Falling



Peria Jerry, defensive tackle, Falcons. Watching Jerry exercising on the sidelines and listening to people talk at Atlanta’s minicamp last weekend, I got the sense he still has a long road ahead as he tries to recover from his knee injury. The Falcons, like most teams, don’t reveal timetables for their injured guys and speak only in vague terms about their statuses. But my gut tells me Jerry still has a lengthy process ahead. Even if he’s ready for the start of training camp or the start of the regular season, I’m guessing the Falcons are going to proceed very cautiously with last year’s first-round pick. When Jerry does get on the field, I’d look for the Falcons to use a rotation at defensive tackle and limit his snaps significantly.



Rising



Jon Beason, linebacker, Panthers. This guy’s been a leader since the first day he stepped on the field in Carolina. But, after watching Beason in minicamp a couple weeks ago, I’m guessing we’re about to see his leadership skills become much more prominent – and that’s a good thing. Beason is a high-energy guy who totally buys into John Fox’s system. He’s already had the résumé and the personality to lead, but he might have been holding back just a little bit out of respect to veterans. Julius Peppers, who had the résumé, but didn’t want to lead, and Chris Harris, who wanted to lead, but didn’t really have the résumé, are gone now. No matter what happens at quarterback, the Panthers already have their leader. This is Beason’s team.

A survey by USA Today indicates that more than half of NFL teams will raise ticket prices this year and that trend includes three of the four NFC South teams.



The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the exception and that’s a good move on their part. An increase in ticket prices might have alienated an already-irritated Tampa Bay fan base. The Bucs weren’t exactly jamming fans into Raymond James Stadium last year and a 3-13 season doesn’t provide the best backdrop for a price increase. From what I’ve heard, the Bucs are working hard to keep the season ticket holders they have.



One friend of mine who hasn’t renewed yet, said the Bucs call her just about every week and offer to upgrade her seats at no extra cost. I told her to hold out for a car.



The Atlanta Falcons did not increase prices across the board. The Falcons raised prices on 26,000 seats, but also dropped prices on 6,800 seats. Carolina raised prices on almost all seats in Bank of America Stadium with the increase being anywhere from $1 to $9 a game.



As the world champions, the New Orleans Saints are hot right now and they went ahead and boosted ticket prices. Most of the increases are less than $10 a ticket.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Go ahead and say Matt Ryan had a “sophomore slump” last season. Pull out all the numbers you want (some are better and some worse than his rookie year) or point to the fact the Falcons did not make the playoffs.



Go ahead, say Ryan took a step back after leading the Atlanta Falcons to a surprise playoff run as a rookie. Do it.



You’ll be wrong. There was no “slump.” Yeah, there were some ups and downs. But when I look back at Ryan’s second season, I see a guy who made progress. In fact, I see a guy who probably graduated to the next level. You might not realize it yet, but you will.



What Ryan did in the last three games went largely unnoticed as the Falcons fell from the playoff picture. But in those three games Ryan established himself as the unquestioned leader of the team and laid the groundwork for a season in which the Falcons could be the NFC South’s biggest challenger to the New Orleans Saints.



“In terms of sophomore slump, I don’t believe that at all,” coach Mike Smith said. “We didn’t get the wins that we wanted, but I thought Matt made progress. We gave him more in terms of what we asked him to do and I thought he operated the offense very effectively. We’ll continue to expand that in Year 3.”



Before we get to Year 3, let’s finish up Year 2 because what happened at the end might be a whole lot more significant than you realize. Ryan suffered a toe injury early in a Nov. 29 game against Tampa Bay. The team doctors told Smith that Ryan wouldn’t be able to play for six to eight weeks. In other words, his season should have been over and, at that point, you might have been able to make a strong case for the “sophomore slump.”



With backup Chris Redman playing, the Falcons lost their next two games. But a strange thing happened after that, and it might turn out to be more impressive than anything Ryan did as a rookie. Almost miraculously, Ryan’s toe got healthy enough that he was able to play the last three games.



He still was wobbly and his numbers weren’t anything special. But the important thing is that Ryan’s return allowed the Falcons to win their final three games and turn a star-crossed season (there were lots of injuries besides the one to Ryan) into something of a success. At 9-7, the Falcons didn’t make the playoffs, but they finished with back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history.



