Sports Page Atlanta

Former Georgia Tech starting quarterback Taylor Bennett will be transferring to Louisiana Tech.

We all knew he was leaving after Paul Johnson took over, but we did not know where. Now we do. The big news for Bennett is that he will not have to sit out a season, due to the fact that Louisiana Tech has a graduate-school major that Georgia Tech does not. After a request was sent by Bennett to the NCAA, the NCAA found it fair and the QB can play next season.

Bennett looked great in the Gator Bowl two seasons ago, but struggled at times for the Yellow Jackets last year. He finished his Georgia Tech career with 2,804 yards and 13 TD passes.

The ironic thing is a former Georgia Tech player will now play for a Dooley. Legendary head coach Vince Dooley’s son Derek is the main man for Louisiana Tech. Last season, the LA Tech Bulldogs finished 5-7.

It is the 2nd day of the NFL draft where a lot of the games or won or lost. Hopefully these 8 players (3 on offense, 5 on defense) are the right ones.

In the 3rd round the Falcons nabbed cornerback Chevis Jackson from LSU. Jackson had 5 picks last season for the National Champions and was named All-SEC. Later in the round Atlanta got wide receiver Harry Douglas from Louisville. He also attended Jonesboro High School. He ranks 2nd on Louisville’s career receiving yard list racking up an impressive 2,924 in his career. The Falcons were not done in the 3rd round. They also picked safety Thomas DeCoud from Cal. He was a big-time leaper for the Golden Bears and registerred 116 tackles.

The Falcons had no picks in the 4th round, but 2 more in the 5th as they picked up linebacker Robert James from Arizona State and defensive end Kroy Biermann from Montana (his name sounds pretty cool.)

James led the Sun Devils in his senior season with 106 tackles and Biermann was a monster last season being named the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP where he led the conference with 15 sacks.

Local hero running back Thomas Brown was picked in the 6th round. He finished his career 4th all-time in all-purpose yards at the University of Georgia behind Herschel Walker, Hines Ward and Garrison Hearst (not bad company.)

In the 7th round, the Falcons got cornerback Wilrey Fontenot from Arizona. He is durable as he started 45 straight games and had 9 interceptions. Also in the 7th round was tight end Keith Zinger for LSU. One thing going for Zinger is that he and former and current teammate Chevis Jackson have experience playing in the Georgia Dome when they won the SEC Championship there last December.

More complete Falcons draft coverage will come soon.

The Atlanta Falcons drafted Georgia Bulldog running back Thomas Brown in the 6th round of the NFL draft yesterday.

It was the 3rd straight year that the Falcons drafted a Bulldog (DJ Shockley in 2006 and Martrez Milner in 2007.) Prior to 2006, the Falcons only drafted 5 Bulldogs in their history.

• 1968 TE Ray Jeffords
• 1977 PK Allan Leavitt
• 1981 DB Scott Woerner
• 1989 TE Troy Sadowski
• 1994 LB Mitch Davis

The last Georgia Bulldog running back to be taken in the 6th round was Terrell Davis (so Thomas Brown has that going for him, which is nice.)

Matt Ryan was the 3rd pick overall in the draft this season.

Here are 2 more facts that he is number 3 in…

He is 3rd in BC history with 9,313 career passing yards (behind Doug Flutie and Glenn Foley.)

But even crazier… Ryan is the 3rd player ever that the Falcons have ever drafted from Boston College. You have to go back to 1977 when Atlanta drafted John Maxwell in the 9th round for the last time a Boston College player got drafted by he Falcons. The other player was Mike Esposito who was selected in the 7th round in 1975.

After day one of the NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons added 3 players (Matt Ryan, Sam Baker and Curtis Lofton.)

The Falcons had options, but selected Ryan as the 3rd pick overall. The Boston College quarterback was 7th in the Heisman voting last year and was the ACC Player of the Year. He had 34 career starts and 56 career TD passes.

After making a few trades, Atlanta moved up to get the 21st overall pick where they selected an offensive tackle from Southern Cal named Sam Baker. He was a 3-time All-American for the Trojans.

