Organization finally in place...

Gone are the days of, we might make the playoffs. Gone are the years of, wonder who is going to be our starting quarterback. Gone are the years of, how is the front office going to screw it up this year. With that all said, doesn't it feel great to be an Atlanta Falcons fan. Yes, with an awesome 13-3 campaign this past season, did you catch yourself with a 24 hour hangover of disappointment after the beat down from the eventual Super Bowl champion, Green Bay Packers? At least we can say we lost to the champs. That makes me feel a little better. But with that all being said. I feel great about the Falcons organization from top to bottom.

Someone is doing something right, and that someone is Arthur Blank. When Blank bought the team back in 2001 from the Smith family, Blank might not have known a lot about football. But he had the passion and desire to build a winning franchise, and he was willing to learn. And to tell you the truth, that was all Falcons fans needed to here. With that came the hiring of Head Coach Mike Smith. Most people were probably like, who!!! But with a little research you found that he was the Jacksonville Jaguars D-Coordinator, and established a solid defense there. Then upon more research, you might have found that Smith has a Super Bowl ring. No, not as a player, but as the defensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens when they won Super Bowl XXXV versus the New York Football Giants. And we all know the stout defense the Ravens bring year in and year out.

So now lets back track a little. When you think of head coaches being hired, you think of the mastermind behind all of the hires, the general manager.The mastermind that Blank hired as GM was lead scout of the New England Patriots, Thomas Dimitroff. Yes, the team that builds from draft picks, and the team that wins Super Bowls. And did I mention this team drafted starting quarterback Tom Brady in the seventh round. So in comes Dimitroff and builds the Falcons The Patriot Way.

The draft of quarterback Matt Ryan out of Boston College was the start of it all. A staple behind center, who is a centerpiece for years to come. He might not look like a guy you would be scared to meet in a dark alley, but he has some fire behind him. And with running back Michael Turner bursting threw the O-line and receiver Roddy White improving every year from his 2005 campaign to become a feared pro bowl player. Oh, and did I mention the defense is built upon speed and improving every year as well. Signal caller of the D, linebacker out of Oklahoma Curtis Lofton is up and coming and will be playing in Hawaii soon.

So the next time you wonder how the Falcons will do, remember this is not the team of the 1990's (excluding the 1998 season). This is a new era. An organization that has three straight winning seasons (2008-2010). You know, that has never been done in the history of this franchise.