That means the Falcons aren’t at some sort of starting point as they head into the 2010 season. They’ve already started their ascent and they’ve got something really solid to build upon.



“I think I definitely made strides from Year 1 to Year 2,” Ryan said. “I think the biggest thing is being consistent. I’ve got to continue to get better at that. The biggest key is to be more consistent, especially on first and second down. I think there’s room for improvement for myself, for our offense and for our team on first and second down to be more productive. That’s going to be the focus of this offseason.”

(Read full post)

Falling



Darren Sharper, safety, New Orleans Saints. New Orleans re-signed the veteran who helped guide the franchise to its first Super Bowl win. In the process, it was revealed that Sharper could have received more money elsewhere, but wanted to stay with the Saints. That’s nice, but something significant also came out in the process.



Sharper reportedly had micro-fracture knee surgery after the season and that may be why he wasn’t drawing a lot of interest. A lot of guys who have micro-fracture surgery never get back to their original form. Sharper’s 34 and that means his road back could be even more difficult. The Saints started preparing for this when they drafted Malcolm Jenkins last year and reinforced it when they took Patrick Robinson with their first-round pick this year.



Jenkins spent last year at cornerback, but has the size and skills to play safety. Robinson and Randall Gay can be the top backups behind starting cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer. Jenkins almost certainly will be getting work at safety soon. He’s a first-round pick heading into his second season and guys like that need to be on the field.



Rising



William Moore, safety, Atlanta Falcons. After missing almost all of his rookie season with an injury, Moore has been cleared to practice when the Falcons start their minicamp Friday. This guy was a second-round draft pick last year and the Falcons have big plans for him as they touch up their secondary.



Thomas DeCoud and Erik Coleman were the starting safeties last year. DeCoud played pretty well, but the Falcons weren’t thrilled with Coleman’s performance. They’ve kept Coleman around because he’s a good locker-room guy and can play either safety position, which gives them nice depth. But the coaching staff really would like to see Moore start stepping toward a starting job.

Which NFC South rookie will have the most impact from the start of the season?



Let’s go beyond the first-round picks. Let’s go beyond the biggest name in the NFC South draft class (Jimmy Clausen) because some of those guys might not start right away and some play positions where you won’t hear a lot from them. Let’s turn to Tampa Bay receiver Arrelious Benn, a second-round draft pick. Heck, let’s also throw in Tampa Bay receiver Mike Williams, a fourth-round pick.



Barring a totally disastrous training camp from either one of these guys, I see this tandem as Tampa Bay’s starters on opening day. If Benn and Williams can even come close to grasping the playbook by September, their physical talents make them better than Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall.



Throw them out there with Sammie Stroughter as the slot receiver and you have a group of receivers that’s incredibly young. But it’s also a very talented group that could make a lot of noise.



Sure, Tampa Bay’s going to be starting two rookie defensive tackles in Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. But you don’t hear a lot about defensive tackles if they’re doing their job. The same applies for Atlanta linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who might not be an immediate starter. I’m not sure we’ll hear much from New Orleans first-round pick Patrick Robinson right from the start because the Saints now have such a wealth of talent in their secondary. Clausen might end up starting in Carolina. Still, the Panthers might open the season with Matt Moore as their quarterback.



But I’m pretty sure we’re going to hear a lot from Benn and Williams right from the start. Quarterback Josh Freeman needs some guys to throw to outside of tight end Kellen Winslow. Benn and Williams quickly could become popular targets.

The post-draft power rankings are out, and I’ve got one of the four ballots.



Keep in mind we’re building off rankings at the conclusion of the regular season. While we didn’t have official rankings after the playoffs, I did a ballot then which you can find here.



Teams from the AFC South ranked highest on average, same as they did to close last season (although their average ranking fell from 13.6 to 14.3). Teams from the NFC West ranked 21.5 on average, lower than teams from any other division.



Here’s how I voted in this round of rankings, with a note on each. (The parenthetical number is where I ranked the team in the last official vote):



1) New Orleans (1) – The champs stay on top until they prove unworthy of it.