With the Falcons 2nd round pick (37th overall) Atlanta got linebacker Curtis Lofton from Oklahoma. Lofton was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year winner.

More complete analysis on the Falcons draft will come shortly…

Everyone is excited about this year’s draft for the Falcons. As of right now they have 11 total picks.

But do you remember who was picked last year in the spots that the Falcons have this year???

#3 OT - Joe Thomas

#34 LB - Paul Poslszny

#37 S - Eric Weddle

#48 LB - Justin Durant

#68 LB - Quincy Black

#98 DT - Quinn Pitcock

#103 WR - Isaiah Stanback

#138 DE - Jay Richardson

#172 WR - Legedu Naanee

#212 CB - Courtney Brown

#232 T - Steve Vallos

(OK, I am no expert like Bart, Brent or JT… but most of those guys are not household names…. as of yet)

Alright sports fans, It’s time for my mock-draft, let’s jump right into it!

1. Miami: Jake Long, OT, Michigan: Already done, Long will help anchor the Miami O-Line for the next decade and change, great investment considering the money you have to spend at #1

2. St. Louis: Chris Long, DE/LB, UVA: Yes we keep hearing how Dorsey’s the guy…it’s bullocks, Cariker’s moving to DT, he’s not really suited for DE, and now with Long the Rams will have three solid or better D-Line guys (including Cariker and Clifton Ryan) to build a defense, that’s gotten better the last couple of years anyway, around for years to come.

3. Atlanta: Alright for the record I still think Dorsey’s the pick here, but I’m going to discuss the other plausible action here (as I mentioned before I firmly believe drafting Ryan is not an option here.)
—Atlanta trades the third overall pick in this year’s draft to…….
The Baltimore Ravens. In return Atlanta receives the #8 overall pick this year’s draft, Baltimore’s 2nd round pick (#38 overall, 7th in the 2nd), and a third round pick in next year’s draft.
3.B Baltimore: QB Matt Ryan, BC: Ryan becomes the new franchise QB.  He’s been #1 on their board all-along and while they give up a decent amount for him, he’s their guy.  Many think Ryan, had he not been picked by Atlanta, would have fallen to Baltimore, what Baltimore is not willing to risk however is another team looking for a QB (read Chicago, and KC) trading up to snag Ryan.  Atlanta on the other hand trades down to #8 where they can still pick an impact player and add yet another second round pick, with three they can use a combination of picks to trade back into the first round, or they can keep all four 2nd rounders and two 3rds in a deep and talented draft class and really work on the rebuilding process.

4.Oakland: DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU. I know McFadden’s the sexy pick here, but playing in a conference with a perennial running team Denver as well as LT and LJ means you have to shore up the middle.  And by the way, while everyone keeps talking about how bad Oakland needs a back, Fargas had a heck of a season last year.  So Oakland adds Dorsey to an already above average defense, and Russell gets his first full season, all the sudden Oakland’s defense looks nasty, and their a play-maker at WR away from contending.

5.KC: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State, KC needs help in alot of spots, it’s too early to reach for WR and as much as they need DE help with trade of Allen, they don’t want Gholston and their dream of Long being available has been busted.  Herm wants to run, and then run some more, with Willie Roaf retired KC, especially LJ needs someone to clear holes.  Clady immediately comes in and makes an impact on the O-Line clearing the way for LJ AND protecting whatever schmoe they put at QB.

6.NYJ: Darren McFadden, RB, ARK: The JETS dreams come true and they land Run DMC, who will terrorize the NFL for years to come.  This couldn’t have worked out better for the JETS who have made some huge moves (see Faneca et. al.) this off-season.  Now, with a legitamite back and plenty of options for change of pace all they need is average play from Clemens or Pennington and they’re looking formidable.

7.NE: Keith Rivers, LB, USC: Many experts had Ellis here, right school, wrong player.  NE’s LB core isn’t getting any younger and River’s is a character guy that  the mad scientist will love because he makes plays all over the field and plays very intelligent football.

