Assistant Head Coach. Along with his advance in title, Musgrave will continue his duties as the Falcons quarterback’s coach.
 
Musgrave holds 18 years of experience as an NFL player and coach and has been with the Falcons as the team’s quarterbacks coach since 2006. He has been essential in the development of quarterback Matt Ryan who was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 by the Associated Press and Sporting News.
 
“Bill has been an integral part of this coaching staff and this is a well deserved promotion,” said Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith. “We will look to utilize his tremendous amount of coaching experience for years to come.”
 
Before coming to Atlanta, Musgrave was the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins in 2005. He has also served as an offensive coordinator on four occasions with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-04), Virginia Cavaliers (2001-02), Carolina Panthers (2000) and Philadelphia Eagles (1998). Musgrave started his NFL coaching career as a quarterbacks coach with the Oakland Raiders in 1997.
 
Musgrave’s six-year professional playing career as a quarterback began as a fourth round draft choice by the Dallas Cowboys in 1991. He played for San Francisco from 1991-94 and was part of the 49ers’ Super Bowl XXIX winning team. Musgrave then competed with the Denver Broncos from 1995-96.

NEW YORK – Dallas Clark of the Indianapolis Colts and Deion Branch of the Seattle Seahawks are among the 77 players who have enrolled in the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at Harvard Business School and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

The program is part of an ongoing NFL-NFLPA initiative to assist players in preparing for their post-playing careers.  502 players have participated in the program since its inception in 2005.

“The program offered by the Harvard Business School is a great opportunity to begin preparing for life after football, and I have heard nothing but positive things from players that have participated,” said Dallas Clark.  “It’s a way to take advantage of one of the many programs the NFL and NFLPA offer, and I think to be able to receive business and leadership advice from some of the top instructors in their field will be invaluable.”

The schools will offer executive education activities in their respective areas of expertise (see complete descriptions below). Harvard Business School will hold a program for players from February 15-19.  The Wharton School’s session runs from February 16-19. 

Players complete an application process in order to attend the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program. Enrollment criteria includes level of education; professional business experience; interest in starting, owning, or managing a business; and leadership and community involvement.  

Falcons players — or former players – taking part in the programs include: retired kicker Morten Andersen (Harvard), wide receiver Brian Finneran (Harvard), offensive lineman Justin Blalock (Wharton), center Brett Romberg (Wharton), defensive end Lawrence Sidbury (Wharton) and offensive lineman Will Svitek (Wharton)

The Harvard Business School (February 15-19)
The Harvard custom program is designed to expose NFL participants to a broad array of business operations, negotiation, business plan analysis and legal aspects of business. All of these issues are pursued via the case method, in which participants study actual cases of real businesses and, in a highly interactive fashion, discuss the issues raised in the cases. The program also includes sessions focused on career issues, that allow participants to get feedback on their own strengths and weaknesses, develop a career vision, and receive small group coaching. Cases focus on real estate ventures, franchises and retail businesses, among others. The program will be delivered in a four-day module.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (February 16-19)
The Wharton custom program emphasizes entrepreneurship and business building with an emphasis on real estate. The program also includes an emphasis on analyzing financial statements, legal issues, investing and money management, social responsibility, property management, insurance and liability fundamentals, and taxation. The program will be delivered in a four-day module utilizing the case method along with group discussion and follow-up coaching/consultation.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons today have agreed to terms on a contract extension with wide receiver Brian Finneran. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
 
Since returning from knee injuries which sidelined the veteran receiver from 2006-07, Finneran has contributed with 32 receptions for 280 yards and one touchdown in 26 games dating back to 2008. He has also been a third down target for quarterback Matt Ryan in the last two seasons as 21 of his 32 catches have gone for a new set of downs. Throughout his tenure in Atlanta, Finneran has been a steady performer on special teams.
 
In his career, Finneran has seen action in 112 games with 37 starts and has totaled 219 receptions for 2,927 yards (13.4 avg.) and 16 touchdowns. In 2005, he led the Falcons in receiving with 50 catches for 611 yards and in 2002, he contributed with a career-high 838 yards and six touchdowns.
 
Last season, Finneran was named the Falcons nominee for the 2009 Walter Payton Man of the Year award. An active member in the community, the Villanova graduate has participated in a wide variety of events ranging from children’s hospital visits to serving as a spokesperson for breast cancer awareness.