Tag: Thomas Dimitroff

Should the Texans consider hiring former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff?

The Atlanta Falcons fired general manager Thomas Dimitroff. Should the Houston Texans consider Dimitroff for the GM job?

The Houston Texans have another general manager prospect that has hit the open market.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Atlanta Falcons have fired general manager Thomas Dimitroff after the NFC South club lost 23-16 at home to the Carolina Panthers to suffer their sixth 0-5 start in franchise history, and their first since 1997. Owner Arthur Blank decided he had seen enough of what Dimitroff brought to the franchise since his 2008. Coach Dan Quinn was also fired on Sunday afternoon.

The Texans were the first team to fire their coach and general manager when they gave Bill O’Brien the pink slip on Oct. 5. Now, there is a second team in the NFL that is looking for a new coach and general manager.

Houston took a look at Martin Mayhew and Ray Farmer after the firing of Brian Gaine on June 7, 2019. Between the two of them, they cobbled together two playoff appearances during Mayhew’s stint with the Detroit Lions as general manager from 2008-15, and Farmer’s tenure with the Cleveland Browns from 2014-15.

Dimitroff is different. The Falcons had never strung together consecutive winning seasons in franchise history. After Dimitroff was hired, and he hired Mike Smith as coach, Atlanta posted a winning record from 2008-12, qualifying for the playoffs four times, earning the No. 1 seed twice, and getting to the NFC Championship Game once.

Even though Dan Quinn will forever have the 28-3 blown lead in the Super Bowl forever around his neck, the broad picture is Atlanta’s best stretch of success in franchise history happened with Dimitroff making the hires, buying the groceries.

O’Brien merely maintained what general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak built with division titles and wild-card playoff wins. The Texans need leader in the front office that can build upon what they have done since 2002, not simply maintain it. Dimitroff hired two coaches that got the Falcons at least to the conference title game.

The downside to hiring Dimitroff is he may have finally lost it. Since 2013, the Falcons have failed to make the playoffs five times, which is totally unacceptable when there is a franchise quarterback in Matt Ryan and a powerful target in Julio Jones.

Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair will have to evaluate all options, but Dimitroff should definitely be one of them.

Dimitroff says Gurley was high on Falcons’ draft board in 2015

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff passed on running back Todd Gurley during the 2015 NFL Draft. Atlanta selected DE Vic Beasley at pick No. 8, while Gurley went two spots later to the Rams.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff passed on running back Todd Gurley during the 2015 NFL Draft. Atlanta instead selected DE Vic Beasley at pick No. 8, while Gurley went two spots later at pick No. 10.

Beasley had his moments, leading the league in sacks (15.5) during the team’s 2016 Super Bowl run. But outside out that Pro-Bowl season, his Falcons tenure left something to be desired.

Gurley, despite a leg injury coming out of Georgia, was pretty much an instant success for the Rams. As we examined here at Falcons Wire a few weeks ago, Gurley’s first five seasons are comparable with Adrian Peterson.

What if Atlanta had drafted Gurley instead? According to Dimitroff, the star RB out of Georgia was very high on the Falcons’ draft board, as reported by ESPN’s Vaughn McClure.

Through his first five seasons with the Rams, Gurley racked up 7,494 all-purpose yards and 70 total touchdowns in 73 games played. Although Dimitroff had a point in terms of the team’s needs back then.

Devonta Freeman rushed for over 1,000 yards with double-digit touchdowns in 2015 and 2016. Still, it’s fun to imagine what the offense might have looked like with Gurley starting for Atlanta during those years.

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Dan Quinn, Thomas Dimitroff donate to Matt Ryan’s Atlanta fundraiser

Ryan got the ball rolling on his fundraiser with a $500,000 donation. On Saturday, head coach Dan Quinn and his wife Stacey followed suit, giving $25,000 to the cause.

Earlier this week, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan started a GoFundMe account aimed at “advancing the lives of the black community” in Atlanta.

Ryan got the ball rolling with a $500,000 donation. On Saturday, head coach Dan Quinn and his wife Stacey followed suit, giving $25,000 to the cause.

