In 1785 a Scott writer Robert Burns penned these words: “The best laid schemes of mice and men go often awry”. The same thing could be said for the proposed Atlanta Falcons stadium that is scheduled to open in 2017. The Falcons intend to build a state of the art facility that will rival both Reliant Stadium in Houston Texas and Jerry Jones’ Cowboy Stadium in Arlington Texas, and doubtless they will… But where?

The proposed location was carefully chosen for a vast amount of reasons, but mostly due to economics. Let’s face it. Almost any construction problem can be overcome by funding, but at some point common sense rules. The present plan for the Atlanta Falcons stadium makes the best economic sense. The problem is they have to gain title to the all the land in question, and although most of the landowners are taking their windfall offers with a smile there are two that are quite reluctant to turn over their deeds.

There are two historic churches said to be holding up the start of construction, but not much documentation can be found to establish the age of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. There is a $1.4 million offer pending on the property. The Friendship Baptist Church however was built in 1880 and predates the Civil War. Members of the 150 year old church have been reluctant to move for the sake of football. They see it as entertainment put ahead of worship at the cost of the services the two churches provide the surrounding community.

Tracy Coakley to WXIA-TV:

“I think going to church is more important than having a stadium personally. I like football, we have athletes in our family, but I like my church more.”

Lloyd Hawk is the chairman of the board of trustees for the Friendship Baptist Church. Even the $15.7 million offer made by the Atlanta Falcons hasn’t enticed the congregation to start packing up their hymn books. ChristianPost.com reports that Hawk told the local news station:

“The congregation will, at some point, sit down and hold what we call a church conference, and that would be the opportunity for the congregation to discuss and make a decision as to what our official position will be.”

Meanwhile critics say the City of Atlanta is “muddying up the waters of public disclosure”, namely the real cost to the taxpayers for the stadium. While the city’s website is said to show a $200 million cost to the city, an additional $200 million has been added for what is seen as operating expenses: maintenance and the cost of hosting national political conventions, concerts etc. No matter what the state of the economy $200 million is a lot of et cetera.

On a side note the city’s final vote was held up by two particular entities who had to approve the project: The Georgia World Congress and “Invest Atlanta”. It appears that those two squeaky wheels were greased by donating the use of a stadium suite, 20 extra seats at no cost, and access to tickets to Super Bowl games in any city that hosts the event. Hmmm… Expensive grease indeed.

While both the Mayor of Atlanta and the AMB group, the parent company of the Atlanta Falcons have said the two churches won’t be forced to move, their refusal to do so will require the relocation of the new stadium to a site North of the Georgia Dome. What’s unknown is the additional cost to taxpayers for repeating the process, what new problems and construction delays the Falcons might face with another set of property owners, and how the process might affect the projected date of the grand opening: 2017.

Pic courtesy of Ken Lund via Creative Commons license.

Click here for part 1. 

Here’s the breakdown:

• Ronny Hurd - Blogging Dirty (BD)
• Chris Roling - Who Dat Dish (WDD)
• Leo Howell – The Pewter Plank (TPP)

In regards to the Buccaneers, how big of an impact do you believe Dashon Goldson will have on their pass defense? 

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson celebrates a play by teammates against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

BD: Dashon Goldson did receive a lot of money for a safety, but he certainly improves the Buccaneers pass defense. Goldson and a second year Mark Barron opposite of him, alone, should help a pass defense that ranked last in the league last year in opponent passing yards.

WDD: It’s almost hard to put into words what a difference the addition of Goldson makes for the Bucs’ secondary. Paired with second-year man Mark Barron, Tampa Bay could have the best one-two punch at safety in the NFL.

In regards to the pass defense, the difference will be night and day when compared to last season. Goldson is a Top 10 cover safety in the NFL according to ProFootballFocus and the difference he makes on each play will allow the Bucs to keep up with the high-flying aerial attacks of the division.

