I actually think TG comes back for one more. He's a little sour right now, and he should be, but he didn't actually sound like a guy at the end. He's been playing like a Top 3 TE all year, and only Barry Sanders retired in that kind of style. Barry also retired because he felt like the team wasn't going into a rebuilding mode again and he couldn't handle that -- he said so on his bio for NFLN. We aren't going into rebuilding mode, we'd be going into adding a few more pieces to win a SB mode with TG back. He can also talk to Jerome Bettis, who was actually in serious decline when he hung it up, about being persuaded by the QB to come back for one more and he'd get it for him. Bettis came back in a rotational role and they won it all, and he was able to sail off into the sun set. I think TG is back for one last ride, win or lose. He knows he can keep playing at a high level.....and we were so **** close.
Knowing that, it frees up a pick imo. I also don't think Sylvester Williams last to one of the last picks in the 2nd round at all. If you want him, will have to use our 1st.
FA signing: Cliff Avril
Cut: Turner (cap space is fine)
Re-Sign: Moore and Baker
1) Ezekial Ansah, DE, BYU or we can go BPA at DT
2) Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
3) Kwame Geathers, DT, Georgia
4a) Jordan Hill, DT, PSU
4 comp pick) Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
5) Kenny Tate, OLB, Maryland
6) Marquise Goodwin, slot WR/return man, Texas
7) Duron Carter, WR, son of Chris Carter who will need a lot of mentoring but is 6'5 with 4.4/4.5 speed and great hands, immediate red zone weapon
If we can have Cliff Avril, John Abraham, Ezekial Ansah, and Kroy Biermann with Babs, Geathers, Hill, Peters on the D-Line, that's pretty good. One more year of Dunta and Asante and McClain and Franks and Owens with Moore and DeCoud, Spoon and Tate and Nicholas rotating in base and coverage nickel sets, with Dent coming in for 4-3 sets as the Mike to stop the run.
Our offense adds great backs, a speed receiver and return man, and a developmental prospect with immense potential in Duron Carter. Carter can be a Plaxico Burress type of player, and his father would be happy for him to land in Atlanta and us to bring him along like we brought along Roddy White.
Boom.
Back in the NFCCG next year, and maybe we win it this time. Let's send out Tony the right way. Then in 2014, we can move up to draft the studly TE prospect Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who would be a Top 15 pick this year.
This was posted by The Dirty Bird in the ATL forums... i like this... A LOT thoughts?