The Atlanta Falcons were not good in 2013. While the offense took most of the blame, the defense certainly suffered their fair share of struggles as injuries depleted the roster. With several players in the unit set to hit free agency, the Falcons are beginning to sort through top draft prospects to fill holes. Naturally, the first player on the list is Jadeveon Clowney.
Some NFL scouts have reported that several NFL teams are down on Clowney after a junior year that did not make headlines. The defensive end was quiet after a breakout sophomore season, but general manger Thomas Dimitroff is making it known the Falcons are not a team overlooking the potential star.
"I'll just say what everybody in the country knows: Jadeveon Clowney is a top notch talent and he's going to make a team happy and he's going to be a legitimate difference-maker in this game. The people with the top two picks know that," Dimitroff said, via the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The issue might be whether or not the Falcons can land him. The team is currently set for the No. 6 pick. Clowney could easily be drafted by the first two teams. While many teams in the top five are slated to draft quarterbacks, the Falcons could get luck. However, a trade up might be the best option, something Dimitroff is not ruling out.
Dimitroff has developed the reputation of being aggressive in the draft. He moved up big time to grab Julio Jones and that paid off. He is considering doing the same thing this year. "The top 10 in the 2014 draft is a group of top notch players. So we're not going to be disappointed if we're picking in the top 10."
The general manager is making the offensive and defensive lines the priority in the offseason. He wants the team to be gritty and much tougher. The offensive line was dismal for the Falcons as quarterback Matt Ryan spent more time on the ground than standing up. The team could take a rookie for the line, but NFL.com also has the Falcons targeting Branden Albert and Willie Colon in free agency. That would the leave the defense as the focus of the draft.
"We need to focus on getting more gritty and rugged in certain areas. That's going to be more important for us. This is a warrior game and we have to come to the line of scrimmage with the proper mentality. ... We realize we need to ramp up our ruggedness, not only on the field but off the field, in the locker room," Dimitroff said.
Going 4-12 in a season the Falcons were expected to contend for a Super Bowl was certainly a big disappointment. However, Dimitroff notes that no one in the organization is discouraged and everyone is prepared to come back bigger and better.
