We Oliver weighed in at 287 and his height is 6’1 7/8. That’s slightly taller and heaveier than Aaron Donald was at his combine. I don’t see him falling out of the top 7. Wilkins has good measurements too. He might be the perfect fit for us at 14, if we don’t fuck it up and draft Jacobs at 14. Apparently lots of linemen are being interviewed by the Falcons. Really hope we don’t fuck up and forget to draft one again this year.
Sounds good to me. Oliver/Wilkins in first, best OL available in second. If we do that, I'll see the draft as a success no matter what else we do. Which is sad that I am in that place where just drafting two positions will please me
Falcons might have to restore running game without Tevin Coleman 2:13 AM ET Vaughn McClureESPN Staff Writer4 Minute Read INDIANAPOLIS -- Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff made a rather revealing stumble when talking about impending free-agent running back Tevin Coleman. "Tevin's going to do well, wherever he is," Dimitroff told the media gathered Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine. Dimitroff caught himself, stuttering for a moment before cleaning up his "wherever" reference. "Whether he is with us or whether he goes somewhere else," Dimitroff said, leaving open the slightest possibility of Coleman's return. Word around the combine is that Coleman isn't coming back. Dimitroff, like Falcons coach Dan Quinn, typically takes an optimistic approach in such situations. But Dimitroff is also a realist when it comes to financial matters. He understands how difficult it would be to ink two running backs to lucrative contracts, particularly with hefty commitments already made to quarterback Matt Ryan, offensive tackle Jake Matthews and wide receiver Julio Jones, as well as a lucrative deal coming up for defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Tevin Coleman is coming off his best season, having rushed for 800 yards and an average of 4.8 yards per carry.Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire Remember, the Falcons already signed two-time Pro Bowl running back Devonta Freemanto a five-year, $41.25 million extension ($22.05 million guaranteed) through 2022, an extension that puts Freeman third among all running backs in average per year at $8.25 million. Freeman is behind Todd Gurley's $14.375 million per year and David Johnson's $13 million per year. Freeman, who played in two games last season before undergoing season-ending groin surgery, is expected to return fully healthy and back in his starting role in 2019, and Quinn expects Freeman to play with an edge. Meanwhile, Coleman seems likely to land a sizable deal elsewhere. He ranked No. 23 -- and was the No. 2 running back behind Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell -- in Kevin Seifert’s ranking of the top 50 free agents. "Tevin Coleman, he's a really good football player and he did some great things for us this year, we feel," Dimitroff said. "Of course, it's never easy to sign someone like Free, like we did last year, and have two running backs that are going to be in the market at a high level, money-wise." Coleman, a third-round draft pick in 2015, is certain to generate interest when free agency officially begins on March 13. He is represented by Adisa Bakari, the same agent who represents Steelers holdout Bell. Former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, now the head coach in San Francisco, loved Coleman in Atlanta and helped him score a single-season high of 11 touchdowns in 2016. Don't be surprised if the 49ers express serious interest in Coleman despite signing Jerick McKinnon to a four-year, $30 million contract ($18 million guaranteed) last March. "He's not Tevin Coleman," one NFC executive said of McKinnon. "Tevin Coleman might not be that first-level back -- he's no Gurley or Ezekiel Elliott -- but he's definitely that second-level back you can win with. It's his speed and his juice. He gives you instant juice. And he's got that experience. You can plug him in right away and play him. He's played in big games." Said one NFC coach of Coleman, "He is a solid guy who can be a starter, but I think he is a better rotational guy. Who starts is up to the team. He's got a very good change of pace." The Falcons made a Super Bowl after the 2016 season with Freeman and Coleman sharing the workload. Freeman accumulated 1,541 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns on 281 touches that season, while Coleman had 941 yards and 11 touchdowns on 149 touches. Now the expectation is for Freeman to move forward with either Ito Smith or another back as