8.ATL: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC: Atlanta still gets an excellent DT and pays less for him financially, without the worry of injury and stock piles picks for the rebuilding process. Great start for Atlanta!

9.CIN: Vernon Gholston, DE, OSU: Thurman and all his tackles are back, and now they get a guy who can put serious pressure on the QB.  Outside of that unmentionable back who came out early and kept getting arrested, OSU normally produces high character guys, which the Bengals need almost as much as they need defensive help.

10. NO: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy: Might be a little of a reach here, but Leodis is fast, talented and can play in different schemes.  The Troy resume’ might seem a little iffy, but he played a really tough schedule last year. (including games against Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia)  McKelvin also fills a HUGE void, or begins to, that the saints have in the secondary.

11.BUF: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, TennST:  The Bills need help at DB and DRC is an impact corner.  Pretty easy pick here, and the bonus is the return ability DRC brings to the table.

12.DEN: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tenn: Easy pick here really, despite that it’s going to surprise people.  They wanted Clady, but he’s gone and they’re not gonna reach for another tackle, plus Shanny loves playmaking LB’s and Mayo is just that.

13.CAR: Derrick Harvey, DE, UF: The Panthers need to get after the QB and Harvey can do it, plus playing the in the SEC makes the speed transition to the NFL game easier than any other conference.  If Peppers can remember how to play pro-bowl caliber football they could bookend for a few more years.

14.CHI: Brandon Albert, OG, UVA: Monster guard with solid abilities across the board in a OG weak draft= easy pick, the more warm bodies to protect Grossman the better, and he can block for Adrian Peterson (the one from Georgia Southern who should be the starting back) in the running game as well!

15.DET: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, ILL: One of the few times I agree with the experts, they need a game changer at RB and Mendenhall is just that.  Solid runner between the tackles and outside, he catches out of the backfield (so Millen can pretend he drafted another receiver) and is an all around player.  Solid pick!

16.ARZ: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon:  Edge is getting old, all the other offensive weapons are in place and they’ll add depth to the O-Line later in the draft.  The Cards also quietly have a solid defense, this could help them finally turn the corner.

17.KC: Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt: Yes another OT.  The Chiefs are rebuilding, and they’re doing it around the long-term deal of LJ.  They needed to rebuild the O-line and now with bookends Clady and Otah who can run and pass block their set for years to come.  Look for the chiefs to draft heavy on D the rest of the draft with the exception of a receiver with one of their third round picks.

18.HOU: Felix Jones, RB, ARK: The Texans shore up their running game with Felix the cat, and break JJ’s heart in Dallas.  They’ll add depth to the O-line later and hopefully, for Schaub’s sake, add a WR in the second round.

19.PHI: Mike Jenkins, CB, USF: They need to shore up CB, especially if they trade Lito Sheppard which seems probable, and Jenkins is a great pick to do just that.  Won’t be surprised if they grab a receiver though.

20.TB: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas: Big target who can create separation, Galloway’s getting old and the other WR’s are too inconsistant and Garcia NEEDS HELP.

21.WAS: Devon Thomas, WR, MSU: Jason Campbell needs another target who’s not tiny…here it is.  Easy pick for the Skins since they couldn’t land Williams, Johnson, or Boldin.  If Thomas plays well this offense could be a well oiled machine if healthy.

22.DAL: Malcolm Kelly, WR, OKL:  By far the most consistant receiver in the draft, Kelly gives Romo that last piece needed to make this offense ridiculous.  Watchout everyone!!!

23.PIT:  Chris Williams, OT, VANDY:  Roethlisberger needs protection and Williams is great at it. Another solid pick by a team who never seems to miss in the draft.  Big Ben stays up, Big Ben stays healthy and Fast Willie has holes to run through, watch out NFL.

24.TEN: DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal: Young needs another target desperately and Jackson can create serious space and is a stud in the return game.  Probably not the receiver they wanted, but probably the best bet anyway.

