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What to do with Norwood will be key in the offseason (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
The third offseason that Thomas Dimitroff will preside over is a pivotal one.
In his first two seasons as General Manager of the Atlanta Falcons, Dimitroff has done a lot of good.
He's delivered a franchise quarterback, signed a load-carrying feature back, and revamped a defense into a unit he described as "more consistent, more urgent, faster and younger," mainly with his own draft picks.
Year Three will be about filling in the gaps and adding depth.
Since the league and the player's union failed to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), 2010 presents some interesting financial situations.
First, the idea of an uncapped year in 2010 on the surface sounds like a good thing to the fans of teams that may appear to have money to spend. The reality is that it may be quite different. Since there will be no cap there will also be no floor, which means some teams can spend as little as they want.
The Atlanta Falcons will not be one of those teams, nor will they be high spenders. Dimitroff's mantra all along has been to accentuate the building of the team through the draft with a sprinkling of choice free agents. It wouldn't be surprising to see the GM sign a starting-caliber free agent this offseason at a position of need, though it's unlikely he'll break the bank to do so. Also, the team still must operate on the assumption that moving past 2010 a salary cap will be back in place. A lot of money spent in 2010 could handcuff the team's financial flexibility moving forward.
The fact that many players originally set to become unrestricted free agents this year will have their status change to restricted when free agency begins is the other curveball in this season of talent acquisition.
The Falcons have 15 players eligible for some level of free agency this season. The free agency period in the NFL will begin on March 5, 2010.
- Charlie Peprah, S, RFA
- Tyson Clabo, OT RFA
- Harvey Dahl, OG, RFA
- Jamaal Fudge, S, RFA
- Michael Koenen, P, RFA
- Jerious Norwood, RB, RFA
- Quinn Ojinnaka, OL, RFA
- Jason Snelling, RB, RFA
- Antoine Harris, S, RFA
- Marty Booker, WR, UFA
- Brian Finneran, WR, UFA
- Tony Gilbert, LB, UFA
- Verron Haynes, RB, UFA
- Chris Redman, QB, UFA
- Brian Williams, CB, UFA
Key contributors on this list include Clabo, Dahl (both starters), Koenen, Norwood, and Snelling, all of which are restricted free agents which will allow the Falcons to control the negotiations with each player and receive draft picks for compensation should they sign with another team.
This season, the NFL Draft will take place over three days beginning with the first round on Thursday, April 22. The second and third rounds will take place on Friday, April 23 and rounds four-seven will occur on Saturday, April 24.
Many believe the high number of juniors that declared for the draft this year did so because of the impending financial situation in the NFL.
"Again, like free agency this year, our college scouting department has had to work overtime to make sure they cover their bases, at least in office," Dimitroff said at his season-ending press conference." "We never evaluate juniors when we’re at the colleges because that tugs at the fabric of our relationships with the college programs. ...There are some fantastic players coming out this year as far as juniors and seniors. It will be interesting to see how the effects the strength of the entire draft if more juniors do declare, given the uncertainty of the CBA.”
The Falcons currently have five draft picks in the 2010 draft. The first pick at 19 or 20 is contingent on a tie-breaking coin flip with the Houston Texans. Atlanta also has picks in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds.
Atlanta may receive compensatory picks for losses in free agency in 2009. The Falcons have four qualifying free agency losses (Foxworth, Brooking, Boley, Jackson) with one free agency signing (Peterson). The NFL awards these picks to teams who lost more in free agency the prior year than they signed.
"As it stands right now, I’m thinking we possibly will get three compensatory picks, given the play of Domonique Foxworth, Michael Boley and Keith Brooking," Dimitroff said. "Those are the three that I think are going to factor in strongly into our compensatory acquisitions.”
He's added that he believes those compensatory picks could range anywhere from the third round to the sixth round.
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