MANUFACTURED JOY - ATLANTA FALCONS

by Zac, Throwing Into Traffic

Manufactured Joy is a new series in which we'll be going through the NFL team by team, from the bottom to the top, and giving fans five good reasons why they should be excited to watch their team in action this season. Today, the Atlanta Falcons.

1. The Roddy White Era is upon us!

I’ve been going on and on about this since my little “dare to dream” receivers list last week, but it’s time for everyone to stop grouping Roddy White together with all the other sub-par Atlanta receivers of past and present (because he’s way better than Peerless Price, and thinking about Michael Jenkins just makes me sad). Does he have shaky hands? Sure, but last year he finally seemed to turn the corner and develop into the team’s leading downfield threat, as the numbers show (1202 yards and 14.5 yards per catch, elite stats considering the shaky QB situation). This season, with the departure of Alge Crumpler, more will be asked of White in terms of getting the pass game going. Thankfully, the team still has another big body to catch intermediate passes (there I go getting sad again…), so if White can simply extend the field the way he did last season, there’s no reason to think that Matt Ryan, who has better passing tools than either Vick or Harrington, can’t take advantage of White’s proven speed.

2. Matt Ryan does NOT kill dogs!

Speaking of that Matt Ryan guy, why doesn’t he get more press from the team, right? For those of you who have been living under a rock, Ryan represents the new face of an Atlanta team whose identity has been synonymous with the presently incarcerated Michael Vick. That said, there are a few quick facts everyone needs to understand. No, Ryan is not an “improvement” simply because he’s “different” (take that last word however you want to take it). Yes, he is built for a more traditional passing game. No, he’s probably not going to turn a mediocre receiving corps into gold. Yes, he may be able to get a little more out of them thanks to having a more accurate arm than his predecessors. No, he’s not going to be a very exciting face of the franchise, particularly considering he’s replacing the most popular NFL athlete of the last five years (jersey sales don’t lie). Yes, that’s absolutely OK; this team couldn’t afford to be bound to #7 for another year. The point is that he’s not the right or wrong move yet; until he takes the field, he’s no move at all.

3. Michael Turner is ready to be a household name!

For four years, the San Diego Chargers held on to Michael Turner, even though they had potential trade partners beating their door down and the league’s best running back locked up as a starter. There are a couple of theories as to why this happened, but they all point to one truth: Michael Turner is really, really good, and has been ready to start for a while. Having yet to post fewer than 4 yards per carry in a season (and having posted 6 YPC in 2006!), Turner's numbers compare favorably to most starters. Most importantly for the Falcons, Turner not only shows home run speed, but also the kind of between the tackles power that neither Warrick Dunn nor Jerious Norwood, both very capable but undersized backs, could bring to the ground game. With Norwood, as good a change of pace back as you’ll find in the league, taking spell duties, it’s hard not to think that the team has added another dimension to its offense.



4. Curtis Lofton is a sneaky bastard!

When your team is bleeding yards like the Falcons were last season (bottom third of the league in both passing and rushing YPG), perhaps the best way to turn things around is to get some help in the middle of the defense. Curtis Lofton, though not the most flashy linebacker in terms of physicality, demonstrated exactly the kind of in-game quickness that comes from knowing how to get in the right place at the right time, comparing favorably with other linebackers who have performed well without having posted jaw dropping measurables. Lofton is a hard hitter who frequently could be found in offensive backfields, having beaten his matchup early on in plays. While Matt Ryan will get all of the press, Don’t be surprised if the most immediate impact of the Falcons draft comes on the defensive side of the ball courtesy of this second round pick.

5. One more year left on the Vick sentence!

I’m only half kidding on this one, too. Assuming that things go according to Arthur Blank’s plan and Matt Ryan winds up starting at some point this season, probably taking the helm from the beginning next season, the team is going to get a very good look at Ryan’s ability to function in the pros. If he succeeds, that’s great, and there’s no need for further discussion. If, however, he fails, could you ask for a better backup plan than Vick, who’s already proven himself on a professional level (he was a game away from the Super Bowl, so don’t start) and will be coming back to the league with something to prove (sure, that “something” is “I don’t kill dogs anymore,” but still)? I’m probahly in the minority, but I think that Vick would be welcomed back, certainly by fans if not by the organization, and that he could wind up being a very interesting wrinkle in the Falcons future plans should Matty Ice prove skunk (BOOM! METAPHOR-PUN BOMB!).