1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,719
Speaker 1: All right, we'd like to welcome in Falcons GM Thomas

2
00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,160
Speaker 1: to Mittrop into the locker room here. Hello, Thomas, how

3
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,080
Speaker 1: are you helly, gentlemen. I'm hanging in there. Yeah. Yeah,

4
00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,160
Speaker 1: it's tough. It's a tough start, obviously, go to Arizona

5
00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,480
Speaker 1: and um, you know, they're a team that's very very

6
00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,200
Speaker 1: physical upfront defensively, one of the best front sevens in

7
00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:19,239
Speaker 1: the league, and we saw a lot of it. They

8
00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,000
Speaker 1: got after Matt Ryan pressure wise. Just your thoughts on

9
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,800
Speaker 1: on how your team performed out there in the desert. Now,

10
00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,440
Speaker 1: that was a difficult game. They came from from play one.

11
00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,800
Speaker 1: They pinned their ears back and they were very, very

12
00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,160
Speaker 1: aggressive and all facets of the game. Um, they played

13
00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,320
Speaker 1: with a lot of what we refer to as aggressive urgency.

14
00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:39,760
Speaker 1: I mean they were flying around and they were they

15
00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:41,760
Speaker 1: had a purpose there, as you know, they were trying

16
00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:43,920
Speaker 1: to move to four and four and stay in the

17
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,160
Speaker 1: pictures as we were, and unfortunately we did not come

18
00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,159
Speaker 1: to play as as we had expected to, and that

19
00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,879
Speaker 1: that is unfortunate. I will say that, you know, there

20
00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,920
Speaker 1: were there were um, you know, there were there glimmers

21
00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,680
Speaker 1: of positivity and there were a lot of other things

22
00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,840
Speaker 1: that we need to seriously focus on in our attempt

23
00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,679
Speaker 1: to dig ourselves out of this hole. Thomas, I don't

24
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,360
Speaker 1: think there's been anyone more critical of the offensive line

25
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:13,119
Speaker 1: than me. Is my criticism correct or is there something

26
00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,839
Speaker 1: I'm missing here? Do you see this offense getting any

27
00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,160
Speaker 1: better up front? You know? I honestly did, And I

28
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,640
Speaker 1: mentioned this last week that I thought we were improving

29
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,360
Speaker 1: in a lot of different areas, subtleties that you know

30
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,240
Speaker 1: as a football man, you know, other people maybe on

31
00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,360
Speaker 1: the fan base that don't have the same eye as

32
00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,720
Speaker 1: you have, might think, you know, otherwise. It was one

33
00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,360
Speaker 1: of those games that was a setback for us as

34
00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,039
Speaker 1: far as our development. And I you and I both

35
00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,080
Speaker 1: know in football you're not going to have every game

36
00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,759
Speaker 1: where you are doing everything. I'm saying the players are

37
00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,959
Speaker 1: doing everything to a t that doesn't happen. Unfortunately, that

38
00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,000
Speaker 1: was a tough game for us, and we had some challenges,

39
00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,640
Speaker 1: giving up some you know, four sacks excuse me, and

40
00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,840
Speaker 1: a number of you know of hurries and that was

41
00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,160
Speaker 1: just one of those games for us, and the timing

42
00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,320
Speaker 1: of it was was not good. Yeah, And I know

43
00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,000
Speaker 1: it's not just the offensive line. I know Tony struggled

44
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,640
Speaker 1: in his run blocking, and then you bring back Steve

45
00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,240
Speaker 1: and Jackson to run to football. He has to give

46
00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,680
Speaker 1: this team some sort of a bounce running to football.

