FLOWERY BRANCH — What a difference 11 wins make.
This time last year, the majority of the Falcons’ already fractured fan base was in an uproar after the team took Matt Ryan with the third pick in the NFL draft.
He was compared by many (including yours truly) to noted bust and former Falcon Joey Harrington.
A year, an improbable playoff run and a Rookie of the Year trophy later, he’s more often compared to Peyton Manning.
Maybe we should all leave the NFL personnel decisions to those that make them best. And right now, it’d be hard to argue that anybody makes them better that Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
Judging by the instant opinions posted across the Internet on Saturday night, Falcons fans are happy with this year’s first-round pick Peria Jerry. At one point, a poll posted on the team’s Web site showed a 93 percent approval rating. Positive reaction to second-round selection William Moore was almost equally unanimous.
It’s easy to understand why. Jerry’s considered a top-flight defensive tackle and Moore’s one of the top two safeties in the draft. Both can compete for a starting job and provide immediate help for the 2009 team.
Smith and Dimitroff lauded Jerry’s ability to hold his own at the point of the attack and disrupt the opposing offenses in the backfield, and NFL.com’s analysis stated that Moore could be one of the draft’s biggest sleepers.
The accolades and approval are nice, but with the success he’s brought the team so far, Dimitroff could pick Aundray Bruce — again, and literally — and probably get a pass.
He’s earned it. He’s the guy that acquired Michael Turner, drafted Ryan and recently traded for future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.
As the plan continues to reveal itself, it seems every step of the way Dimitroff has been one step ahead of the league, and until recently, two steps ahead of the press corps and the fans base.
Talking with reporters after the first-round pick, it sounded like Saturday’s picks had been in the works since Dimitroff and Smith arrived here a year and a half ago.
They talked about a game plan, a scheme for building the team (note: the word process wasn’t used, but you could almost feel it forming on Smith’s lips more than once.)
“From Day 1 when we were hired we talked about being able to run the ball and stopping the run,” Smith said. “I felt last year we were able to address running the football. The next step for us as a football team, and in our organization is putting some pieces in place to stop the run.”
Fans can only hope Phase 2 works as well as the first (the Falcons were second in the league last year in rushing).
History — recent history, anyway — suggests it will.