2) Indianapolis (2) – I expect they pick up where they left off, but have O-line questions.



3) Minnesota (3) – Vikings were far better late in ‘09 than I expected, so they get their due now.



4) Baltimore (9) – I firmly believe the Ravens have had the best offseason of anyone.



5) N.Y. Jets (5) – Trip to the AFC title game moved them a lot in my eyes.



6) Green Bay (6) – I probably like Packers more than I should.



7) Dallas (7) – Will lose attention to Saints and Vikes in the NFC, and that may be a good thing.



Atlanta (15) – The Falcons were my preseason Super Bowl pick last year, and may be again.



9) San Diego (8) – It’s getting tiring rating them high, and then being disappointed every year.



10) Arizona (4) – Life post-Kurt Warner is going to be a bigger test for them than some think.



11) New England (11) – The Patriots need to prove themselves again to me.



12) Philadelphia (10) – Eagles have lots of turnover, but that’s not necessarily bad.



13) Cincinnati (12) – Can’t see a repeat of last year and Bengals were bypassed by Baltimore.



14) Houston (13) – Big question remains: Can they win in the division?



15) San Francisco (21) – Huge opportunity in wide-open division; going to be a popular dark horse.



16) Tennessee (16) – Replacing a ton of leadership and could have a holdout situation with Johnson.



17) Pittsburgh (14) – Too much turmoil thanks to Big Ben, not enough offensive line.



18) N.Y. Giants (19) – Too many question in the secondary and at linebacker.



19) Denver (17) – Not a fan of the tear down of everything Shanahan, firing of Nolan.



20) Carolina (18) – Not nearly as excited about Matt Moore at QB as they are.



21) Miami (20) – Probably on the rise in a tough division with Brandon Marshall in the fold.



22) Chicago (22) – I just don’t see Mike Martz and Jay Cutler as a good marriage.



23) Jacksonville (23) – Stuck with an average QB, young team in a strong division.



24) Oakland (24) – Going to be moving up this list and messing things up for a lot of opponents.



25) Seattle (25) – While Seahawks have done well, Carroll has a lot of roster rebuilding still ahead.



26) Buffalo (26) – Hard to find anything to get excited about here, unfortunately.



27) Cleveland (27) – Just don’t see them close to Baltimore’s level; Holmgren needs time.



28) Washington (28) – Mishmash of old running backs among my chief concerns.



29) Kansas City (29) – I don’t have big faith in Matt Cassell yet; new coordinators are intriguing.



30) Tampa Bay (30) – Still wonder if Morris is in over his head.



31) Detroit (31) – Bad division to make a lot of progress in.



32) St. Louis (32) – Sam Bradford is a start, but finish is a long way off.

Ken Herock’s business is preparing prospects for NFL interviews.



He’s not interested in 40-yard dash times or bench press repetitions. His mission is training college kids to make an impression when it’s time to shake hands with general managers, scouts and head coaches before the draft.



The former NFL personnel director grooms them to be ready for anything because no subject is off the table — not even questions about whether your mother is a hooker.



“I don’t feel there are any topics off-limits,” Herock said Thursday afternoon. “If anybody thinks they’re off-limits, put yourself in the eyes of an employer that’s going to hire a 21-year-old and pay him $15 million or $20 million.”



Herock finds nary a problem with the controversial question Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland posed to Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant in a pre-draft interview.



Ireland asked if Bryant’s mother was a prostitute. She has served 18 months in prison for selling crack and had admitted to abusing PCP, cocaine and marijuana.



“If somebody just comes out and says ‘We hear your mom’s a prostitute. Can you explain that situation to me?’ I don’t think there’s anything offensive asking that question,” Herock said.



Herock has serious credentials on the matter. He played as an AFL tight end for six seasons and has been a personnel executive for the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers.



For the past nine years Herock has trained players to make a golden first impression on NFL personnel evaluators in pre-draft interviews. Herock has worked with more than 600 players. A dozen, including University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson and Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain, were selected in the first round last week.



