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NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Atlanta Falcons

By Staff Report | July 2, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Tom Owen from The Falcoholic shares his insight on the 2009 Atlanta Falcons. Check in on other teams here.The Atlanta Falcons entered the 2008 season with dozens of question marks surrounding their whole organization from top to bottom. What was put in place was designed to be the beginnings of a dynasty, something which has eluded them for over 40 years. Nearly the entire franchise was, at that point, untested and unproven. What was expected to take rookie General Manager Thomas Dimitroff and Head Coach Mike Smith many years, took only one offseason.Due to the amazing turn around seen last season, going from a 4-12 record to 11-5 and a playoff berth, there are almost...

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Season Preview 2009 Minnesota Vikings

By Richie Denis | July 1, 2009 | Vikings War Cry

Anthony Chergosky from DailyNorseman.com gives us a look at the 2009 Minnesota Vikings. When you think of the 2009 Minnesota Vikings, two words probably enter your mind: Brett Favre. But when taking a look at the team, its chances of repeating as NFC North champs, and its opportunity to go further in the playoffs than it did last season, Favre is just the tip of the iceberg. All over the field and on both sides of the ball, the Vikings are a team built for success this season. This team's bread and butter is still its ability to run the...

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Hello There!

By Tom Owen | June 27, 2009 | Community

Hello and welcome fellow NFL'ers and Falcon'ers! First post niceties are always necessary, and this is no different! I have written a season preview for the Atlanta Falcons that should hopefully be up any day now. I trust you find...

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Colts Talk: Is Pierre Garcon The Answer for Indiana at the Slot?

By Josh Dhani | June 23, 2009 | Colts Couch Crew

After reading from a popular blog called The Colts Corner, I read an article about the Colts questions and answers. One question asked by Bryan Brackney, the owner of the site, was who will be the surprise player for Indianapolis coming into the 2009-10 season? Well, Bryan answered that the person who will be the surprise player is in the title above: Pierre Garcon. As Bryan observed, Garcon has been doing well at training camp and the Colts look to put him at punt/kick returner as well as the slot receiver. That brought me to something; is Pierre Garcon the answer for the Colts at the slot position? This is what the Indianapolis Colts are apparently talking about. Well, as of right now, I received an email on June 21. And I just couldn't believe who it was: Pierre Garcon. I asked Pierre a couple of months ago if...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Anthony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts, Jared Lorenzen, Najeh Davenport, NFL, Peyton Manning, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Roy Hall

Broncos Should Re-Build

By Shawn Zobel | June 18, 2009 | Zobel's Corner

In just his third year in the league, Jay Cutler threw for 4,526 yards and 25 touchdowns. While he also threw for 18 interceptions, Cutler's aggressive mentality at the quarterback position is what makes him such a good player. Nearly the definition of a franchise quarterback, Cutler's gritty, competitive attitude has brought him up the the elite status as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. So when the Denver Broncos decided to give in to Cutler's trade demand this offseason, and ship him away to the Chicago Bears for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and Kyle Orton, it really made you wonder what they were thinking and what their new plan was for the future.While Cutler owned a 17-20 record as a starter, you have to remember that he's only entering his fourth year in the league. Stars don't grow overnight. It takes time to develop into...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Jay Cutler, NFL

Justin Tryon, Head-Turner?

By Greg Trippiedi | June 10, 2009 | Hog Heaven

The Redskins cornerback situation has never failed to be awfully unpredictable. Who saw DeAngelo Hall coming here in the middle of the year? Who saw Leigh Torrence improving, seemingly out of nowhere, and then getting released in the middle of the year? Who looked at Carlos Rogers in 2006 and thought, "that guy has shutdown type skills." Alas, Carlos Rogers is a shutdown corner, Leigh Torrence is a young, quality nickelback for Gregg Williams, and DeAngelo Hall is a Redskin.I think, in many ways, the selection of Maryland Senior CB Kevin Barnes came as a surprise to many because Fred Smoot seems to be blocking him right now, and because the team had an over-publicized need on the offensive line.But, now, the unexpected strikes again at the position: multiple coaches and team insiders report that Justin Tryon has been stealing the show at OTA's and minicamp. Yes, that Justin Tryon. ...

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Summertime Observations

By James A. Smith | June 10, 2009 | Flying High

First, I'd like to apologize for my absence. Over the last month-and-a-half, I've embarked on a new employment opportunity, and am in the process of re-balancing work, work, family and my Falcons blog. But enough about me. I wanted to share this link to an amusing article. Something about the greatness of man versus the greatness of ego. It's June. Falcons OTAs are in full swing. The rookies are being signed and integrated in the offensive, defensive and special teams schemes. Falcons are helping charities, communities, and supporting our armed forces. Mike Vick is 600 miles away. Things are looking good. Heck...with Tony Gonzalez, Michael Turner and Roddy White, we even have three players in the Madden '10 top ten at their positions. Still, Panthers, Saints and even Bucs fans seem to think they each have the best team in the division. Saints fans will - in the same...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: AFC South, Atlanta Falcons, Buccaneers, Falcons, NFC East, NFC South, NFL, Panthers, Saints

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Atlanta Falcons

By Staff Report | July 2, 2009 | MVN Outsider

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NFL Great Debates: What to Do with Michael Vick?