TPP: I have stated previously on Twitter that I think adding Goldson alone is enough to bring the pass defense up ten spots in the overall rankings. Adding Goldson to free safety, along with the shifting of Mark Barron to be the safety closer to the line of scrimmage, means the Buccaneers have two athletic, hard-hitting safeties in roles in which they are very comfortable and competent. The tutoring Goldson will provide Barron will also be key.

As it pertains to the Saints, what one move stands out as most impactful? Is the loss of Jermon Bushrod more important than the addition of Keenan Lewis?

November 18, 2012; Pittsburgh , PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Keenan Lewis (23) celebrates a tackle against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of the game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

BD: The money that Jermon Bushrod received from the Chicago Bears makes him expandable for the New Orleans Saints, given their cap situation. The addition of Keenen Lewis will shore up a secondary that was ranked second to last, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in opponent passing yards.

WDD:  The loss of Jermon Bushrod has been blown out of proportion. Each year, Drew Brees makes various linemen into Pro-Bowlers thanks to his stunningly quick releases. It’s how the Saints’ passing attack operates—get rid of the ball as fast as possible, which in turn means his linemen don’t have to work for an extended period of time.

TPP: I am not completely convinced that Lewis is going to be a top corner in the NFL, but I think he’s good enough. That said, I don’t think the loss of Bushrod is going to have a negative impact on the Saints, or at least not a very big one. Drew Brees makes the offense what it is, and the loss of an offensive tackle isn’t going to change that.

The Panthers made some moves despite being in less than ideal salary cap condition. Do you believe they have significantly upgraded their team this offseason?

Oct. 29, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver (19) Ted Ginn Jr against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 24-3. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

BD: I do like what the Panthers did with signing Ted Ginn Jr. He will help immediately in the return game, but I expect the Panthers to use him as a receiver more then the San Francisco 49ers did. It should be interesting to see if he has grown as a receiver with his experience as a returner.

WDD: Nope. Ted Ginn and Domenik Hixon aren’t going to see much time on offense, although the former will have a massive impact on special teams.

TPP: “Meh.” That’s really how to best describe the Panthers’ offseason. They didn’t have much to work with, and it shows. They’ll have to use the draft well if they want to see more than 6 or 7 wins in 2013.

Which team do you believe has done the best this offseason in the NFC South? Which has done the worst? Why?

October 21, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive end Jason Osi Umenyiora (72) celebrates after sacking Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of an NFL game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

BD: Every team in the NFC South was fairly quiet. Each team made at least one relevant move in free agency and that was about it. However, I do like what the Falcons did with the additions of Steven Jackson and Osi Umenyiora. More than anything though, I like what they did with locking up Sam Baker and William Moore long-term. They also succeeded with convincing Tony Gonzalez to come back for another year.

WDD: Atlanta has done the best this offseason based on efficiently filling needs. Steven Jackson was a big get for the offense and a hole that could have ruined the team’s chances next year. Landing Osi Umenyiora to replace John Abraham was another huge move that not only saved money for the future, but kept the team on track for a Super Bowl.

TPP: I feel like the Falcons and Buccaneers have tied for the “best” offseason thus far, as I believe the additions of Dashon Goldson and Tony Gonzalez will both be key for their respective teams in the upcoming season. The addition of Steven Jackson puts the Falcons slightly over the top for now (if I have to pick one winner), but the Buccaneers still have a potential Darrelle Revis trade to turn the tides.

The Panthers have had the worst offseason, but that’s to be expected. They are in a difficult spot financially, and really didn’t have any options this spring.

Click here for part 2. 

Here’s the breakdown:

• Ronny Hurd - Blogging Dirty (BD)
• Chris Roling - Who Dat Dish (WDD)
• Leo Howell – The Pewter Plank (TPP)

The NFC South was obviously dominated by the Falcons in 2012, with the Dirty Birds logging the only winning record in the division. Heading into this offseason, they didn’t need to do much to keep their spot at the top of the league. What do you perceive as the Falcons biggest needs this offseason, and how do you feel they addressed them?

