Levine Toilolo at 6’8” could be a huge redzone mismatch for defenders. (Thearon W. Henderson)
The Atlanta Falcons have signed fourth-round draft pick Levine Toilolo. The tight end played his college ball at Stanford.
Toilolo is the fifth draft pick the Falcons have signed. Three draft picks remain: cornerbacks Marcus Trufant and Robert Alford, and quarterback Sean Renfree.
The Atlanta Falcons have signed four of their picks from the 2013 NFL Draft: defensive end Malliciah Goodman (127th overall, Clemson), safety Kemal Ishmael (243rd overall, Central Florida), defensive end Stansly Maponga (153rd overall, TCU), and safety Zeke Motta (244th overall, Notre Dame).
Of the four player, Goodman is the most likely to start.
Cornerback Desmond Trufant, cornerback Robert Alford, tight end Levine Toilolo, and quarterback Sean Renfree remained unsigned.
John Abraham will not return to Atlanta. (Gregory Bull)
I was hoping the Atlanta Falcons would bring John Abraham back at a reduced salary, but that apparently isn’t happening.
The Falcons contacted Abraham about a possible return, but the defensive end refused.
Abraham also sent out a tweet on Monday:
Y yall keep tweeting me like I did it I got cut stop asking to come back plz—
John Abraham(Mr.100) (@johnabraham55) May 06, 2013
Well, that’s the end of that saga.
Abraham spent seven seasons with the Falcons and totaled 68.5 sacks. He was able to consistently generate pressure without much help.
John Abraham sent out a couple of cryptic tweets today:
Retiring 13—
John Abraham(Mr.100) (@johnabraham55) May 04, 2013
Done—
John Abraham(Mr.100) (@johnabraham55) May 04, 2013
If Abraham is indeed announcing his retirement, it’s certainly unexpected. At 34, you’d think Abraham had at least one more year left in him. After all, he did notch 10 sacks last season.
Abraham must be really unimpressed with the offers he received on the open market. I was convinced he’d be in a Falcons uniform once the 2013 season started.
It’s a sad day if he really is retiring. We’ll see what happens.
UPDATE: Abraham apparently isn’t retiring. And the tweets have since been deleted.
The Atlanta Falcons held the first day of the rookie minicamp on Saturday.
It was also the first time the Falcons’ coaches were able to get a closer look at Brian Banks.
I’ve compiled some noteworthy tweets concerning the minicamp.
The Atlanta Falcons’ 2013 draft picks have selected their jersey numbers:
CB Desmond Trufant – 21
CB Robert Alford – 23
DE Malliciah Goodman – 93
TE Levine Toilolo – 80
DE Stansly Maponga – 99
S Kemal Ishmael – 36
S Zeke Motta – 41
QB Sean Renfree – 12
General manager Thomas Dimitroff will look to add a few gems in the final four rounds of the 2013 NFL Draft. (Josh D. Weiss)
In the final four rounds of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons hold a total of seven six picks: two in the fourth (127, 133), one in the fifth (163 153), and four in the seventh (236, 243, 244, 249).
The Falcons double dipped and selected another cornerback.(John David Mercer)
With the 60th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Falcons selected Robert Alford.
I’m a little surprised. I thought for sure the Falcons would look to add a defensive end, but instead they double dip and grab another cornerback.
In a way, it makes sense. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan uses defensive backs a lot, and the Falcons were lacking in that department after losing both Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson. It also means the Falcons didn’t like any of the pass rushers available.
Alford played college ball at Southeastern Louisiana. He totaled 10 interceptions and 20 passes defended in his collegiate career.
Check out his draft profile here.
Desmond Trufant should be an immediate starter opposite Asante Samuel. (John Green)
With their first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Falcons selected cornerback Desmond Trufant out of Washington.
The Falcons traded with the St. Louis Rams to select Trufant with the 22nd overall pick. To move from 30, the Falcons gave up a third round and sixth round draft pick.
Atlanta had a need at cornerback, and they addressed it with one of the top cornerbacks in the draft. He should be able to come in and start immediately opposite Asante Samuel.
I’ve had a feeling Trufant would be the Falcons’ pick for a while, and I’m not well-versed with players in the draft. I singled him out in a post written in March.
Trufant was a four-year starter at Washington. He had six interceptions and 38 passes defended during his career.
With one need down, I’m guessing the Falcons add a pass rusher with their second round pick.
Check out his draft profile here.
Darrelle Revis missed last season with an ACL injury. (Stephen Dunn)
One of the Atlanta Falcons’ division rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, traded for cornerback Darrelle Revis on Sunday.
And although Revis is easily the best cornerback in the league, his arrival to the NFC South means nothing for the Falcons.
First things first: Revis, who will be 28 years old at the start of the upcoming season, is coming off an ACL injury he suffered at the beginning of last season. There’s a chance he doesn’t return the form.
Secondly, Revis is just one man. Last season, the Bucs’ secondary was atrocious; they ranked dead-last in the league, surrendering 297.4 yards per game. While adding Revis will certainly bolster their pass defense, it’s not going to suddenly make the secondary formidable.
One player doesn’t suddenly make the Bucs contenders for the NFC South. The other three teams in the division each have something the Bucs lack: a franchise quarterback. Josh Freeman isn’t there yet as a franchise quarterback, and even his head coach shares the same sentiment.
Let’s assume Revis does return to form. He’ll take out whichever receiver he’s on, but that just means whoever isn’t being blanketed will be able to feast on Eric Wright, the Bucs’ other cornerback. Let’s not forget Atlanta has weapons across the board: Tony Gonzalez, Steven Jackson, Julio Jones, and Roddy White. Again: Revis can’t cover everyone.
The only division rival the Falcons will be competing with for the division title is the New Orleans Saints, and the Bucs’ addition of an All-Pro cornerback does nothing to change that.