47
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,160
Speaker 1: What is going on in terms of this team not

48
00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,000
Speaker 1: being able to dominate at the line of scrimmage, Well,

49
00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,080
Speaker 1: you know, as Smitty has mentioned, I mean, part of

50
00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,680
Speaker 1: that is offensive line, and part of that is, you know,

51
00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,520
Speaker 1: the entire offense making sure they perform their duties to

52
00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,400
Speaker 1: the best of their ability and stay in key and

53
00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,120
Speaker 1: I you know, we have to come off the ball

54
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,040
Speaker 1: with urgency. We have to come off with a strong

55
00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,240
Speaker 1: base and drive. You know. We also have to make

56
00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,400
Speaker 1: sure that you know, again as Smitty has mentioned, we

57
00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:38,919
Speaker 1: have to make sure we take care of our cut

58
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,040
Speaker 1: you know, our backside blocks, because as you well know,

59
00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,840
Speaker 1: it's all across the line, and it might be at

60
00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,720
Speaker 1: the backside and not always just at the point. There

61
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,120
Speaker 1: are a lot of different intricacies as far as a

62
00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,360
Speaker 1: certain play developing properly, you know, especially obviously in path,

63
00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,120
Speaker 1: but in run as well. Thomas de Mittro joining us

64
00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,360
Speaker 1: here in the locker room. Thomas, with the slow start,

65
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,680
Speaker 1: a lot of people are fans are starting to talk about,

66
00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,840
Speaker 1: you know, how do how does this team get better?

67
00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,720
Speaker 1: And from a general manager standpoint, I know you're always

68
00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,640
Speaker 1: thinking about that, So can you kind of address the

69
00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,040
Speaker 1: fans in terms of that. Where are you salary cap wise? No,

70
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,960
Speaker 1: you're not going to give us exact numbers, but just philosophically,

71
00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,399
Speaker 1: where are you and how do you plan to get

72
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,480
Speaker 1: this team? Improve this team better? Especially in the trenches? Right?

73
00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,480
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, first of all, generally speaking, this

74
00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,280
Speaker 1: has been a very challenging season. You know, not to

75
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:34,600
Speaker 1: understate at all, it has been in a lot of

76
00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,680
Speaker 1: different ways. There's no excuses. This is not an excuse

77
00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,640
Speaker 1: laden team at all. I mean, no one wants to

78
00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,880
Speaker 1: mention where we've come up short as far as you know,

79
00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,560
Speaker 1: whatever it may be, whether it's it doesn't really matter,

80
00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,840
Speaker 1: whether it's injuries or whatever it is that is a side.

81
00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:50,760
Speaker 1: This team doesn't look at it that way, nor do I,

82
00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,600
Speaker 1: nor does our owner or our head coach. It's about

83
00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,680
Speaker 1: making sure that we can develop, continue to develop our

84
00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,200
Speaker 1: youthful talent, which is always going to be a challenge,

85
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,000
Speaker 1: and that's what we need to do. We need to

86
00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:06,160
Speaker 1: continue to get stronger along the fronts figuratively, and literally speaking,

87
00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,960
Speaker 1: and we're focusing on that every day. And again, there

88
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,920
Speaker 1: are going to be challenges as we develop. As we

89
00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,600
Speaker 1: develop in those areas and anytime you have, you know,

90
00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,039
Speaker 1: a team where there are that many changes as we did,

91
00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,720
Speaker 1: and we had some were motivated by by you know,

92
00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,000
Speaker 1: salary cap concerns and trying to fit the cap together,

93
00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,400
Speaker 1: which is a creative aspect of this business anyway, as

94
00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,599
Speaker 1: well as you know, other other decisions we made that

95
00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,120
Speaker 1: we're from from a talent standpoint at least, that was

96
00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,200
Speaker 1: our assessment that, you know, we have to have some um,

97
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:39,600
Speaker 1: we have to come together and we have to continue

98
00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:41,600
Speaker 1: to grow and learn and understand that there are going

99
00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,360
Speaker 1: to be some challenges and some bumps in the road.

100
00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,160
Speaker 1: Unfortunately for us, we did not, you know, obviously anticipate

101
00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,400
Speaker 1: that we would be at this record. It's up to

102
00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,000
Speaker 1: us now to again cliche as it is, we can't

103
00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:55,920
Speaker 1: be looking too far ahead. We really have to look

104
00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,480
Speaker 1: at the next game. We have to focus on being

105
00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,800
Speaker 1: more consistent and all fact of our game. And you

106
00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,320
Speaker 1: know that's what's expected from from me, from our head

107
00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,800
Speaker 1: coach as well as from our owner. And that's all

108
00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,240
Speaker 1: we can say. It's expected of our coaching staff to

109
00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,279
Speaker 1: continue to work with our players, whether they're young or

