SB Nation - Troy Bergeron

Falcons WR Eric Weems Arrested For DUI In November

Dave the Falconer — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:50:37 -0000

Oh, hang it all. (AP Photo/DeKalb County)

Hat tip to acie4mvp, who put up a FanShot on this very topic a little bit earlier tonight. Kudos to everyone who keeps us informed of breaking news as it happens.

That said, I found out about five minutes before I got on the site via a co-worker. With editing for language, here's more or less our exact exchange:

Him: Did you see that Eric Weems got arrested?

Me: Wait, who?

Him: Eric Weems.

Me: Are you bleeping kidding me? What the bleep. Bleep! Bleep! Bleep.

I haven't cooled down in the slightest bit in the short time since then, so you're going to get me at my angriest here. We're going to forge ahead realizing that this is an allegation, and that the Falcons just found out about it after it happened back in November. I am cognizant of that.

But seriously, what the hell?

What is going on with this team? A staggering spate of injuries, a handful of which were season-ending. Play and play-calling that seems to get worse by the week. And now, notification of two arrests of two of our more valuable players this season, in the form of top defensive tackle Jon Babineaux and now special teams asset Eric Weems. I don't buy the notion of a curse for one second, but if we hadn't just slogged and suffered through 2007 I would swear that we've just hit bottom.

Now you have two guys who could potentially be facing NFL suspensions by early next season and we're one loss away from blowing our most recent chance to have winning seasons in back-to-back years. It makes me froth at the mouth like a rabid badger to see this happening. Something besides mere bad luck, you would think, must be in effect for all of this to come together at the same time. Something evil.

I have no idea what the team will do with Weems, though I doubt it'll be anything for this weekend. But for a guy who has clawed his way onto the roster and then done enough damage to be considered for a bigger role next season, Weems putting himself in a situation where he could even potentially be arrested like this is incredibly bad. Maybe this is the break Troy Bergeron has been looking for all season, particularly if it turns out that Weems withheld the information of his arrest from the team. Ironically, allegedly driving drunk won't get you anything immediate from the team, but lying about it certainly would. We'll have to see how this plays out in the days ahead.

Your thoughts, level-headed readers?

Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles Open Thread

Dave the Falconer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:00:16 -0000

by John Amis - AP

Jerious Norwood figures to be a big factor Sunday with numerous offensive stars out of the game. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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The door hinges on this one like a season. Wait, I got that wrong.

For those of you who want nothing more than to see the Falcons get to nine wins this season, this is an important game. For those of you who have your hearts set on a playoff berth, this is critical. Either way, a win against the Eagles would go a long way toward achieving the goal you hold most dear.

It'll be an uphill challenge, as we've noted repeatedly this week. Teams missing their top quarterback and running back, potentially their second best receiver and a couple o' offensive linemen don't regularly win games in this league. Let's hope the Falcons buck that trend.

Onward and upward, then!

Who? Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. EST

Where? Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Weather? It's snowing up here in New Hampshire as I type this, but somehow I don't think you'll get much weather at all at the stadium. Call me crazy.

Injuries? Matt Ryan is out and Michael Turner is questionable, despite the fact that he's virtually a lock not to play. Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl are both questionable, but Dahl didn't practice Friday and who knows with Baker. Roddy White, Curtis Lofton and Brian Finneran are all expected to play, but Michael Jenkins is questionable in the truest sense of the word. If he doesn't play, the Falcons have once again brought Troy Bergeron back onto the active roster.

The Iggles are missing WR DeSean Jackson, RB Brian Westbrook, WR Kevin Curtis, and LB Akeem Jordan, and have a host of probables and questionables. Those are some serious weapons, as well, so their offense doesn't figure to be quite as potent as usual.

Odds? Philly over Atlanta 5.5, O/U 43.5

Foe? Go visit our friends over at Bleeding Green Nation for all things Eagles.

GO FALCONS! Let's pluck these Eagles!

Roam the Dome Report

tlozwarlock — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:45:09 -0000

Reader TomQ and likely starting safety Thomas DeCoud

Thanks to gritzblitz for wearing the official Falcoholic tee. Kudos for Hardcore Falcon and his son donning Bartkowski's number. And finally, appreciative hat-tip to TomQ for making a great event companion and being the official "Falcoholic Rome the Dome photographer."

Roam the Dome was a unique experience, one that I highly doubt many other teams do for their fans. The no-contact "mock game" may pale in comparison to Friday’s "Friday Night Lights" game or a real season game, but it offered a lot of insight into how the team is shaping up.

The team opened the event with several punt return practices. The returners rotated out and included Eric Weems, Chandler Williams, and Brian Finneran among their number.

Finn didn’t return a single one; instead he just fair caught the balls within the twenty yard line.
Brent Grimes showed some fancy footwork and managed a forty or so yard return.
Chandler Williams was decent, finding about thirty yards of running room on one return.

