Atlanta Falcons Sign Marty Booker and Robert Ferguson to Replace Harry Douglas

The preseason has not even started yet and the Falcons already have roster issues to deal with.

Mini-camps began without a noticeable face around. Roddy White is holding out until he gets a contract extension. Rumors have it that he wants “Larry Fitzgerald money.”

You may remember than Fitzgerald got an extension for two years and $20 million. It has been said that White is looking for four years and $40 million. That’s an issue within itself.

But as if things couldn’t get worse, they did this past week. Wide receiver Harry Douglas tore his ACL and is lost for the season.

The second year player from Louisville played a vital role last season in Atlanta’s re-emergence into a playoff team. Douglas led the team in punt returns as well as catching 23 catches for 320 yards and one touchdown.

The Falcons were forced to address their wide receiver issue through the free agent market. They began by working out Ike Hilliard and Robert Ferguson. Ferguson was obviously more impressive between the two and Atlanta signed him to a one year contract.

Ferguson last played for the Minnesota Vikings, but can be remembered mostly for a few good seasons in Green Bay catching passes from Brett Favre.

The Falcons did not stop with the signing of Ferguson. It was later announced that Atlanta had also signed Marty Booker. Booker has started 116 games in his 141 game career. He has 523 catches for 6,522 yards and 36 touchdowns. He played six seasons in Chicago and four seasons in Miami.

The Falcons say the signings were more to replace Douglas rather than trying to move forward without Roddy White. Each day that White misses practice during camp, he is fined heavily. Eventually, one would think the two sides can come to an agreement.

Atlanta hasn’t had to deal with a holdout issue this big since Jamal Anderson pulled his attempt after the Super Bowl. All Falcon fans remember how that turned out after he got his payday. Let’s hope that fate doesn’t go the same way if White does get his pay day.

Credit: D Orlando Ledbetter of AJC.com

Dallas Cowboys Release Greg Ellis

The Dallas Cowboys continue to try and rebuild their roster by cutting old ties with players.

Terrell Owens was a victim to Dallas’ new game plan in 2009 and is now with the Buffalo Biils. Greg Ellis became the latest member of the departure club today.

The Cowboys wanted to get younger and give Anthony Spencer a chance to take the starting linebacker job. DeMarcus Ware also made it easier to make this decision based on his high sack totals.

Dallas had at first said they would try to trade Ellis this offseason, but gave him his outright release today.

Ellis had 77.0 sacks in 11 seasons with Dallas. He had 8.0 sacks last season.

Ellis began his career in Dallas as a defensive lineman before moving to outside linebacker when Dallas began using a 3-4 defense.

The fact that Ellis can play both linebacker and defensive end can do nothing but help his value in the free agent market. It should not take him long to find an employer.

As a Falcons fan, I’m all for Atlanta giving him a chance. He can fill a few holes in their defense if they need him to.

Jamaal Anderson has struggled at defensive end playing opposite John Abraham. Two of the starting linebackers are gone and he could also fill that role as well.

Remembering the 1998 Atlanta Falcons

The photo shows a team in disgust. For most Falcon fans, that is not what we remember.

It’s hard to believe it has been 11 years since the Falcons last made a run through the playoffs and to the Super Bowl.

“Since” may be the wrong word to use. “Only” would be the word that could be used here. But only was enough for just one season for all Falcon fans to believe.

Jamal Anderson was taking over the full-time load that Craig Heyward had fulfilled. Chris Chandler was signed from Houston to be the starting quarterback. Tony Martin was brought in as an extra target to go alongside Terrance Mathis.

Ray Buchanan was the standout cornerback. Jessie Tuggle had been a Falcon for life and manned the defense overall. Eugene Robinson brought veteran leadership to the secondary (until the night before the Super Bowl).

The Falcons had a lot to build on, but no one saw their 1998 run through the NFC coming.

You can thank Denver and Minnesota for that.

It had appeared destined that the Vikings and Broncos would meet in the Super Bowl. Randy Moss had emerged in Minnesota and Randall Cunningham was better than ever. Minnesota and Denver controlled all of the playoff talk through the regular season.

Meanwhile, Atlanta flew under the radar. I find it hard to believe that a team can go 14-2 and go unnoticed, but Atlanta pretty much did.