25.SEA: Trades this pick to the Atlanta Falcons for the 34th & 48th picks this year (3rd & 17th in the second round) and a third round pick next year.
25B. ATL: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson: Another young DE to (hopefully) solidify the D-line for the next decade, if not at least Merling or Anderson should work out.  They could also take a corner, but with two picks still left in the second round they wanted to make sure they could get after the QB next year and they should still be able to pick up a solid CB in the second round.

26.JAX: Trades this pick to Miami for Jason Taylor and a sixth round pick.
26B. MIA: Aqib Talib, CB, KAN: Big physical CB with plenty of raw skill and bawl-hawking ability is a great snag with this pick for Miami.  He can play immediately and gives they Tuna another solid piece for the future, (it’s gonna take him a couple years to master the system in Miami) and about the time the Dolphins are truly ready to compete Talib should be reaching his peak.  Oh and they were decent enough to acomodate Taylor’s trade request.  Meanwhile, the Jags add the DE end they need and pick up a prayer of a sixth rounder to feel like they didn’t get swindled into dealing for a 34 year old dancer. ( I kid I kid, Taylor is a sack guru and an all around classy guy).

27.SD: Brandon Flowers, CB, VT: Depth needed at a position where they lost much of their depth in the off-season.  Flowers should make an impact immediately as a nickle and dime guy and could compete for a starting job shortly there after.

28.DAL: With all the RBs and CBs they targeted gone, Dallas makes a trade. and with…guess who? Atlanta receives the 28th pick for both of their third rounders (68th and 98th overall) and a second and fourth round pick next year. It’s no that bad as the 98th pick is really a fourth rounder.
28B. ATL: Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware:  The Falcons get the guy they REALLY wanted, and were able to wheel and deal and fortify their D-Line as well.  Flacco will sit and learn the system (and not get destroyed in the process) and the Falcons can build him an O-line and finish putting the pieces together on offense in general while he learns.  They’ll draft depth the rest of the way and still end with a solid draft.  Don’t forget, they still have two second rounders where plenty of talent will be available, they just didn’t believe Flacco would still be available when their next pick rolled around.

29.SF: Dan Connor, LB, PSU:  Value over need, they’d be reaching for any DE/WR at this point, so SF Connor.  He probably will never make a pro-bowl, and he’s no Willis, but Connor is an intelligent, athletic player, who will be a solid fit for SF and shore up a LB core on an already solid defense.  *NOTE: if available I project Brian Brohm as their second round pick in a HUGE surprise.

30.GB: Gosder Cherilus, OT, BC: The pack would have liked to draft a CB to groom behind the talented but aging duo of Harris and Woodson but they’d be reaching heavily here. Instead they do the smart thing and draft their right tackle of the future and Aaron Rodgers’ new best friend.  Great pick here by GB considering they are settling for value.

31.NYG: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami: Easy to agree with the experts here, the only real weakness on a SuperBowl Champion D.  Phillips is a play-maker who will be allowed to make mistakes and learn on a good defense.  Solid addition for the Giants who now have a young talented secondary.

*Falcons second rounders if available: Fred Davis, TE, USC: Crumpler’s gone and Davis will probably be available here (Keller will go to SEA with the pick they got from ATL) and will give the Falcons a TE for the future and another pass catching option for the punching bag QB they put back there at first.  If the Falcons can teach him to block it could be the steal of the draft.
Mike Pollak, OC, ASU(arizona state) Exceptional center who will be a great value this late in the second round but will probably be available.  Falcons are going to rebuild their O-Line and this is a great place to start.

*Bulldog note, Fernando Velasco would be a great pickup in the fourth round, a project for the Falcons but he’s a Georgia guy who has solid skills and size and could (with tutelage) become a solid guard and another block for Atlanta to build on.

This weekend, while most Atlanta eyes will be closely watching the Falcons, plenty of other local fans will be watching to see where their favorite college players wind up going. Here’s your guide to the former Georgia Bulldogs for this weekend.