his complement. The Falcons have confidence in Smith, who scored four touchdowns in 14 games as a rookie last season before undergoing surgery to repair meniscus damage. The Falcons, who finished 7-9 last season, obviously missed Freeman on offense as they finished 27th in the league, with 98.3 rushing yards per game. (By comparison, the Falcons ranked fifth, averaging 120.5 ypg, in 2016.) Quinn's hope is that new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, known for his genius in the passing game, adapts to his personnel and puts together a balanced attack that utilizes Freeman's strengths in the running game. While Coleman thrived more with using his speed to get outside, Freeman's vision and unique cutback ability should allow the Falcons to have more variety in the run-play calls and use more inside-zone plays to go with the outside zone. Freeman, who has played in all 16 games once in four seasons as the regular starter due to numerous injuries -- including multiple concussions -- needs to stay healthy. The Falcons seem likely to add a bigger back to the mix with Freeman (5-foot-8, 206) and Smith (5-foot-9, 195) being smaller backs. "He's a great player," Ryan said of having Freeman back in the fold. "Anytime you add a great player back into the mix with a bunch of other guys that are great players, it's a good thing. And he's a dynamic player. He can make things happen in the passing game and in the running game. His ability to cut back, his ability to make people miss, his ability to run with power, all that stuff is good." We'll see if Freeman can restore the Falcons' running game -- even without his tag team partner Coleman.
Erik McCoy (Texas A&M OL) would be a solid second round pick for us. He just recorded the fastest OL 40 today and put up an impressive 29 reps.
You know the event I could careless how well an OL does? The 40 time. Give me quickness and strength drills for them.
of course we signed Matt Schaub to a multi year extension when we could have had a younger, cheaper, higher upside guy for years now love overpaying veterans who will never see the field; and if they do the season was already in peril.
It’s the small edges we are so bad at. Tom Moore used to say “I don’t give a shit who Peyton’s back up is, bc if he’s hurt, we’re fucked and I don’t practice fucked.”
Seahawks releasing Malik McDowell. I’d take him right now next to Grady and still go DT with our first pick
seems like there are gonna be a few cap casualties that fit our needs I just love the DL class too much this year to pass up on one of them
agreed, I want to go FA DL and still draft one with our 1st or 2nd. There is literally zero downside to our stacking DL
No, and he got franchised for $15.2. He's it worth more than Beasley's ineffective ass. I'll give him credit, he got the falcons in a tight spot and took advantage of it. Would still take a DT in round 1 though.
Ill give them a pass on Trufant, he looked great until he got his contract, but the other 3 and Alford are just
Not saying he should make $22.5, but he would have gotten more than the franchise amount from another team. The Rams have drafted and spent better on their front seven, which makes Donald's job a little easier. As for Jarrett, he's one of the top dt's in the league.
I saw it mentioned on Twitter that we have ~$15 million in cap space This roster has so many holes and yet we're broke.
It sucks bc Arthur deserves a trophy But his loyalty to Dimitroff will be the defining reason he never saw us win it
I'd restructure Freeman's and Trufant's deal or cut them. Beasley would have been traded last year for literally anything we could get. Sambrailo and Schraeder should both be cut in the AAF.
Daniel Jeremiah has us passing on Oliver and Wilkins for Burns. I don't dislike Burns, but I would rather get one of the better interior DL.
Drafting an edge player would be the definition of insanity. Tired of them not panning out. Interior DL or elite OL are the only two options I would be happy with. Anything else would bother me, unless said player turns out to be a terrific pick.
I agree. I feel like we'd be safer drafting Wilkins or Oliver vs Burns. It has a lot to do with drafting Beasley and Takk. I'm starting to wonder on Takk as well...
Jake Scott tell me why we shouldn’t sign Jackson and Parnell right now and still go OL/DL with our first 2 picks
Are we all on board with drafting a running back in the midrounds? I don’t think a broken down Devonta and Ito are gonna cut it.
Ito will probably be our starter by game 3-4. I have zero confidence in Freeman ever being worth a shit again or staying healthy.