By Staff Report | May 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider's Greg Trippiedi and Anthony Brown debate the issue: Which team is the best spot for Michael Vick if he overcomes the enormous hurdles necessary to get on the field this year?Greg Trippiedi says Vick shouldn't be a starting quarterback:It's pretty clear that Michael Vick is not going to have a job waiting for him when he gets back. He's 29 years old -- too old and too young in different ways. Vick's open field running abilities were already in decline when we last saw him, and that was in 2006. But that doesn't mean he won't stick somewhere. He's still got a good five or six seasons ahead of him as an effective athlete. The question though remains: Where will Michael Vick fit in, and who will take a chance on him? I don't think Vick is a good fit on a team with a clear need...Read more

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NFL Top 10: Most Valuable Atlanta Falcons

By Greg Trippiedi | May 18, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Value is a concept that really matters to teams in those end of the season front office meetings. The goal is to separate the contributors from the non-contributors. Teams need to know how to prepare should they lose a player unexpectedly in the off-season. If he was a very critical part of the teams success, there's a reduced chance he can be replaced internally, and it's more likely the team has to go outside to look for a replacement. If the performers' value is deemed to be marginal, maybe there is an in-house solution who can get the job done.The Falcons lost a very valuable player in CB Dominique Foxworth, who left for Baltimore in free agency. Given the propensity of free agency and the draft--not to mention father time--to shake these things up, we'll look forward in our evaluation, and not back.10. WR Michael JenkinsJenkins enjoyed something of a...Read more

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NFL Top 10: Breakout Candidates in 2009

By Greg Trippiedi | May 4, 2009 | MVN Outsider

If you are an avid fantasy football player who plays in competitive leagues, you know there are only three ways to gain a competitive edge over your opponents. You can:1) Have access to inside information that the rest of your league does not have,2) Search to acquire players that are undervalued by the rest of the league, or3) Draft players with high upside who are likely to "break out" during the next season.The final strategy would be considered the most dangerous. Our MVN Outsider fantasy experts will vouch for this: if you load up your roster with high-upside unproven talent, you risk having a bottom of the barrel fantasy team if your players underachieve your expectations for them.NFL Owners and General Managers have similar interests in identifying breakout candidates. Obviously, trading is not as prevalent in the NFL as it is in, say, Major League Baseball, but the NFL is...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Fantasy, Houston Texans, Jason Campbell, New Orleans Saints, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins

Five Questions: Talking Draft Winners, Heyward-Bey, Stafford and More

By Anthony Hall | April 29, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Who emerged from last weekend as a "winner" of the NFL Draft? Which first round quarterback (Stafford, Sanchez, Freeman) will have the best career in the NFL? And what on earth were the Oakland Raiders thinking? The NFL Draft left behind a plethora of unanswered questions, so to talk more about the weekend in football, we sat down with NFL blogger Reid Kerr of NFL Examiner, who was tracking the draft every step of the way with his Official Unofficial 2009 NFL Draft Timeline. Here's what Reid had to say about the draft in the latest installment of NFL Outsider's "Five Questions" series: 1. Give us a team and a player that you think have emerged from the weekend as "draft winners."Both of my main winners came through predraft trades. I think the Falcons adding Tony Gonzalez for a second round pick was a great move. The Eagles had a...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles

Derrick Williams, Jarron Gilbert, Jared Cook Lead Round 3 Recap

By Greg Trippiedi | April 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Process points become negligible after the first day, so lets look at round three and the players that each team got in the middle of the draft.65. New York Jets -- Shonn Green, RB, IowaThe Jets traded up for this pick, so the Green pick was really disappointing. I didn't think he was anywhere near the best available, and with this being the first pick of the day, I expected a great pick here.66. St. Louis Rams -- Bradley Fletcher, CB, Iowa67. Kansas City Chiefs -- Alex Magee, DE, PurdueThe Chiefs pick their second 3-4 DE of the draft. So what does this mean for Glenn Dorsey? Will he split time with Magee and Tyson Jackson, or is he already on his way out?68. Chicago Bears -- Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose StateChicago moves forward looking for best player available, while making sure to add a defensive lineman every year. ...Read more

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Alphonzo Smith Trade, Rey Maualuga, Pat White Highlight NFL Draft's Second Round

By Greg Trippiedi | April 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The second round of the 2009 NFL draft was fronted by some high profile trades. Both the Panthers and the Broncos traded first round picks in 2010 for players they had first round grades on, but drafted in the second round. Pat White ended up getting drafted by the consummate "Wildcat" offense, which seems like a good fit, if not a reach. Inside linebackers Rey Maualuga and James Laurinaitis slipped through the first round, but got drafted by teams in the second with defensive issues. They'll step in right away and help those situations.However, it was some lesser known prospects who will be the story of the second round in a few years.33. Detroit Lions -- Louis Delmas, S, Western MichiganDelmas is a local product who was clearly head and shoulders above all the other safeties in this draft. After going with the QB with a steep developmental curve in...Read more

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Cleveland (Finally) Selects Mack, Minnesota Adds Harvin

By Greg Trippiedi | April 25, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Pick 21, Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia) -- Alex Mack, C, CaliforniaGreat work by the Browns who have accumulated 4 points for trading down 3 times, and then landing a guy who they had much higher than anyone on their board. Once they got the deal done with the Jets for Sanchez, Mack became a realistic target, and he's an instant impact guy for a team with a need at the position, and a need that was correctly identified by the Browns.Cleveland Browns: 8 pointsPick 22, Minnesota Vikings -- Percy Harvin, WR, FloridaI don't know. The Vikings have issues on the right side of the offensive line and in the middle. Alex Mack just went, but Michael Oher is still out there. The word "explosive" is popular around Harvin, but that's not going to fit will in Minnesota, a team that has plenty of playmakers and no one to get them...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, NFL Draft

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