110
00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,160
Speaker 1: whether they're veterans who need to continue to you know,

111
00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,719
Speaker 1: refine their skills. That's what we'll do. Thomas Demittrof joining

112
00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,719
Speaker 1: us here in the locker room. Uh, And I know

113
00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:23,880
Speaker 1: this team is focused on this season, and as a

114
00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,160
Speaker 1: general manager, obviously you have to be focused not only

115
00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:31,680
Speaker 1: this season but years down the road. And obviously last

116
00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,120
Speaker 1: year you took care of the defensive backs. There's a

117
00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,320
Speaker 1: lot of obviously a great talent in the college ranks

118
00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,960
Speaker 1: as far as offensive a defensive line. Do you anticipate

119
00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,240
Speaker 1: that being a focus of the draft coming up next year?

120
00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,400
Speaker 1: Is that something that you guys are really looking at. Well,

121
00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,559
Speaker 1: we'll continue to evaluate our our fronts along this season

122
00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:52,560
Speaker 1: and will continue to get a lot of people, you know,

123
00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,560
Speaker 1: for various reasons. We'll get playtime, and we'll get a

124
00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,200
Speaker 1: really good assessment of where we are before we make

125
00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,560
Speaker 1: any decisions and free agency and the draft. Suffice it

126
00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,760
Speaker 1: to say, we will look very you know, we will

127
00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,440
Speaker 1: look very um hard at you know, certain positions of

128
00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,159
Speaker 1: need obviously, and we'll continue to look and see if

129
00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,680
Speaker 1: if we're going to be tweaking anything along our fronts.

130
00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:15,919
Speaker 1: And again I've said this all the time, it's about

131
00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,239
Speaker 1: adding depth, and it's about adding depth that can step

132
00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,200
Speaker 1: up and play when in need. And and that's how

133
00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,400
Speaker 1: we will continue to build this football team. We have

134
00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,200
Speaker 1: to have vision with a gentleman. You know that sometimes again,

135
00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,960
Speaker 1: as people are developing, as players are developing, they are

136
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,120
Speaker 1: going to be they're gonna be you know, they're gonna

137
00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:33,919
Speaker 1: be some potholes and we need to step out of

138
00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,960
Speaker 1: a more skip over those potholes. And that's that's up

139
00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,040
Speaker 1: to us as an organization to do that. That's not

140
00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,080
Speaker 1: just up to one person in this organization. It's it's

141
00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,320
Speaker 1: up to everybody. Thomas, it has to been well over

142
00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,680
Speaker 1: a decade since you've had any type of allusion season. Correct. Yes,

143
00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,200
Speaker 1: it's it's been quite a while for me, having having

144
00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,120
Speaker 1: come from the Patriots and then coming here. This is

145
00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,360
Speaker 1: this is a different this is a different setting. And

146
00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,279
Speaker 1: we've said this from the very beginning about making sure

147
00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,240
Speaker 1: that we had you know, positive passion and individuals here.

148
00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:03,760
Speaker 1: And there was a there was a third part to

149
00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,920
Speaker 1: that that alliteration, and it was it was it was perseverance.

150
00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,120
Speaker 1: This is when the third P or perseverance, is gonna

151
00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:12,760
Speaker 1: have to step up, and we're gonna have to step

152
00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,200
Speaker 1: up as a locker room that we're proud of and

153
00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,040
Speaker 1: show the perseverance through these through these times. And this

154
00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,400
Speaker 1: isn't hokey melodrama at all or just saying the right thing.

155
00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,560
Speaker 1: I truly believe it about this football team. They're not

156
00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:26,800
Speaker 1: walking around with their heads down. They're not moping around

157
00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,760
Speaker 1: and they disappointed? Are they are? They agitated to say

158
00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,400
Speaker 1: it lightly, no question about it, And I want the

159
00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,480
Speaker 1: entire fan base to know that this isn't people skipping

160
00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,680
Speaker 1: down the halls feeling uh, you know, feeling light about it.

161
00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:41,720
Speaker 1: And it's also not a group of people hanging their head.

162
00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,160
Speaker 1: They believe that they have to be accountable as I

163
00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,720
Speaker 1: have to be accountable, Our head coach and everyone else

164
00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,200
Speaker 1: in this organization have to be accountable. And they believe that.