Just about all receivers got their shot yesterday. Brian Finneran and Michael Jenkins continued to be our starting two while Troy Bergeron worked out in HD’s third slot on the Red team, and the rest of the receivers rotated in and out with the White team (second/third stringers).

The most impressive white jersey wearing receiver was Eric Weems, who seemed to catch just about everything that came his way. Weems would always find yards after the catch. In one situation, when lining up for John Parker Wilson, Chris Houston managed to clap his hands on a ball intended for Weems near the red zone. Weems, having turned to watch this, still made the catch and took the Wilson-led offense to the sixteen yard line.
Troy Bergeron looked very comfortable in the third receiver slot and only lost one pass thrown at him (granted, Ryan threw it a bit high)
Aaron Kelly, while not explosive, did make a few athletic grabs, at one point seeming to use his long arms to, as TomQ put it, "catch the ball out of nowhere."
Michael Jenkins made some very impressive catches. One of them came on a third down situation. Ryan under-threw a pass but Jenkins, ever aware, spun around, caught the ball, and earned the first down, bringing the Red team into the red zone and setting up the best catch of the game.
Speaking of the best catch of the game, Tony G owns it. On first and goal, Ryan rolled out and after bouncing a moment, floated a ball over a double-covered Gonzo. Tony simply reached up with his mile-long arms, grabbed the ball, and voila, Ryan-to-Gonzo in the redzone is born. The crowd erupted.
Brian Finneran was, as usual, golden on third down, but he also found himself catching on first and second down as well. Reliable to a fault, Finn never missed a catch. While he may not be as dynamic or athletic as the newly extended White, you can bet your bottom dollar that Finn won’t drop a crucial ball.
Tony G made one more impressive catch when a Redman ball came to him a bit bobbled. Tony grabbed it, felt it to start to leave his fingers, and then tucked his elbows and hauled the ball into his chest. That’s what experience brings.

Now, onto QBs!

Chris Redman looked to be locked into the second QB spot. He led the Red team to a touchdown and utilized every offensive weapon we have, including Tony G. He rolled out quickly and kept drives alive on third down.
DJ Shockley saw one drive stall in field goal range and another end with a fumble. To his credit, he only overthrew receivers a couple of times and never once found himself without someone to throw too. His throws were zingers so it’s not a surprise some of the softer-handed receivers couldn’t hold on.
John Parker Wilson was impressive between the end zones, keeping drives alive with well thrown passes and reaching the endzone twice. He even used his own feet to gain the four yards needed on 3rd and 4 when his receivers were well covered. His endzone play was, unfortunately, not as spectacular. When facing the uprights, Wilson seemed to force things, rolling out frantically in order to get away from defensive players. This undoubtedly led to his inability to find a receiver either time he was on the goal line. He did make one good pass to TE Jason Rader in the end zone, but it was easily pawed away by Chris Houston. Wilson did end up being the only QB with an INT, and it came via…

Brent Grimes!

Not only did Brent show off his ability as a possible punt returner, he managed to haul in a John Parker Wilson endzone pass that seemed way too high for any normal human being to catch. Grimes, likely shorter than many of the team’s ball boys, jumped three stories high and made a spectacular interception. So amazing was it that the Dome production crew played the replay twice.
As for the rest of the secondary, they kept the White team QBs honest and broke up a few passes. Their coverage was air-tight at times. Other than that, they really didn’t make many standout plays.

Follow the jump for more pics!

William Moore signs my Falcons helmet.

Chris Redman takes his turn signing the helm.

DeCoud and tlozwarlock

The Dome Field. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy, doesn't it?

The team stretches before the mock game

More pictures to come!

With Injuries, What Roles Will Newly Signed Receivers Fill?

Dave the Falconer — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:00:12 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Matt Ryan's options got a little bit thinner this week. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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I can't possibly do any wailing and gnashing of teeth that will add anything new to the discussion, so I'll just send my well-wishes along to Harry Douglas. Here's hoping he's back on the field in 2010 healthy and ready to make a difference, and I'll be wishing fervently that his recovery goes swiftly.

The impact here, of course, is that we instantly lose a dynamic return man and an up-and-coming wide receiver. Roddy White will get to camp at some point, but replacing Douglas in the slot could be a real challenge for the Falcons. In an effort to address the receiver concerns, the team went out and grabbed veterans Marty Booker and Robert Ferguson.

Here's what you need to know about both of them, in a very condensed form. Neither is a major factor at this point, and the Falcons would be much better off bumping Finneran into the slot and carrying young guys than counting on either to contribute in a meaningful way this year. Ouch, right?

