Falcons must explore contingency plans at tight end

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

While the great Tony Gonzalez is working through his own version of “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” the Falcons must carry on.

General manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith are set to leave for this week’s NFL scouting combine while working on several contingency plans for the tight end position.

Both of them, along with the team’s assistant coaches and scouts, will be on hand for scouting and information sessions with more than 300 of the nation’s top NFL prospects that start Wednesday and run through Tuesday in Indianapolis.

While waiting to hear if Gonzalez, the future Hall of Fame tight end, is going to retire or sign up for another season, they plan to thoroughly scout for tight ends.

Gonzalez, who will turn 37 on Feb. 27, played at a high level last season when he caught 93 passes for 930 yards and was voted to his 13th Pro Bowl. He’s widely considered the greatest tight end of the modern NFL era.

His 1,242 catches over 16 seasons — 12 with Kansas City and the last four with the Falcons — rank second on the all-time receiving list behind Jerry Rice’s 1,549 receptions.

The Falcons have not placed Gonzalez on a timetable, but Dimitroff has stated that he believes there’s a 50-50 chance that Gonzalez will return. During the season, Gonzalez repeatedly stated that he was 95 percent sure that he would retire but left himself some wiggle room. With the Falcons ending up just 10 yards short of making the Super Bowl, he might want to chase a Super Bowl title for one more season.

“Simply stated, the sooner we know the better and yet there are no deadlines on this for Tony,” Dimitroff said. “Tony needs to come to his decision and be at peace with his decision.”

After the NFC Championship loss to San Francisco, Gonzalez was the last player to leave the locker room at the Georgia Dome. Following his end-of-the season meeting with club officials, he met with Smith privately and the coach let him know the team wanted him back.

“We have evolved and have been quite outspoken about our interest in having Tony back,” Dimitroff said. “He’s still a very adept and athletic tight end in our minds and can continue to help us win a lot of games. But again, it’s ultimately up to Tony to make that decision for himself and his family.”

Among Falcons tight ends, Chase Coffman and Michael Palmer finished the season as Gonzalez’ backups. Andrew Szczerba was on the practice squad and Adam Nissley and Tommy Gallarda were on injured reserve. Palmer is a restricted free agent.

If Gonzalez does not return, the team will have to explore free agency which starts on March 12, draft a college tight end in April or they can remain with their current group. That could require Harry Douglas, the team’s third wide receiver, to pick up some the production void that Gonzalez’s retirement would create.

Tennessee tight end Jared Cook, who played at North Gwinnett High and South Carolina, appears to be the best available possible free agent tight end. But Cook could receive the Titans’ franchise tag, which would take him off the market.

Other possible free agent candidates include Martellus Bennett (Giants), Fred Davis (Redskins), Heath Miller (Steelers) and Dustin Keller (Jets).

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes there are two elite tight ends in the draft class: Stanford’s Zach Ertz and Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock believes that San Diego State’s Gavin Escobar fits in next to Ertz and Eifert.

“Those are the two battling to see who the first tight end drafted will be,” Kiper said. “The teams (seeking tight ends) would be the Giants at 19, possibly Pittsburgh at 17, the Bears at 20 and Atlanta at 30. Those could be some of the teams looking at the tight end spot. I have Eifert going to Atlanta at 30.”

There’s some depth at the position after the top two tight ends because of the junior-eligible players who entered the draft.

“Jordan Reed out of Florida and Dion Sims out of Michigan State have made this a very good tight end crop at the top,” Kiper said. “I didn’t even mention a guy like Gavin Escobar out of San Diego State, who is another underclassmen coming out early. (Levine) Toilolo, another guy from Stanford, is coming out early.”

Cincinnati’s Travis Kelce, Rice’s Vance McDonald, Arkansas Chris Gragg, UCLA’s Joseph Fauria and San Jose State’s Ryan Otten are other draftable tight ends, according to Kiper.

