Atlanta Falcons Mailbag

September 2, 11:10 AMAtlanta Falcons ExaminerDaniel Cox

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With all NFL teams about to drastically cut their rosters down to meet the 53-man number, do you see any defensive personnel that may get cut by other teams that would still be an upgrade for the Birds?  Or do you see the Falcon brain trust sticking to their guns and letting this young group grow together and endure the growing pains that we made so evident by the pitiful secondary performance on Saturday might against the Chargers?  -Dale

Atlanta Falcons Examiner: That's an interesting angle. Clearly GM Dimitroff and the staff aren't afraid to make a move as evidenced by Tuesday's deal for Tye Hill. There are always surprising cuts, which occurs on Saturday. I think it's safe to say that Dimitroff will be watching the waiver wire closely. As far as speculation on who may be out there, I'm not educated enough to say. I haven't paid enough attention to what's happening elsewhere around the league. I wouldn't be surprised if another move is made.

Why do so many Falcons fans hate the members of our 2007 draft class? namely Anderson and Houston? -scar988 via Twitter

Atlanta Falcons Examiner: It's ironic that they're both from Arkansas. They are players at two tough positions. For Anderson, he was the top pick for Atlanta that year--a top-ten pick. Taking a player that high means big expectations. Anderson has done well in the running game, in fact he'd be a great fit in a 3-4 scheme. But a top-ten defensive end is expected to get sacks and that's what he's failed to do. It's his third season and it's now or never for him. As for Houston, it's a similar kind of situation except it's at a closely-scrutinized position. Cornerbacks, because of the nature of the position, fail a lot. I think fans see some issues with Houston's technique and some flaws in his game that appear on the surface easily corrected. When he doesn't make those adjustments, they get frustrated. I think Saturday's performance is indicative of a few things. He was coming back from injury so it may have affected his performance. And Van Gorder was dialing up a lot of blitzes. It was either because that's what they wanted or they wanted to see how the corners responded. If there's not much improvement it's safe to say there won't be a lot of blitzing except for some zone blitzing by the defense. Houston and Anderson catch a lot of heat because of their mistakes. It's the nature of the fan. Justin Blalock, another draftee from that class, has played very well and hardly ever gets mentioned.

Article: Redman leads Atlanta Falcons comeback over Chargers, Falcons win 27-24

The win doesn't even matter! our defense couldn't stop a college offense the way they played last night! TD needs to make some moves right now and get somebody in here that can upgrade our defense dramatically!  -ATLChamp

Atlanta Falcons Examiner: Fair enough. But I believe it's an obligation to at least discuss the game itself. To your point, Dimitroff has made a move since, the trade for Tye Hill, which is a step in the right direction. I wouldn't be surprised if another move is made. But I'll say this: don't look for a lot of new players to be brought in. They're going with what they've got. Don't underestimate Coach Smith and the staff's ability to coach up players and get the most out of them. Look what they managed to do last year. They were in the top-15, I believe, in points allowed on defense, but in the bottom-10 in total defense. You don't think this defense, which is younger and faster, is better than last year's? i think you'll be pleased with the progressions this unit makes through the season.

Is Tye Hill a starter? He better be because Chris Houston and Brent Grimes suck. -James

Atlanta Falcons Examiner: I think saying they suck is a little much. Grimes will always have his share of good and bad moments simply because of his size and what it limits him to do. Houston, I think, can continue to develop into a solid zone type of cover. He's not a cover corner, in the traditional sense, despite his speed. A true No. 1 corner is needed on this defense. Is that guy Chris Owens? Possibly, but don't expect that this year. Is Tye Hill that guy? Could be. He was drafted in the first round for a reason. He had a solid rookie season, which you can't ignore. He's struggled with injuries since. He was the victim of a new system and a new coach in St. Louis and he just didn't fit. Dimitroff knows his secondary and he found a good talent last year in Domonique Foxworth, who was in a similar situation in Denver that Hill was in with St. Louis. Foxworth was buried on the depth chart, but Dimitroff brought him in (for a seventh-rounder) and he made a big impact.

Article: Atlanta Falcons middle linebacker Curtis Lofton continues to learn double duty

How about 'LUMBERJACK' for curtis lofton. He's bringin' da wood. -Reece

How about "The Renaissance man" cuz he was doing everything well last night, making plays against the run, in the flats and over the deep middle. -Nick

50/50 chance" cuz he's da leadin tackler on da team n there is a great chance he knocks da heck out of u or "50Cal" cuz it looks like hes shot out of a gun when he come out of his defensive stance 2 pursue the ball carrier. -Zeader B

Additional Training Camp/Preseason coverage

I always love to hear what you've got to say. Leave a comment or email me for the Weekly Mailbag: jdanielcox@gmail.com. Click "subscribe" to receive emails whenever a new article is posted. Follow me on Twitter.