General manager Thomas Dimitroff donated $10,000, and wrote the following in the comments section:

“Like many of us, I’ve been holding back for too long. It’s time to step up. Thank you Ice for your leadership.”

To get a better idea of what Ryan is aiming to do, here’s the complete statement from his GoFundMe page:

Last week I made a commitment to listening and learning, and one of the messages that hit home for me was the difference between reacting to a situation and responding to a situation. For far too long I have reacted to social injustice with empathy and silent support but failed to follow through with active support. I feel the time has come to RESPOND. For ALL of us to respond.

I see my city hurting, which is why I’m starting a fundraiser to help improve the community for people of color in the city of Atlanta. I’m kicking it off with a $500K donation and am asking you to consider donating as well. Whether big or small, you will be joining me in making a difference.

Over the next few weeks/months I’ll be really listening to the needs of the community and working with black business leaders, sports figures, activists and local grassroots organizations to get guidance on how these donations can be most impactful.

Let’s rise up as a community. It’s time.

So far, there’s been nearly $650,000 raised by Ryan’s fundraiser. Click here to donate.

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Familiarity with Dan Quinn may help Falcons after offseason quarantine

The Falcons did enough down the stretch of the 2019 season to convince owner Arthur Blank to retain head coach Dan Quinn and his staff for another year.

The Falcons did enough down the stretch of the 2019 season to convince owner Arthur Blank to retain head coach Dan Quinn and his staff for another year.

Even though some fans would have preferred the team to find a new voice, Quinn’s calm, pragmatic leadership style has helped him keep the respect of his players during two frustrating seasons.

Plus, Quinn has a 46-39 overall record after five seasons, going 3-2 in the playoffs with a Super Bowl appearance. But putting all of that aside, the biggest reason Atlanta’s decision to keep its head coach may pan out is because of the unusual nature of the 2020 offseason due to the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting quarantine.

The experience factor could favor Atlanta

As the NFL tries to become a safer league, players and coaches don’t get to spend as much time together as they would have in previous offseasons anyway. For a new coach, dealing with the quarantine could result in being miles behind by the time the league begins training camp.

Meanwhile, Quinn has the command of a very talented locker room as we get closer to what’s likely to be an unusual start to the season. There’s an advantage to experience, which the Falcons have plenty of.

Dimitroff’s plan this offseason was to trim the fat on the roster and create as much salary cap space as possible, while also trying to get younger. In other words, he’s betting on the young players to step up and fill different roles to create the most efficient possible version of the team.

The Falcons have veteran talent at key positions, a stable, proven coaching staff and are relatively under the radar nationally. It’ll be interesting to see if these factors, along with Dimitroff’s many offseason moves will be enough for the team to return to the playoffs in 2020.

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Falcons owner Arthur Blank releases statement on uniting Atlanta

Falcons owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday in response to the civil unrest going on in Atlanta and around the country in response to the tragic murder of George Floyd.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday in response to the civil unrest going on in Atlanta and around the country in response to the tragic murder of George Floyd.

Here’s Blank’s full statement:

A number of events over the last couple of weeks have reminded us again that the long, worthy quest for equal justice, civility and unity in America is far from over. People are scared and in pain. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. More must be done to address systemic racism. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change

The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. These are not political issues, they are human issues that need serious, earnest attention from leaders and citizens alike who understand that diversity is our strength and fair treatment is everyone’s right. Open, honest dialogue is needed on a much greater scale. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. Peaceful protests of the past have led to new ways forward. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. We must not accept or condone violence in any way. And to be sure, Atlanta is better than what we saw in the actions of a few last night.

Together we will rise above this on the strength of what has always made Atlanta great – its people, its leaders of past and present and its unique culture that is welcoming to all. Our Family Foundation and the rest of our businesses here in Atlanta and elsewhere remain committed to being part of the solution.

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Video: Falcons trade up for Julio Jones in 2011

Nine years ago, the Atlanta Falcons made a splash when they moved up in the 2011 draft to pick No. 6 and selected All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones.

Nine years ago, the Atlanta Falcons made a splash when they moved up in the 2011 draft to pick No. 6 and selected All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones.

