The FalconsLife message board on AtlantaFalcons.com is where die-hard Falcons fans go to talk, share ideas and discuss every imaginable topic concerning the Falcons.
During the offseason we'll take a look at a hot topic on the Talk About the Falcons department of FalconsLife and examine what's on the minds of Falcons fans.
With the NFL draft quickly approaching, fans grow anxious with analyzation about what the Falcons may do with their draft picks, especially their first pick in the second round.
This week one of the topics generating a strong discussion on FalconsLife is the idea of using Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff's past history of selecting players to determine what he and the franchise may do in this year's draft.
Falcons fan freebird310 shared his observations on Dimitroff's draft strategyand what that could mean for this year and even coming years' drafts. Freebird310 points out that 26 players the GM has drafted are still with the team and 14 players have started more than one game.
He identifies a few qualities that Dimitroff appears to appreciate in the players he drafts. According to freebird310, 28 drafted players were seniors and one of the four juniors was redshirted, completing four seasons in college.
Additionally a Dimitroff player is traditionally regarded as a solid player, well-liked by his teammates and coaches and is a hard worker. They also have stayed away from players who have experienced any trouble while in college.
"The interesting thing to note here when considering players to pick for the Falcons is that they have not yet selected a player with either a team-related suspension or a prior arrest before they got drafted," freebird310 wrote.
Freebird310 also notes one major trait of Dimitroff players, team captainship. Thirty two players were known as team captains or team leaders when drafted by Dimitroff out of college.
All of these tangibles have value, but as m2Falcons points out, they may be most valuable in offseasons like this past one when decisions had to be made on younger players like Thomas DeCoud and Kroy Biermann. The Falcons appear to have a pipeline of talent that could be useful to allow younger draft picks to mature at their own rate in the pro game.
"They are able to adjust to the NFL game mentally, mature psychologically, and develop physically to play at higher and consistent levels," m2Falcons wrote. "This has the added benefit of transitioning them from cheap rookie contracts . . ."
Based on this theory, it would appear that when the younger draft picks, players like Lawrence Sidbury, are finally ready to step in and play a more significant role, like this season possibly, they are ready to do so.
One last thing the Falcons and Dimitroff have done when evaluating players is look closely at players participating in the post-season all-star games like the Senior Bowl, the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Texas vs. the Nation game. Players who perform well at these games and practices are typically performing against some of the best talent in the college game. This sample combined with game film creates a strong snapshot of the kind of player a potential draft pick could be for the Falcons.
It's hard to argue with the ideas freebird310 puts forward. The characteristics of a Dimitroff draft are there in black and white. So while no one knows who exactly the Falcons will draft later this month, the type of player they may draft could be very clear based on history.