Jan 20, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

BD: The Falcons biggest needs going into this off-season were a consistent running back and a pass-rushing defensive end. You can check off the first need since the Falcons signed one of the most consistent running backs in history in Steven Jackson. As for the pass-rushing defensive end, it’s a wait and see what they do in the draft approach. Signing Osi Umenyiora helps in the short-term, but more then anything, the Falcons need a long-term answer at defensive end and that may come in the draft.

WDD: Like you said, the Falcons didn’t have to do much to head into 2013 as Super Bowl contenders. Giving John Abraham’s contract the boot and picking up a similar player who makes more financial sense in Osi Umenyiora was a great move.

TPP: The Falcons’ biggest need was just to continue to build up depth, and bring in players to help them close out games. They have the talent to win every game they play, so the addition of Steven Jackson adds an element of lead protection and time of possession that wasn’t available previously. Atlanta has set themselves up to improve most through the draft, which I believe they will do.

Do you believe that Steven Jackson is going to make a positive impact on the Falcons, or do you believe he is sufficiently past his prime? If he does make a positive impact, just how does it change the Falcons’ offense?

December 23, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) reacts after he scored a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

BD: The Steven Jackson is definitely going to make an impact for the Falcons and will change their offense because of the running back that he is on the field. His ability to be able to take the load at running back will misguide defenses, allowing Matt Ryan to make even bigger plays down the field.

WDD: Jackson is going to have a massive impact with the Saints. He looked bad last year in St. Louis behind a mediocre offensive line and defenses could focus on shutting down the run with Sam Bradford and Co. not representing a serious threat through the air.

TPP: As a Buccaneer fan and a Buccaneer writer, I am not concerned with Jackson when it comes to how Tampa Bay matches up with the Falcons. Against the Bucs, Jackson is not a player who worries me, as I believe he’s a runner the Bucs can contain with their sturdy run defense.

I am concerned with how he rounds out the Falcons’ offense, and the impact he will have on the Falcons closing out games and balancing out their already powerful passing attack. I feel like his addition makes the Falcons favorites to remain on top of the division, but doesn’t necessarily make them any better than they were in terms of being that much better than other Super Bowl contenders.

The Saints, Buccaneers, and Panthers all finished with the same 7-9 record. Which team do you believe had the most needs heading into this offseason?

Dec 22, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) reacts after scoring a touchdown as wide receiver Louis Murphy (83) looks on in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

BD: I believe it was the Saints because of the personal change they are going through, moving into the 3-4. For any team, it is tough moving into a different defensive formation because they may not have the personal to run that formation.

WDD: Carolina had the most needs heading into the offseason. New Orleans was a close second thanks to the worst statistical defense in NFL history, but the Panthers had major holes on both sides of the football. Add in a seriously bad cap situation and it’s easy to see why Carolina has been so quiet this offseason.

TPP: This would have to be the Panthers. The sad part (for Panthers’ fans) is that they don’t have the money to spend to improve the team. The Buccaneers and Saints both had a good amount of defensive needs, but both teams seemed capable of being in the hunt for a winning record without making many offseason move. The Panthers seemed fortunate to get to 7-9, and don’t seem to be a few moves away from a playoff berth.

Do you believe any of these three teams have done what is needed to address their team’s shortcomings?

December 9, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers strong safety Mark Barron (24) against the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

BD: Not by very much, no. I do think these teams will be in a much better situation, in terms of needs, after the draft.

WDD:  Tampa Bay is still a work in progress, but the signing of Dashon Goldson was a step in the right direction. The team has the talent to be playoff contenders in most areas, and wrapping up the trade for Darrelle Revis will change this answer to a resounding “yes.”

TPP: I think all three teams are reliant upon the draft to make the biggest impact on filling their offseason needs. In terms of making the best signings, I think the Buccaneers have done the best job by adding Derek Landri, Tom Crabtree, and of course, Dashon Goldson.