“Philip Lutzenkirchen (Lassister High) with the (hip) injury at Auburn, I think is a versatile kid who can help you,” Kiper said. “Jack Doyle is a kid from Western Kentucky who can help you. He has ability. Lucas Reed at New Mexico can catch the football.  There are going to be an awful lot of tight ends looked at, but the junior influence  . . . is the reason why the tight end position is pretty dog gone good.”

While serving as the fourth target in the offense over the past two seasons, Douglas caught 77 passes for 894 yards and two touchdowns. Douglas would likely move into the slot position as the third target if Gonzalez doesn’t return.

Source:

http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/football/falcons-must-explore-contingency-plans-tight-end/nWSNn/

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Eagles' Dennis Dixon on starting quarterback

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was dead serious about open competition for the starting quarterback job.

With Dennis Dixon in the fold, it’s now a three-man field with veteran Michael Vick and sophomore Nick Foles the other competitors.

Dixon flourished in Kelly’s system at Oregon. With the NFL Combine cranking up next week, don’t be surprised to hear trade rumors involving Vick or Foles, as the Eagles would be foolish if they didn’t find out what market there would be for each.

 

“From my understanding, the job is open,” Dixon said on a conference call Monday after signing a two-year contract. “So it will be very competitive around here. It’s pretty much open. So may the best man win.”

Dixon, 28, actually has won more games than Foles, the starter down the homestretch in a 4-12 Eagles season that got Andy Reid fired. Reid is with the Kansas City Chiefs … who need a quarterback.

The Eagles need a few good disciples of Kelly to hit the ground running this year. Dixon said Kelly’s style is to practice and play fast.

It should be interesting to see how playing Kelly-fast goes over with Eagles veterans transitioning from the Reid era.

“I think they will welcome it with open arms,” Dixon said. “When something new is presented to the table you’re very curious. I think as far as the Philadelphia Eagles, if everybody buys into what Chip Kelly is selling, the sky is the limit.”

Dixon has been around good organizations.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, a drop due to his comeback from a torn ACL in his left knee.

In 2009, a healthy Dixon was beaten by the Baltimore Ravens in his first start, getting the nod when Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch were injured the previous week. Dixon didn’t throw a touchdown pass and his interception set up the winning points in overtime.

In 2010 Dixon started in the opener for the Steelers, who were without Roethlisberger the first four games due to suspension, as well as an injured Byron Leftwich. Dixon beat the Atlanta Falcons but tore a meniscus in his left knee.

Dixon was out of football in 2011 and joined the practice squad of the Ravens this past season.

Dixon doesn’t believe he will benefit from his knowledge of the Kelly system basically because while he expects the Eagles to play fast, it won’t be the way they did in Eugene.

“I expect something totally different from Chip Kelly of the past five years,” Dixon said. “That was Oregon. Moving forward we might see something totally different.”

Dixon isn’t the first Eagle to note what almost certainly will be a departure by Kelly from the Oregon offense. Other veterans looking at the personnel and the coaching staff with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, a West Coast-style guy, see a collaborative type of offense.

What Dixon (6-3, 200) sees as the constant is Kelly’s penchant for spreading out the defense with formations and running the football. A mobile quarterback such as Dixon or Vick opens up even more of the field.

“Chip Kelly made it known that he wants to throw the ball and mix up the run and the pass,” Dixon said. “And I wouldn’t expect anything to change.”

He can tailor his offense to whoever is presented at that given time. “When 11 guys are on the same page, it’s great to see. … It’s a very fast pace on both sides. He makes both sides very, very, very competitive when practice comes so when the games come it becomes easy.”

Source:

http://delcotimes.com/articles/2013/02/19/sports/doc51230d92bc6ee972982735.txt?viewmode=fullstory 

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Austin Collie determined to continue NFL career in 2013

A series of four scary concussions already had Austin Collie's NFL career in question before a ruptured right patellar tendon injury ended his 2012 season in late September.

On the heels of the Indianapolis Colts' decision to send Collie to free agency, the oft-injured wide receiver isn't ready to give up hope of making an impact in 2013.

