Jamaal Anderson To Get Great Seats For The Dogfights

With the 8th pick of the NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons take Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas. Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders tells you all about it.

When the lawsuit filed by its defensive tackle ranks third or fourth on a team's "offseason distraction" list, it's been a long winter and spring.

When the terms "animal abuse" come up in incidents involving two of a team's players, it's been a heck of a long winter and spring.

Bobby Petrino, this kind of stuff just didn't happen in Louisville . Welcome to Atlanta . Study that pained expression Jim Mora the Younger wore all of last season. By 2008, that's what your face will look like.

The Falcons need help on the defensive line. Grady Jackson is suing the team. Jonathan Babineaux was accused of killing his girlfriend's pitbull in an incident which, in retrospect, was just a PETA warmup. Patrick Kerney (whom Anderson will replace) left via free agency, suggesting that the working atmosphere in Atlanta wasn't great. Don't know what you could be talking about, Pat.

Anderson played both wide receiver in high school. I think the Falcons should give Anderson a chance to contribute on offense. Imagine the matchup problems a 6-foot-5, 288-pound wide receiver would create. Let's see little 190-pound Nate Clements cover this Airbus as he taxis down the runway. What's more, let's see Michael Vick overthrow him.

Anderson is no lumbering giant: he's quick off the snap and runs like a 260-pounder. He lead the SEC in sacks, than turned around and racked up 2.5 more in the Capital One Bowl. The downside is that he's high cut, which means that blockers can get leverage on him and push him around, and he isn't a quick, slick, tactical pass rusher. Those are serious flaws, so Anderson will face an adjustment period as a rookie. He has the intensity and attitude to weather the growing pains, assuming that he doesn't suddenly become a slip-and-fall artist or start building suspicious kennels.