“I deal with this constantly,” Herock said. “I have players whose parents are on drugs, are in jail, abandoned them, kicked them out of the house. I have to make sure my player is prepared to handle that in the right way when they’re asked.



“I’m addressing these issues beforehand so they know how to answer every issue that’s brought up to them.”



Ireland’s question to Bryant was revealed in a Yahoo! Sports column Tuesday. Ireland called Bryant to apologize after the story was published, and the Dolphins released a statement on Ireland’s behalf.



On Wednesday, the NFL Players Association issued a statement critical of Ireland, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross issued a statement to say the club would conduct an internal review and the NFL admonished Ireland’s question as crude.



“What’s this big issue about? Big deal,” Herock said. “I would want to know those things, and how do you find out unless you ask?



“But it sounded offensive, asking that question the way it was asked. Maybe he came on real strong, but before I would ask that question, I would know for sure that she was. I wouldn’t go on any hearsay. I don’t think it’s offensive to ask that if there was truth to it, but before I asked, I would make sure there was validity.”



Another former NFL executive doesn’t wonder why the question is such a big story. What puzzles him is why pre-draft interviews have gotten to be so consequential in the first place.



“I can never remember us or anybody else turning down a player based on a good interview,” said Larry Lacewell, the Dallas Cowboys scouting director for 13 years.



Lacewell’s tenure spanned from Jimmy Johnson to Bill Parcells. Ireland worked as a national scout under Lacewell for four seasons.



“We didn’t take a player just because he had a good interview, and we sure as hell didn’t turn one down because of a bad interview,” Lacewell said. “These kids either come in there nervous and scared or like trained dogs.



“If you had depended on [11-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman] Larry Allen for an interview, you might not have hired him as a janitor. I’d love to hear from a team that didn’t draft Larry Allen because he couldn’t talk.”



Bryant was considered the best receiver in this year’s draft, but some believed he slid because he interviewed poorly.



As it would turn out, the Dolphins filled their need at receiver by acquiring Brandon Marshall from the Denver Broncos and traded out of their original draft position at No. 12. The Cowboys drafted Bryant with the 24th overall pick.



“There’s a certain way to ask questions, and I think [Ireland] asked with the wrong approach,” Herock said. “But I would have prepared my player to answer that question to where it wouldn’t be offensive to him.



“They already know about his family. They just want to see how he reacts and how he’s going to explain it and how he’s going to handle it.



“I don’t think that question was out of line.”

Can the Texans’ secondary improve and key a breakthrough against the Colts?



Things are looking up for the Texans, who had their first winning season and finished second in the AFC South in 2009.



But the big question is whether a pass defense that was 18th in the league last season, allowing an average of 217.9 yards a game, will be better. Let’s be blunt: For the Texans to challenge for the AFC South title, they’ve got to at least split their season series with Indianapolis. They are 1-15 all-time against Indy.



To break through and knock off the Colts, they’ll have to slow Peyton Manning.



In two wins over Houston last year, Manning completed 61 of 85 passes for 562 yards, four touchdowns, three interceptions and a 90.4 passer rating.



But the Texans were certainly in range — the road loss was 20-17, the home defeat was 35-27.



So how have the Texans gotten better defensively to be ready for Manning?



Sub first-round cornerback Kareem Jackson, a physical player, for Dunta Robinson, who to fled Atlanta in free agency. Add fifth-rounder Sherrick McManis to the cornerback pool that features unproven or inconsistent guys. Add defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, who could produce a better push than Amobi Okoye in some situations. They did not address free safety, a position where I think they are overconfident in Eugene Wilson.



In that paragraph, it doesn’t look like enough.



But if second-round running back Ben Tate is what they expect, he’ll complete the offense. He’ll make Matt Schaub’s play-action far tougher to read. He’ll convert a couple of crucial third-and-shorts.



That may mean less possessions for Manning and fewer minutes on the field for Houston’s defense.



The breakthrough now may actually be more about coaching and mental toughness than talent.



Last year at Indy Houston lost a crucial challenge that helped turn the tide. At Reliant Stadium, the Texans blew a lead and handed away momentum, a familiar storyline for them against the Colts.



Preparation, play calling, execution and, yes, mental toughness, are the things that may prove most significant for a tide-turning win.