 

"I'm playing. Right now, it would take a doctor to tell me, 'You can't play anymore.'" a determined Collie told the Indianapolis Star. "I feel like this is a gift that I've been given, and personally I feel I should still be doing it. That's just me."

Collie has no hard feelings for the Colts' decision-makers, who informed him of his exit in person. "They showed a lot of class," Collie said. "I told Mr. Irsay thanks for everything, thanks for giving me a shot."

Although Collie may never recapture early 2010 form -- when he averaged over seven receptions and 80 yards per game in six games before thumb surgery -- he's optimistic about his chances of being ready for training camp in late July. "My knee feels better than it has in the last four or five years," Collie insists.

Asked where he might play this season, Collie replied, "I honestly don't know."

It's only natural to suspect Collie might end up reuniting with Peyton Manning in Denver as Brandon Stokley's successor in the slot.

Source:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000139979/article/austin-collie-determined-to-continue-nfl-career-in-2013

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GM Les Snead Says St. Louis Rams 2013 NFL Draft about ‘Wants’ Not Needs

GM Les Snead Says St. Louis Rams 2013 NFL Draft about ‘Wants’ Not Needs

The 2013 NFL Draft could signal the dawning of a new day for a St. Louis Rams franchise that has been down on its luck for the better part of the past decade. This past season saw the club finish with its best record in that same time period with plenty of young talent leading the way. Instead of focusing in on needs and filling gaping holes in their roster this time around, the Rams may opt to draft some players that they want rather than strictly players that they need.

General Manager Les Snead was quite successful during his first offseason with the team and he has some sound reasoning coming into his encore effort as well. The GM said: “Sometimes when you ‘need’ something, you become desperate. When you’re desperate, you can make bad decisions.”

There in lies the problem that plenty of rebuilding franchises fail to understand. Just because a team has a glaring deficiency doesn’t mean it must be address right away or with reckless abandon. Last year the team had plenty of holes to fill so it was much easier to add players and plug them in anywhere because there weren’t much strength on the roster. Now that the rebuild has a year under its belt, there won’t be as much roster turnover and there are fewer pressing areas of need for the team.

One area where they want and need category could overlap however is at the safety position where the Rams are quite thin. Snead is happy that the draft doesn’t have the same problem as he said: “It seems like every year, the quote is: ‘It’s not a deep draft.’ I take the opposite approach. I’ve never seen a thin draft. This is your chance to go improve your football team. You take the glass half full. This year, you could find a larger group of safeties come in and be starters (out of the draft). So it’s got ebbs and flows.”

Along with the need at safety, the Rams certainly have some concerns at wide receiver and tight end, all along the offensive line, and outside linebacker. Snead talked about his mentality when it comes to addressing those areas saying: “You’re almost like, ‘If we really want that (position filled), we’re gonna have to either get him in free agency or it’s gonna run dry after the second round (of the draft).’”

Snead has already shown that he is more than capable of finding starters beyond the glamor rounds of the draft including wide receiver Chris Givens last year who was a 4th round selection. Also kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Johnny Hekker were tremendous additions to the team and came in the 6th round and undrafted respectively.

There’s no doubt the Rams are taking the proper mentality into this year’s draft. There will be no reaching, no desperation, and that will lead to more sound decision making in the end. The strategy of drafting for want over need certainly paid off in 2012 so let’s hope the results continue in 2013.

 Source:

http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/02/17/gm-les-snead-says-st-louis-rams-2013-nfl-draft-about-wants-not-needs/

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Why this might be the right year 2 trade back

I really like this draft class, the depth is mouth watering. The problem with this draft class is the parity. I don’t know that teams will be able to target "THEIR GUY" at the top of this draft. I think teams are going to have a handful of guys that they view similar. If when the Eagles pick, there is a prospect on the board that they view significantly better than the rest, then we should pounce on him and take him off the board. However, if when it’s time for us to pick, we are trying to split hairs between 4 prospects, then I believe we should try and trade back.