• Marcus Howard, Rush Specialist - Much of the nation had not heard of Marcus Howard until he turned Colt Brennan into his own personal tackling dummy during the 2008 Sugar Bowl. While it’s true that 2007 was Howard’s first year as a starter, and that lack of experience is a concern to NFL scouts, Howard still turned in an impressive performance, piling up 10.5 sacks on the year. Yes, he’s still too small to be an every down lineman, but he has added bulk since leaving college, and he weighed in at 237 pounds at the combine. That’s still certainly blockable, but that comes with the assumption the lineman can get his hands on Howard. After turning in the fastest 40 time among all defensive linemen and linebackers at the combine, and one of the top 4 verticals, Howard is proving himself agile and elusive when going after the QB. Howard will best be used as a rush specialist, either as a defensive end in a 4-3 or an outside linebacker in a 3-4. He can probably learn how to cover tight ends as well, considering he was a full tenth of a second faster than any tight end in this year’s draft in the 40. All in all, he’s an attractive prospect who can immediately help in blitz packages and with some weight room time and some coaching, might turn into a real asset as an outside linebacker.
  Just for fun prediction: Round 3 (93rd overall) - Indianapolis Colts, who have a system that allows rush specialists to thrive.
• Thomas Brown, Running Back - Brown has a lengthy list of superlatives, but his negatives will force him into the second day of the draft this weekend. Getting those out of the way first, he just isn’t very big. While many NFL RBs lack height, they also don’t lack bulk, and Brown is short on both inches and pounds. Then there’s the reason teams worry about that size: injuries. Brown piled up injuries at Georgia, missing 11 games in 4 years, and that was after missing 5 his senior year at Tucker High. His fragility means he cannot be depended on by an NFL team, but he will still be drafted, for several huge reasons. First off, the dude’s a warrior. He’s tough as both a runner and a blocker, and he plays much bigger than his size, if that makes sense. He’s also a warrior in the weight room, as he was pound for pound the strongest player on UGA’s roster. He’s a shifty runner who can fight for extra yards here and there up the middle or cut to the outside. He’s not so much fast as he is quick. He has great vision and is better at making defenders miss than simply outrunning them. Another very important aspect of becoming an NFL running back is blocking, and Brown is, for his size, an excellent blocker. Finally, he’s coachable and will do whatever he can to help the team. A high-character guy that will be a clubhouse and field leader is hard to find in the 4th or 5th round, so some NFL team will walk away very pleased with this pick.
  Just for fun prediction: Round 4 (128th overall) - Green Bay Packers, who could use a slash and cut runner to balance out their power running game.
• Fernando Velasco, Offensive Guard - Velasco played Guard and Center in college, a sign that he is both versatile and team-oriented. His footwork is a little slow, though, and everything he does seems to be overachieving. While that seems like a backhanded compliment, it also implies that Velasco is a hard worker and a coachable player. As a run blocker he has great punch and can clear holes. His inability to pass block against top competition, though, makes him a project for now. He’ll benefit, however, from an incredibly weak crop of guards this year, and will probably get drafted as a result.
  Just for fun prediction: Round 7 (225th overall) - Arizona Cardinals, who are trying to become a run-first team.
• Brandon Coutu, Kicker - When healthy, there probably isn’t a better field goal kicker in this draft. Coutu has been known to boom them from well beyond 50 yards during his time at Georgia. However, “when healthy” is key here, as Coutu has had hamstring issues throughout his career at Georgia, and it could prevent him from being drafted. Also, as evidenced at the Cocktail Party a few years ago, the wind has its way with him at times. Still, if you put this guy indoors and give him a chance to kick the game winner, he can make it. Also, he gets the ball up high and will rarely be blocked. Unfortunately, NFL scouts don’t see him as someone who will kick off for the team, and if you’re going to be one of the two or three kickers drafted, you have to be a kickoff threat. Whether he’s a late round pick or a free agent, someone is going to wind up with a nifty field goal specialist.
  Just for fun prediction: Round 7 (227th overall) - Denver Broncos, who have had success with kickers from Gwinnett County before. See: Jason Elam.
• Kregg Lumpkin, Running Back - It’s still unknown whether Lumpkin’s future lies at halfback or fullback, but most teams certainly feel he has a future in some respect. If a team converts him to fullback, he’ll only be useful as a receiver immediately. His blocking was almost non-existent during his tenure at Georgia. I like him more as a halfback prospect, and with another 15 pounds he could become a fine NFL power runner. When he runs between the tackles, he’s a force up the middle, powering through tackles and usually gaining extra yards. From a technical standpoint, he’s a very sound runner. He has plenty of talent and was one of the top RB recruits in the nation as a prep star. Injuries have plagued him his entire career but as a short-yardage back, he definitely has potential. Watch out for this guy. He had only 44 rushing yards last year, but might wind up being the Terrell Davis of this decade - a better NFL player than a college player.
  Just for fun prediction: Undrafted, signed by Pittsburgh Steelers, who value hard running up the middle more than outside speed.
• Kelin Johnson, Free Safety - Using Free Safety here isn’t really accurate, because it’s likely his days at FS are over. Most NFL scouts see him as too weak in coverage to play DB at the next level and too thin to play LB. Still, he’s a sure tackler and is tough to block, which means he may find himself on some special teams unit, and I think he could really thrive in that role. He’s a high character guy who should be signed next week.
  Just for fun prediction: Undrafted, signed by Atlanta Falcons, who could use someone involved in the community now that Warrick Dunn has moved on. Plus, the Falcons could use anyone who can tackle right now.
• Chester Adams, Offensive Guard - Adams is off many radars, and he’s not at all ready to play in the NFL, but he is athletic, big, and charismatic, so it’s hard to imagine he won’t catch on somewhere. He was a bit frustrating at times in college (some Georgia fans called him Swiss Cheese, what with all the holes in his blocking), but if he can correct some mechanical flaws, he might wind up being an undrafted steal. There’s potential here.
  Just for fun prediction: Undrafted, signed by Detroit Lions, who value athleticism and size more than football ability.