Atlanta got off to a fast 2-0 start before going on the road against San Francisco. Nothing seemed to go right for the Falcons on that day, and the Niners walked away with the victory.

Something in that loss woke the Falcons up.

They won their next three games to get to 5-1, before losing to the Jets. They would not lose again until the Super Bowl.

The most memorable win for me that season had to be a week in New England where Atlanta beat the Patriots 41-10. It was at that moment that I realized how good Jamal Anderson was and that the Falcons were no joke.

Dirty Bird Fever had taken over.

The Falcons avenged an earlier loss to San Francisco during the regular season to tie the season series at 1-1. The matchup was set for the division round of the playoffs. San Francisco at Atlanta.

As a 15-year-old kid addicted to sports, I was in heaven. I had never felt this feeling before.

Every single season I had to deal with all of my friends bragging about how good their Cowboys were, or how good the 49ers were, or how good the Broncos were.

It was finally my turn. I didn’t know how to react. I was used to home games being blacked out. I have lived in Georgia all my life, and if games don’t sell out in the NFL, the home market gets blacked out.

At that time, I didn’t understand the blackout rule, so I just assumed since it was a home game that I would have to catch the highlights. I’m glad that it did not result to that.

The rest is history. The Falcons found a way in the final seconds to squeak by San Francisco 20-18 and advance to the next round against Minnesota, thanks to Terrance Mathis’ HUGE touchdown catch against the 49ers.

The close win might’ve done even more to help Atlanta go unnoticed. The Vikings had all but reserved their plane tickets to Miami. The champagne was on ice in the Metrodome and all that was left to do was pop the cork.

But, as the old saying goes, “That’s why we play the game”.

The first half looked hopeless. The Vikings had a double-digit lead in the second half. It would take a miracle for Atlanta to get back in it.

A drive at the end of the third quarter or the beginning of the fourth (I can’t remember the exact time) was saved on a few crucial third down conversions until Atlanta finally reached the red zone.

Chandler threw a pass into the end zone between double coverage and hit Mathis on one knee. Touchdown Falcons. They made it a one-possession game.

Later in the game, Gary Anderson missed a field goal that would’ve made it a two possession game. He had not missed a kick all year. There goes the miracle I was hoping for.

But where there is a will, there is a way. The Falcons managed to tie the game and sent it into overtime. Unfortunately, Minnesota would touch the ball.

The biggest play of the entire season had to be on an incomplete pass. Cunningham dropped back in the pocket and flung the ball at least 50 yards down the field to Randy Moss on a 9-route (straight down the field).

Eugene Robinson was the safety coming over the top to help the corner. Buchanan had been beaten bad on the play by Moss so it was up to Robinson.

At the very last second, he leaped when Moss leaped and got a fingertip on the ball and knocked it down. Instead of a first down in field goal range, the Vikings had to punt.

It was at that moment that my heart began to race. My palms started to sweat. I had to turn the TV off and leave the room and return every 20 seconds or so because I just couldn’t bare to watch in between commercials.

Jeff Hullinger’s words still ring in my ear to this day from the radio broadcast:

“The kick is up. He knows it. They know it. And The Falcons are going to the Super Bowl!”

Words cannot begin to describe how good of a feeling that is. I mean, sure, I’m not the towel boy. I didn’t sit through all of the practices or study the films. But, I was with them. I gave them every Sunday and in return they tried to give me viewing pleasure.

Of course, all dreams must come to an end. One prostitute later for Eugene Robinson the night before a Super Bowl and all momentum was gone. Atlanta moved the ball on Denver okay, but choked every time they got near the red zone.

The only highlight for Atlanta in that Super Bowl was Tim Dwight returning a kickoff for a touchdown.

But that Falcons team will never be forgotten by Falcons fans who watched. They took us on a ride we hope to go on again someday, but it was needed more than ever around that moment.

The 2009 Atlanta Falcons Coaching Staff

Thomas Dimitroff began to implement his long term plan for the Falcons last season. He hired Mike Smith to lead Atlanta and put an experienced staff behind him.

Atlanta improved from 2007 to 2008 in almost every statistical category. The memories of a 4-12 season have all but been removed from Falcons’ fans memory.