The trade remains one of the most successful moves of Thomas Dimitroff’s tenure as general manager. In nine seasons with the Falcons, Jones has recorded 797 catches, 12,125 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns.

As we are now less than a week away from the league’s first virtual draft, let’s relive the moment when Atlanta selected Jones, as shared by the NFL’s Twitter account below:

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Could the Falcons be interested in the Jets 11th pick?

The Atlanta Falcons are reportedly looking into trading up in the 2020 NFL Draft and they could be eyeing the Jets pick at No.11.

With the draft a week away, a lot of teams are circling the waters looking to potentially move up.

One of those teams is the Atlanta Falcons, who are looking to move up from the 16th pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Atlanta has spent a lot of time evaluating and talking to players who figure to be gone by pick 16. Rapoport added that those around the NFL believe Atlanta will be on the move.

The Jets could be among the teams that Atlanta is looking to make a deal with, according to NFL insider Benjamin Allbright. Allbright reports that the 10th pick, held by the Cleveland Browns, and the Jets’ 11th pick is being eyed by the Falcons. They’ve been linked to South Carolina IDL Javon Kinlaw and Florida CB C.J. Henderson in such a situation.

The Falcons haven’t been afraid to move their way up in past drafts under GM Thomas Dimitroff. Since 2008, Dimitroff has traded up five times in the first round, acquiring the likes of Julio Jones, Desmond Trufant and Takkarist McKinley. In that same time frame, the Jets have moved up three times but have been gun shy about trading back.

To move back five slots, the Jets would need an extensive offer. With many holes on the current roster, however, New York may want to go beyond its eight draft picks to ensure that Sam Darnold will have a formidable supporting cast.

Of course, that conversation to trade back becomes much easier if all four top offensive tackles are off the board. However, if the Jets are hoping to land one of the top three wideouts in a trade back scenario, they would certainly be playing with fire.

Looking at the draft tendencies of Thomas Dimitroff by round

After going through every pick Dimitroff has made since taking over, today we will look at Atlanta’s draft tendencies by round since 2008.

As we our just a week away from the start of the 2020 NFL Draft, Falcons fans are trying to figure out what general manager Thomas Dimitroff has up his sleeve this year.

After going through every pick Dimitroff has made since taking over, today we will look at Atlanta’s draft tendencies by round since 2008.

Round 1: 13 picks

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

QB: 1 (7.6%)

RB: 0

WR: 2 (15.3%)

TE: 0

OT: 3 (23.1%)

IOL: 1 (7.6%)

DT: 1 (7.6%)

DE: 2 (15.3%)

LB: 1 (7.6%)

CB: 1 (7.6%)

S: 1 (7.6%)

Analysis: The Falcons have selected four offensive linemen in round one. The second-most drafted position by Atlanta in the first round is a tie behind wide receiver and defensive end — with two of each being selected since 2008.

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Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff on navigating the NFL’s virtual draft

Since free agency is cooling down, though, Atlanta is now preparing for the first ever virtual NFL draft.

It’s been an eventful offseason for Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. Since the free agency period is cooling down, though, Atlanta is now preparing for the first ever virtual NFL draft.

We’ll get to see which teams adapt to these unique circumstances and how much of an impact it has on this year’s draft process.

Dimitroff joined SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio and discussed the franchise’s preparation for what is sure to be an interesting weekend for the league.

Listen below, as shared by the station’s Twitter account:

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Listen: Falcons GM discusses expectations for RB Todd Gurley

With running back Todd Gurley’s deal officially done earlier this week, Dimitroff joined SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio to discuss what he thinks the former Georgia start can bring to the Falcons next season.

Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff wasn’t willing to stand pat this offseason, despite the team’s limited cap space. The Falcons said goodbye to five of last season’s starters, while signing two of the biggest names on the free-agent market.

With running back Todd Gurley’s deal becoming official earlier this week, Dimitroff joined SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio to discuss what he thinks the former Georgia star can bring to the Falcons next season.

Listen below, as shared by Mad Dog Sports Radio’s Twitter account:

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