Well Falcons fans, there’s only one obvious pick left to talk about. That’s right, the large mountain of a DT down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Glenn Dorsey. Boy he’s a beast! As a Georgia Bulldog I’ve seen firsthand what he can to an opponent’s offensive line. He single handedly decimated just about every line he went up against, including that vaunted (insert laugh here, then another laugh, then point a finger, then laugh again) Ohio State line. Yes, he had help on a darn good National Title Team, but let’s also remember he wasn’t One Hundred Percent healthy.

Is he completely healthy now you ask??? Well, according to inside sources, Dorsey will be at or near One Hundred Percent by the time training camp starts. He’s been working out using mainly low impact pool and aquatic exercises and both knees seem to be coming along nicely.

The next question is; is he a good fit for the Falcons? Of course he is! Dorsey is a game changer at a position where there aren’t that many game changers. He immediately makes the entire front seven better, especially last year’s top pick, Jamaal Anderson. With Dorsey and Anderson the Falcons would now have a young D-line to begin the rebuilding process. An O-linemen and a WR in the second round, and then best available the rest of the way could go a long way to a bright future…oh and by the way, as much as I don’t like him, you and I both know Tebow’s coming out next year!!!

Now, I truly believe that if Dorsey is available the Falcons will take him. I reiterate, if they take Ryan over Dorsey it will be the biggest mistake in Falcons draft history, and that’s saying a lot. Now, you ask… J.T. what if they don’t take Dorsey or Ryan? Well sports fans, my next article will address just that, along with my surprise prediction for the Falcons draft. Also, stay tuned for my full first round mock draft as well as an analysis of who the Falcon’s could and should take throughout the draft.

The Atlanta Hawks struggled to score again last night as they lost game 2 to the Boston Celtics 96-77. In game 1 they only managed 81 points.

Over 20 years ago, they had no problems scoring. In a playoff game against the Detroit Pistons on April 17, 1986 they scored 71 points in one half. Two days later against the same Pistons they scored 68 points in a half.

And yes they won both of those games and the series 3-games-to-1.