We'll tackle Booker first. He did some real damage as recently as 2007, when he hauled in 50 passes, and in 2006 he hauled in six touchdowns. Last season he started five games for the Chicago Bears and snagged only 14 passes. At 33 years old, he could provide some value as a fourth receiver who can spell Finn in the slot and Jenkins outside if need be. If one of these two guys is going to make the team, let it be Booker, I say. He is, however, a complete non-factor on special teams, which negates his value somewhat.

Next up is Ferguson, whose dossier is not as impressive. In 2007 he grabbed 32 passes, which was off his career high by only six, and the guy has only 13 touchdowns in eight NFL season. As a fifth receiver you could justify carrying him, if not for the fact that we have young receivers like Aaron Kelly or Darren Mougey who have infinitely more potential. Ferguson's true value could be as a returner; he hasn't performed in that role since 2006, but was plenty capable during his time with the Green Bay Packers in that role.

Basically, the best choice for the Falcons would be to combine the two and create a Robert Booker or a Marty Ferguson, a guy who could offer modest pass-catching ability and some special teams value. Because that's simply not going to happen, the team needs to decide whether it's going to miss what Douglas could offer on offense or special teams more, and I have a feeling it's going to lean heavily in favor of special teams. If that's the case, look for Ferguson to win a job and Booker to move on to another team. If Troy Bergeron can offer that special teams value, though, I'd feel much more comfortable with Booker on the depth chart.

Ideally, we would carry these receivers this year:

Roddy White
Michael Jenkins
Brian Finneran
Marty Booker
Aaron Kelly
Troy Bergeron

In a perfect world, that would leave Mougey or another young receiver on the practice squad. That depth chart certainly doesn't look as nice as it would if Douglas was still around, but with Tony Gonzalez on the roster and a strong running game, the Falcons can probably get by with it. I'm not going to say that seeing Finn in the slot doesn't make me a little nervous at this stage of his career.

How about you guys? Who do you think will make the roster, and what do you think of the signings?

A Very Falcoholic Discussion: So, What Now?

tlozwarlock — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:00:29 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Douglas played extremely hard the past week of camp and it may have cost him his season.

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Disaster has, it seems, struck the Falcons only a few short days into training camp. Yesterday afternoon, Harry Douglas fell to the ground and did not get back up. Even when helped to his feet by a teammate, it is reported that HD fell back down. That alone made my heart sink, for I knew then it was a serious, possibly season ending injury. Rumors then surfaced via ESPN Analyst Adam Schefter's (@Adam_Schefter) Twitter account that HD is gone for the entire season with a torn ACL. While that rumor has yet to be confirmed, I think Harry's inability to leave the practice field on his own two legs should be evidence enough that we've lost what we all expected to be a key player in this season's receiving and returning corps.

It's definitely not time to break out the black arm bands and begin bemoaning this season a lost cause. I am not, however, about to kid myself that everything is just peachy keen. White continues his holdout for a new contract. I applaud his efforts to get a larger paycheck, but not having him at training camp is disheartening. I'd rather see him preparing for the season than fighting over more money .

With both White and a promising Harry Douglas missing camp, who do the Falcons turn to now? The Atlanta Falcons organization as a whole seems high with an apparently rejuvenated (and bionic-kneed) Brian Finneran. Finn will certainly see a lot more first team drills in the next few days. Michael Jenkins, key ingredient to our last second win over Chicago last year, will also likely be lining up in a different spot in the coming weeks.

Finn and Jenkins give us two solid, experienced receivers for Matty Ice to throw to in camp, but who'll be waiting in the wings for their shots at glory? As reported yesterday, we've let go of WR Dicky Lyons within twenty-four hours of signing him. Aaron Kelly, Eric Weems, Troy Bergeron, Chandler Williams, Darren Moughey, and Bradon Godfrey will all be fighting for a chance to see a first team route or two now that HD is (likely) down. Weems saw a tiny bit of action last year, so that gives him a bit of a feather in his helmet, so to speak.

The question remains: What now? Do we pray for an epiphany with a rookie or peruse the FA market and take a risk on a proven, but one-and-done veteran? Does this loss mean that Tony G will inevitably see more receptions than previously expected? What say you, dear readers?

Poll

Should we be worried now that HD is likely gone?

Yes!

231 votes

No!

98 votes

Spaghettios!

47 votes

376 votes | Poll has closed

An Atlanta Falcon Undrafted Free Agent WR Primer

Dave the Falconer — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:00:24 -0000

via assets.espn.go.com

If there's one spot on the roster where one could argue there's an abundance of competition, that position would be receiver. The irony is that out of the seemingly hundreds of receivers the Falcons have signed, only one will win a roster spot, and that's as a likely inconsequential fifth receiver in an offense that utilizes two or three and a tight end most of the time.

While there were already a few guys on the roster who could compete, the most intriguing options are actually the undrafted guys from this year, which include Arena Football League talent Troy Bergeron, Clemson rookie Aaron Kelly and Utah newcomer Bradon Godfrey. Unrookie Chandler Williams has a chance to stick around because he's a clear asset on special teams, while Khalil Jones probably won't win a spot unless everyone else on the roster suddenly takes up water polo. It's the undrafted guys or bust in this case.