If there is a run on QBs from 7-9, that would certainly mean that one of our targets at 4 could still be on the board at say #11. Trading back, and hoping your guy lasts is always a dangerous game, but this draft has the ultimate check down...MR. Chance Warmack. This guy is undoubtedly a stud who will ball out at the next level. Problem for him is that he plays an undervalued position that never gets taken in the top 10. So if you gamble by trading back, aquiring more picks, and your target is off the board, you can "check down", take Warmack...and you get out of round 1 with probably the prospect with the best odds at becoming a perennial probowler at his position in the NFL, and extra draft picks.

So, unless at 4, you have a chance at taking a prospect who you view as significantly head and shoulders above the rest, trade down and aquire more picks, at worse we end up with a future probowl OG, and extra valuable draft picks in a deep draft. At best, we trade back and one of the prospects we were considering at 4, is still on the board. WIN WIN!

When you have a contingency plan such as a perenial probowl guard, it might be a good idea to take a shot, and trade back. I would like us to aquire as many 2nd round picks as possible. I am not egotistical enough to think I know what the Eagles should do. So, I’m not saying we should trade back...Im talking draft strategy. We all have our thoughts on each prospect, but we have no idea how the Eagles view these kids. If they view one of these kids as a must have prospect above all the rest, then they shouldn’t even consider trading back, just take the guy off the board at 4. But, if they don’t have a clear cut choice at 4, then because Chance will be sitting outside the top 10, waiting...it might be a good idea to trade back.

Source:

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/2/17/3997736/why-this-might-be-the-right-year-to-trade-back

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Georgia LB Alec Ogletree Charged With DUI

Former Georgia middle linebacker Alec Ogletree, who was likely to be a first-round pick in the 2013 draft and one of the top linebacker prospects, was arrested recently for DUI.

Pat Dye, Jr., Ogletree’s agent, released this statement:

"Last weekend, my client Alec Ogletree was pulled over for speeding and a lane violation in Arizona. After the officers smelled alcohol, they conducted tests and also cited him for DUI. Although Alec regrets this incident terribly, he is thankful that there was no accident and that no one was hurt. Because this matter is still pending, we cannot comment further publicly at this time."

Ogletree was already looking like a late-to-mid-first-round prospect, and this will likely be enough to know him out of the first-round, as suspended four games at the start of the 2012 for a “violation of team rules,” which, according to reports, was actually a violation of the team’s substance-abuse policy. Ogletree was also arrested early in his freshman season after being charged with stealing a $35 scooter helmet. That drew a one-game suspension.

During his senior year at Georgia, Ogletree notched 111 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, and six passes defensed.

Source:
http://stripehype.com/2013/02/17/nfl-draft-news-georgia-lb-alec-ogletree-charged-with-dui/

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Colts make it official

INDIANAPOLIS — Dwight Freeney and Austin Collie were not expected to be back with the Indianapolis Colts next season.

On Friday, the team made it official by issuing a statement saying it would not re-sign Freeney, the Colts’ career sacks leader, or Collie, a key player in their second Super Bowl run since moving to Indy.

“Sadly, Dwight and Horseshoe parting ways,” team owner Jim Irsay wrote on Twitter after the team confirmed the moves.

It’s the second straight year Indy’s off-season has started with the departure of some familiar faces and fan favorites.

Last year, the Colts released Peyton Manning in early March. A few days later, they cut running back Joseph Addai, linebacker Gary Brackett, safety Melvin Bullitt and tight end Dallas Clark. Right tackle Ryan Diem retired and a handful of players including receiver Pierre Garcon and center Jeff Saturday left in free agency.

It looked like the Colts might also lose Pro Bowlers Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne, too, but Indy re-signed both players and both again made the Pro Bowl team in 2012.

Indy then drafted Andrew Luck and two tight ends and a receiver in the first three rounds, signed free agents Donnie Avery, Winston Justice and Samson Satele and found enough replacements to post an 11-5 mark and return to the playoffs.

The moves left the Colts with little salary cap room last season. With the Colts projected to have more than $40 million available under the cap when free agency opens in a couple of weeks, the decisions this time had nothing to do with money.