But even if they get all that, if the secondary isn’t better, it may not matter.



The Texans have some guys who can be in position and still fail to make a play. They may have led the division in near-miss breakups last year. Earl Thomas‘ ball skills were a big reason a lot of people envisioned them loving him in the draft, but the safety from Texas was gone well before the Texans went on the clock at No. 20 and selected Jackson.



As a secondary, they need to track it, find it, knock it away, catch it. If they do those things more often, maybe they can challenge Indy. If they don’t, they’re playing for second place and a wild-ard berth just like Tennessee and Jacksonville.

Let’s break down the highlights in a memorable draft for the division:



Best move



Tampa Bay Buccaneers doubling up on defensive tackles and wide receivers. The Bucs used their first two picks on defensive tackles, taking Gerald McCoy in the first round and Brian Price early in the second. They are instant starters and the Bucs picture second-year pro Roy Miller joining them in the rotation. That probably means the end for last year’s starters Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims, but that’s a good thing. The Bucs ranked last in the league in run defense last season and they got no pass rush from the interior. McCoy and Price can stuff the run and create a surge in the middle. That’s going to free up middle linebacker Barrett Ruud to make plays and help the defensive ends generate a better pass rush.



The Bucs also followed a similar theme at wide receiver, taking Arrelious Benn in the second round and Mike Williams in the fourth. It may be a lot to expect two rookies to instantly start at wide receiver, but it could happen here. That’s mainly because the Bucs have very little other talent at the position. At worst, Benn’s an instant starter. Williams is a bit of a gamble because he’s had some off-field issues, but Tampa Bay was willing to take a chance because of his physical skills. There’s risk involved, but Williams has better upside than any of Tampa Bay’s receivers, including Benn. Quarterback Josh Freeman needed some new targets and the Bucs went out and got them.



Riskiest move



The Carolina Panthers traded away their second-round pick in 2011 to take Armanti Edwards in the third round. This is a curious move by a regime that has to win this year because Edwards is a project. He was a quarterback at Appalachian State, but the Panthers plan to use him as a receiver and a return man. Edwards might be able to make a quick impact as a return man.



But he’s going to need time to develop as a receiver. That’s time coach John Fox and Marty Hurney might not have.



Most surprising move



It’s not all that surprising the Panthers took a quarterback because we all knew that was coming somewhere in this draft. But it’s a huge surprise that they got Jimmy Clausen in the middle of the second round. He’s a guy that many thought would go in the first round or very early in the second. Clausen tumbled in part because some view him as a “me-first” guy and a passer who takes too many chances.



Those are traits the Panthers generally stay away from, but Carolina is desperate. Besides, the Panthers have a locker room filled with strong leaders (Jon Beason, Jordan Gross, etc.) and there’s no room for “me-first” guys, except for receiver Steve Smith. Clausen will have to conform to have a chance. Carolina’s offensive system also will limit Clausen’s opportunities to take chances. Fox and coordinator Jeff Davidson want a guy who is mainly a game manager, but who also can make a play here and there.



File it away



Technically, Kerry Meier was drafted as a wide receiver by the Atlanta Falcons with a compensatory pick at the end of the first round. Realistically, Meier is a flat-out football player. He started off his career as a quarterback at Kansas and had some early success. But an injury cost him his starting job and he moved to wide receiver in 2007. All Meier did was go out and set a school record for career receptions. He played all three receiver positions, got some work as a fullback and H-back, served as the holder on place kicks and even still got some time as a backup quarterback. If Meier sounds a bit like Brian Finneran, he should. Finneran’s done a little bit of everything for the Falcons throughout his career. With Finneran getting older, Meier has the potential to help the Falcons in a lot of different areas.

The Atlanta Falcons just drafted the heir apparent to veteran center Todd McClure.



They took center Joe Hawley from UNLV with the 117th pick in the fourth round. Coupled with the choice of Alabama’s Mike Johnson at the end of the third round Friday night, the two picks suddenly gives Atlanta some decent depth on the offensive line. Hawley is projected as a center, but also can play guard. Johnson is projected as a guard, but also has experience at tackle.