Without further ado, let's take a quick look at each of these guys, as well as my wildly irresponsible prediction about which one of them will make the final roster. Here's a hint. If you've been reading for at least a month, you're going to know who I pick.

Darren Mougey: Positional versatility is what Mougey has in spades--or at least clubs--as he dabbled in quarterback at San Diego State. At 6-6 and 230 pounds, Mougey is downright huge, and has all the physical tools necessary to succeed. He doesn't have a track record of eye-popping numbers at the college level, but if they kept him around they'd have an emergency quarterback. So he's got that going for him.
Bradon Godfrey: The newest addition to the competition, Godfrey is 6-3 and 197 pounds and had an efficient career at Utah, where he caught 128 passes over his career. He doesn't appear to have any physical tools that separate him from the pack, which leads me to suspect he's more of a camp body than anything. Still, he's clearly a solid enough guy, so maybe he'll surprise. There's not really a whole hell of a lot out there about Mr. Godfrey.
Troy Bergeron: We know what Bergeron can do. He can return a few kicks with reasonable success and can catch like crazy. What's the catch with this catching, you ask? That would have to be the fact that he's done all his damage in the AFL, which is just a wee bit different than the plodding pace of the NFL game. He's clearly talented, but it's a red flag that he hasn't managed to stick to a roster before now despite his success in another league. At 6-2, 190, Bergeron will probably be in the running until late in the pre-season.
Aaron Kelly: I saved the best for last. A beanpole of a receiver, Kelly weighs as much as Bergeron but stands almost as tall as Mougey. He's got intriguing pass-catching talent but will clearly need to add a little bit to his frame so he doesn't blow away every time a guy in the third row of the Dome farts. Still, his height and his relative speed for a tall guy makes him the option I think is going to make the roster.

So that's my opinion. What's yours?

Poll

Who will claim the fifth receiver spot?

Troy Bergeron

35 votes

Bradon Godfrey

20 votes

Aaron Kelly

128 votes

Darren Mougey

17 votes

A guy with giant foam hands

12 votes

212 votes | Poll has closed

News On The Wing, June 3 Edition

Dave the Falconer — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:00:26 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

If you don't read this news, Tony Gonzalez will punch you in the gut! (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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I never promised you a rose garden, but I sure as heck promised you a news roundup.

By popular demand, I'll attempt to establish a news roundup that can in some small way live up to the compiling J. Mike already does over at at the Official Site. Rather than have you click through the jump, we're going to do all of this right here on the front page. Daring? Yes. But I've always envisioned myself as a visionary.

You can tell how slow it is right now when this is the best list of possible additions the AJC can come up with. One guy is actually on the roster (Eric Weems), one guy is just going to another team (Lawyer Milloy) and two are young guys currently competing for roster spots (Aaron Kelly and Troy Bergeron). I guess that's responsible journalism, but I kind of prefer out-there choices to something this obvious. Blame it on the Falcohol, I guess.
According to this CBS Sports story, Harvey Dahl is a brutish ogre who feats on the kindness of other souls. I've long said that Dahl's nasty edge gives him a well...edge...but it tends to backfire when he gets so mad that he gets stupid penalties called on him. It's a double-edged sword, and hopefully he can still be nasty and learn to keep himself in a check a bit more in the year ahead.
Daniel Cox at Atlanta Falcons Examiner takes a look at Jerious Norwood, the man of many talents who should get a chance to display plenty of them in the year ahead. He's a scary weapon in so many ways, but I'd like to see Michael Turner get a few less carries, and doing so might mean taking Norwood out of the return game so as not to risk injury. If that happens, someone will have big shoes to fill on special teams, but I'd rather see Norwood get more snaps and help throw defense into disarray.
Tampa Bay Bucs fans mull over notorious foot-shooter Plaxico Burress, coming to the conclusion that he's a great fit for their team. While I definitely think Burress has made a string of dumb mistakes, his quality hands would make him a nice fit on a team that doesn't have a lot of top-end talent at receiver. Not sure where that legal issue is going to leave him, though.
Few Panthers have riled up the fanbase as much as Jake Delhomme. There are those who love him, those who think he stinks and those of us from around the NFC South who think the contract they gave him was criminally insane. He's just a Cajun enigma, that guy.
Saints fans are a bit excited about this Pierre Thomas kid. You won't find a bigger fan of Thomas outside New Orleans than Your Fearless Leader, but the fact that he's got a clear shot at a starting job is troubling because I really believe he's got a ton of talent. You can, uh, cut him now, guys. I'm sure he's no good.

Got a news item I missed? Submit it at davethefalconer@yahoo.com.