The Falcons have the talent (at least on offense) to compete with anyone in the NFL. The key will be how the staff is able to translate their game plan to the players so that it can be executed properly.

Mike Mularkey is the offensive coordinator. He called plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2001-2003, and was the offensive coordinator for the Dolphins in 2006. In between that time, he served two years as the head coach for the Buffalo Bills in 2004 and 2005.

Mularkey has a reputation for being an offensive minded coach who specializes in trick plays and packages, so the offensive coordinator role is perfect for him.

He earned the nickname “Inspector Gadget” in Pittsburgh for his ability to come up with creative ways to involve Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El in the Pittsburgh offense.

In order for the Falcons to have the most success, Mularkey must build the offense around the running game. Michael Turner has to be the focal point of what the Falcons do. In Pittsburgh, Mularkey relied on Jerome Bettis. Turner can fit that role and maybe do it better.

The Falcons won’t need as many trick plays from wide receivers because they simply don’t players who are equipped to make some of those trick plays that Randle El and Ward did.

Brian VanGorder will be calling the defense. He comes from Jacksonville, where he has some experience with Mike Smith. VanGorder also has head coaching experience at Georgia Southern. He joined the Falcons in 2007 under Petrino’s staff, but improved dramatically at the NFL level under Smith’s direction.

He coordinated the University of Georgia defense that won the Sugar Bowl. In that year of 2003, Georgia had the third ranked defense nationally, and VanGorder was awarded the NCAA Assistant Coach Of The Year.

Emmitt Thomas will be in charge of the defensive backs. A lot of Falcons’ fans may remember Thomas as the guy who filled in once Bobby Petrino decided to leave for greener pastures (or pig slop, if that’s what you want to call it).

With Atlanta’s young secondary, Thomas’ role for the Falcons may be the most important. His wisdom and experience could go a long way in developing the Falcons’ young talent and turning them into solid players.

Thomas played twelve seasons as a defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs and made the pro bowl. He has coached in the NFL since 1981. He joined the Falcons in 2002 and remains the only coach from the previous staff, other than VanGorder.

Terry Robiskie is the receivers coach. He had a short stint as the interim head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2004 and with the Washington Redskins in 2000. He is the father of rookie wide receiver Brian Robiskie from Ohio State University.

Robiskie will be asked to work with Roddy White to lower the number of dropped passes he has, along with getting Michael Jenkins more involved in the offense.

Paul Boudreau is in charge of the offensive line. Last season, he helped direct an offensive line that was night and day better than it was in 2007. The key this season will be continuing to open up holes for Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood and protecting Matt Ryan.

Boudreau joined the Falcons’ staff last season after spending two years with the St. Louis Rams. Before that, he spend three years in Jacksonville. He has also spent time with the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers.

Ray Hamilton is the defensive line coach. John Abraham does not need direction, but a lot of the other young players on the defensive line will. Grady Jackson and Rod Coleman are no longer there to plug up the middle. It will be up to Hamilton to develop players like Jamaal Anderson and Chauncey Davis to make up for the talent lost.

Hamilton has spent time in with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Jets, The New England Patriots, the Los Angeles (Oakland) Raiders, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bill Musgrave is the quarterback coach. Again, he is a coach who spent time with Mike Smith in Jacksonville. He has also spent time with the Washington Redskins, the Carolina Panthers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Oakland Raiders.

Musgrave will just help continue the development of Matt Ryan. Ryan should be able to avoid the “sophomore slump”, but Musgrave at least has knowledge and experience to help guide him along if he needs it.

Glenn Pires is the linebackers coach. This will be another crucial position for the Falcons in 2009. Keith Brooking and Michael Boley are gone from the mix. Mike Peterson has come in from Jacksonville to anchor the linebacking corps.

Pires has experience with the Miami Dolphins from 2003-2007. He has also coached for the Detroit Lions and the Arizona Cardinals.

As you can see, a majority of the Falcons coaching staff have worked with Mike Smith before. When choosing the staff, Atlanta chose to go with what’s familiar to the coach and build the core around the philosophy rather than use players to create a philosophy.

Here’s to 2009 and hoping for nothing but great things from the Atlanta Falcons.

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