Cs may get degrees, but will it be enough to improve the Atlanta Falcons?

Color the experts unimpressed with Atlanta’s seven selections in the 2010 draft.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper was particularly underwhelmed by GM Thomas Dimitroff’s third draft, giving the Dirty Birds a C- and calling third round pick DT Corey Peters a “stretch” at 83. The Falcons, he claims, are not an improved football team.

NFL Fanhouse’s Chris Burke said that something went awry after the first-round selection of LB Sean Weatherspoon. Another C.

CBS Sportsline’s Rob Rang was slightly more complimentary to the Falcons, giving them a B- and crediting Dimitroff for picking up CB Dominique Franks in the fifth round.

The fans also chimed in with a less than stellar grade, giving the Dirty Birds a B- on nfl.com. Only the Buffalo Bills (C+), Chicago Bears (C+) and Jacksonville Jaguars (C) rated lower.

So why is Dimitroff's third try at molding the franchise getting less than stellar reviews?

It comes down to what he didn’t do: draft the defensive end that he was supposed to.

“We were focused (on a defensive end) the first round,” Dimitroff told reporters. “We decided that with the movement up to the point on picking Sean Weatherspoon that we were going to go with a linebacker.

“Past that point there were a certain amount of defensive ends that we’d consider. It got to a point (where were there wasn’t any left). People that we thought could come in here and be a marquee player for years to come, those players usually go off the board quite a bit earlier than we might have considered.”

Yep, the Falcons may have been outmaneuvered.

DE John Abraham struggled last season, recording just 5 1/2 sacks, the third-lowest total in his 10-year career. Jamaal Anderson has been a bust, amassing just 2 1/2 sacks in 34 starts with the Falcons.

Atlanta will also rely more upon Kroy Biermann, who had a career-best five sacks last season. Plus, the unit should welcome back Peria Jerry. The defensive tackle missed most of his rookie campaign with an injury.

They also nabbed Peters in the third round,

Nevertheless, the question remains whether the Falcons did enough to shore up their anemic pass rush, which finished tied for 26th in the league last season with just 28 sacks.

Atlanta’s architect sure thinks so.

“There are a number of ways to eliminate the explosive plays in the passing game and to improve our pass rush,” Dimitroff said. “Not just on the outside, but through the inside and with pressure being created with linebacker blitzes. We have a linebacker (in Weatherspoon) that has just joined us in the draft who has legitimate speed. I think we can be creative going forward.”

If Abraham returns to form, if Biermann continues to develop, if Anderson somehow manages to find his potential and if the Falcons indeed become creative, this could all be much ado about nothing.

However, if the so-called experts are right, 2010 could be a challenging campaign for the Dirty Birds. Only time will tell.

-- PHIL FOLEY
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