Freeney turns 33 next week, has seen his sacks totals decline each of the past three years, counted more than $17 million against the cap last season and never seemed comfortable after moving from a 4-3 defensive end, where he spent his first 10 NFL seasons, to a 3-4 outside linebacker.

He was the 11th overall selection in the 2002 draft, the first with former coach Tony Dungy on board, and some critics considered the selection a reach. All Freeney did, though, was make 378 tackles, set Indy’s career record with 107 1/2 sacks, forced 44 fumbles and combined with Mathis to form one of the most fearsome pass-rush tandems in the league. The forced fumbles were the most by any NFL player since 2002 and he’s one of 13 players in Colts’ history to participate in more than 100 wins.

“Few people have meant as much to the success of the Indianapolis Colts as Dwight Freeney,” Irsay said in a statement. “He has been a dominant player, which is all the more impressive considering his size for his position, and he has won a lot of games for this franchise. Dwight was an artist, a joy to watch, and the dedication he put toward his craft was a rare quality. We will miss him, but look forward to his future induction into the Hall of Fame and Colts Ring of Honor.”

Collie’s problem was injuries.

Despite being a reliable slot receiver during his first two seasons, he wound up on season-ending injured reserve in September with a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee. And there was even more concern over a series of concussions that ended his 2011 season and plagued the early part of the 2012 season, too. Some even debated whether the Colts should cut Collie to keep him safe.

He thanked the fans on his Twitter page.

“Sad day for me and my fam. It was a g8 4 yrs,” Collie wrote. “Can’t thnk u all enough 4 ur hospitality and support. Blessed to have been a part of this org.”

 Source:

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2013/02/16/sports.colts-make-it-official-freeney-wont-be-back.sto

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Percy Harvin's Vikings days numbered?

Percy Harvin's days as the Minnesota Vikings' top playmaker might be over, thanks to fallout from an argument with his coach.

Reports from Minneapolis say the team is serious about trading Harvin, supporting speculations after a November argument he had with coach Leslie Frazier. It's not the first set-to Harvin had with a Vikings boss — he also quarreled with previous coach Brad Childress a couple years ago.

Last week, Frazier said the team had no concrete plans for Harvin next season.

Central to the current trade talk is GM Rick Spielman's references to Harvin being hard to handle because of his outspoken nature.

QB Christian Ponder also has made statements suggesting he has distanced himself from Harvin.

 

Percy Harvin's days in Minnesota could be numbered, according to reports. (AP Photo)

Wary suitors know of Harvin's attitude, plus expected high salary request — NFL.com suggest it might take $10 million per season to satisfy his contract demands. And, the site suggests any team calling Spielman might be asked to pony up assets that include a high 2013 NFL Draft pick; NFL.com sees something in the second or third rounds.

That said, the site also cited comments from a Vikings writer who pegs Bill Belichick as a party of interest. If changes are coming for Belichick's New England Patriots wideout corps — as in, Wes Welker on the free-agent market — Harvin might fit the notion of a playmaking slot receiver.

The Pats also have to keep top wideout Brandon Lloyd happy, which might make Harvin too expensive. The Boston Globe says it's not out of the question Belichick would look for help in the draft, but also says free-agent options include Danny Amendola from the St. Louis Rams or Joshua Cribbs from the Cleveland Browns.

Just don't chisel Lloyd into the 2013 roster; The Globe and ESPNBoston.com say he isn't as strong a fit as the Patriots thought. Lloyd is due a roster bonus of $3 million this offseason. And that, NFL.com notes, could find Belichick looking at free agents including Mike Wallace from the Pittsburgh Steelers or Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers.

Harvin, then, might be more than an outside possibility. Another, according to ESPNBoston: Anquan Boldin, if he and the Baltimore Ravens can't reach an amicable agreement, although Boldin has said he will retire if the Ravens release him.

Source: 

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2013-02-10/nfl-trade-rumor-percy-harvin-minnesota-vikings-bill-belichick-new-england-patrio

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