Falcons Weekly Release - Bengals Home
Falcons Weekly Release - Bengals Home
Falcons Weekly Release - Bengals Home
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GM THOMAS DIMITROFF<br />
MAN WITH A PLAN<br />
Atlanta <strong>Falcons</strong> GM Thomas Dimitroff has been named<br />
Executive of the Year by Sporting News two times during<br />
his five seasons in Atlanta.<br />
Since 2008, Dimitroff has selected franchise<br />
cornerstones like QB Matt Ryan,<br />
WR Julio Jones, LB Sean Weatherspoon,<br />
LT Sam Baker, S Thomas DeCoud and S<br />
William Moore through the draft, and<br />
added key veterans via free agency and<br />
trades like RB Steven Jackson, TE Tony<br />
Gonzalez, CB Asante Samuel and DE Osi<br />
Umenyiora to shore up various positions.<br />
The moves made by Dimitroff coupled with the on-field<br />
coaching of Mike Smith have been the catalysts for the<br />
<strong>Falcons</strong> emergence and consistency over the past four<br />
seasons.<br />
TEAM CONCEPT<br />
GM Thomas Dimitroff’s philosophy is centered on the belief<br />
that the NFL Draft is the major building block to establish<br />
a team’s foundation for the future. This strategy,<br />
combined with his targeting of key veteran players to shore<br />
up various positions, has been the catalyst for the <strong>Falcons</strong><br />
emergence since 2008.<br />
2013 PROJECTED STARTERS DRAFTED BY ATLANTA<br />
OFFENSE<br />
DEFENSE<br />
Pos. Player How Acq. Pos. Player How Acq.<br />
WR Roddy White ‘07 Draft DE Kroy Biermann ‘08 Draft<br />
LT Sam Baker ‘08 Draft DT J. Babineaux ‘05 Draft<br />
LG Justin Blalock ‘07 Draft DT Peria Jerry ‘09 Draft<br />
C Peter Konz ‘12Draft LB S. Weatherspoon ‘10 Draft<br />
RG Garrett Reynolds ‘09 Draft LB Akeem Dent ‘11 Draft<br />
WR Julio Jones ‘11 Draft LB Stephen Nicholas ‘07 Draft<br />
WR Harry Douglas ‘09 Draft CB Desmond Trufant ‘12 Draft<br />
QB Matt Ryan ‘08 Draft S Thomas DeCoud ‘08 Draft<br />
FB Bradie Ewing ‘12 Draft S William Moore ‘09 Draft<br />
Bold names drafted by Dimitroff<br />
CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE<br />
The <strong>Falcons</strong> have 13 players on their current roster that<br />
played in a collegiate national championship game. Atlanta’s<br />
commitment to building a team with players that have<br />
come from winning programs is shown in the fact that 12<br />
of the 13 <strong>Falcons</strong> that have played for a national title, were<br />
drafted or signed as free agents under Dimitroff.<br />
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYERS<br />
FBS/D-1A<br />
FCS/D-1AA<br />
Player (year)<br />
School Player (year)<br />
School<br />
*Sam Baker (04-05) USC Kroy Biermann (04) Montana<br />
*Justin Blalock (05) Texas S. Schillinger (08-09) Montana<br />
Dominique Franks (08) Okla. Alec Savoie (12) McNeese St.<br />
*Mike Johnson (09) Alabama<br />
Paul Worrilow (10) Delaware<br />
*Julio Jones (09) Alabama * - player won national title<br />
*Josh Harris (10) Auburn bold names drafted or signed by<br />
Drew Davis (10) Oregon<br />
Zeke Motta (12) Notre Dame<br />
Dimitroff<br />
Jeremy Shelley (12) Alabama<br />
BUILDING A WINNER<br />
In five seasons as the <strong>Falcons</strong> General Manager, Thomas<br />
Dimitroff re-worked the roster to feature 19 new starters<br />
from the 2007 campaign. With the Draft being a key<br />
to his philosophy, it comes as no surprise that 28 of the<br />
37 players Dimitroff selected between 2008-12 have<br />
seen game action and 17 have started games. In all,<br />
32 rookies have been active on game day since 2008.<br />
FALCONS ROSTER BUILT THROUGH THE DRAFT<br />
2013<br />
Players<br />
Round<br />
2010<br />
Players<br />
Round<br />
CB Desmond Trufant 1st *LB Sean Weatherspoon 1st<br />
CB Robert Alford 2nd *DT Corey Peters 3rd<br />
DE Malliciah Goodman 4th T Mike Johnson 3rd<br />
TE Levine Toilolo 4th *C Joe Hawley 4th<br />
DE Stansly Maponga 5th S Shann Schillinger 6th<br />
S Kemal Ishmael 7th 2009<br />
S Zeke Motta 7th *DT Peria Jerry 1st<br />
QB Sean Renfree 7th *S William Moore 2nd<br />
2012<br />
*CB Chris Owens 3rd<br />
*C Peter Konz 2nd *T Garrett Reynolds 5th<br />
T Lamar Holmes 3rd 2008<br />
FB Bradie Ewing 5th *QB Matt Ryan 1st<br />
DE Jonathan Massaquoi 5th *LT Sam Baker 1st<br />
S Charles Mitchell 6th *WR Harry Douglas 3rd<br />
DT Travian Robertson 7th *S Thomas DeCoud 3rd<br />
2011<br />
*DE Kroy Biermann 5th<br />
*LB Julio Jones 1st 2007<br />
*LB Akeem Dent 3rd *G Justin Blalock 2nd<br />
RB Jacquizz Rodgers 5th *LB Stephen Nicholas 4th<br />
P Matt Bosher 6th *RB Jason Snelling 7th<br />
DE Cliff Matthews 7th 2005<br />
*WR Roddy White 1st<br />
*DT J. Babineaux 2nd<br />
*Denotes player that has started<br />
at least one game.<br />
HONOR ROLL<br />
<strong>Falcons</strong> general manager Thomas Dimitroff<br />
was named the 2012 Jack Horrigan<br />
Award winner by the Professional Football<br />
Writers of America. The Horrigan Award is<br />
given annually to the League or club official<br />
for his or her qualities and professional<br />
style in helping the pro football writers do<br />
their job.<br />
Dimitroff is the 39th winner of the Horrigan Award and is<br />
the first NFL general manager to receive the honor since<br />
2006. He is third member of the <strong>Falcons</strong> organization to<br />
earn the honor from PFWA.<br />
The award is named for Horrigan, who was a sportswriter<br />
for UPI and the Buffalo Evening News, public relations director<br />
for the American Football League (1963-66) and vice<br />
president of public relations for the Buffalo Bills (1966-73).
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