165
00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:51,880
Speaker 1: You know, Thomas, I've been covered this league a long time.

166
00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,800
Speaker 1: I've covered good teams and bad teams. And one thing

167
00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,440
Speaker 1: that bad teams do in times like this is I'll

168
00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,560
Speaker 1: throw another p out there panic And I've seen it

169
00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,080
Speaker 1: happen so many times organizationally. What have you I really

170
00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,560
Speaker 1: get the sense that this is an organization that doesn't

171
00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,600
Speaker 1: panic and has long term goals, and obviously your long

172
00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,560
Speaker 1: term success bears that out. It's this there's no panic

173
00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,880
Speaker 1: time here. You guys are are solid and moving forward

174
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,840
Speaker 1: with a plan. Yeah, I mean, respectfully, JP, I don't

175
00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,600
Speaker 1: believe that we're a bad team at all. I know

176
00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,120
Speaker 1: a record doesn't show that we're a good team. I

177
00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,080
Speaker 1: think we have a lot of talent on this team.

178
00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,200
Speaker 1: I think we have a you know, a very adept

179
00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,480
Speaker 1: as I mentioned before, a coaching staff that unfortunately we

180
00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:33,920
Speaker 1: haven't won the games that we should be winning for

181
00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,920
Speaker 1: many many reasons as we know. So I would I

182
00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,599
Speaker 1: would again respectfully argue with you that this isn't a

183
00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:41,480
Speaker 1: bad football team. I didn't mean to say it was

184
00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,960
Speaker 1: a bad team. I've covered some bad organizations, and this

185
00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,319
Speaker 1: is not a bad organization. I could definitely say that, No, no,

186
00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:50,800
Speaker 1: this is and I was tongue in cheek on that,

187
00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,000
Speaker 1: leading into the fact that you're You're exactly right. There

188
00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,720
Speaker 1: is not a panic in this team. It's more a

189
00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,480
Speaker 1: realization that we are in in a hole that we

190
00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,040
Speaker 1: need to do out and there are a lot of

191
00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,679
Speaker 1: fighters on this team. We get when we get guys,

192
00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,880
Speaker 1: continue to get guys back, I e. Roddy White, who's

193
00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:08,880
Speaker 1: one of the biggest fighters on this team. As we know,

194
00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,880
Speaker 1: which we love and we continue to compete. You know,

195
00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,160
Speaker 1: I'm seeing that we're going to continue to improve and

196
00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,800
Speaker 1: continue to add to the win columns. Yeah, Thomas, I

197
00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:18,719
Speaker 1: know you've got to add via the draft and via

198
00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,599
Speaker 1: free agency. You guys are somewhere in the middle of

199
00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:23,800
Speaker 1: the pack in the National Football League in terms of

200
00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:28,120
Speaker 1: salary cap. I believe maybe fourteen. To keep it in perspective,

201
00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:30,040
Speaker 1: I mean the way the league is when you're at

202
00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,480
Speaker 1: fourteen and it's assumed that we have you know, millions

203
00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,840
Speaker 1: and millions and tens of millions of dollars, that's that's

204
00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:37,760
Speaker 1: not the case in this league. I mean you have

205
00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,040
Speaker 1: some at the top end, you know, some of the

206
00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:42,960
Speaker 1: teams that have the most room maybe in the twenty

207
00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,520
Speaker 1: to thirty million dollars range, other teams that are down

208
00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:47,920
Speaker 1: at the lowest maybe in the hundreds of thousand dollars range.

209
00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,680
Speaker 1: And in the middles there in the middle area there

210
00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,320
Speaker 1: it could be between you know, two and five or

211
00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,920
Speaker 1: six million dollars. So it's not like teams are just

212
00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,160
Speaker 1: laden with all sort of extra money. It's the out

213
00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,160
Speaker 1: of that money is there for emergency reasons, if if

214
00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,520
Speaker 1: injuries come about and such, so you know, to not

215
00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:11,160
Speaker 1: just step out there and spend frivolously is an important thing. Yeah,

216
00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:13,040
Speaker 1: that's and that's what I meant. There's no panic here.

217
00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,160
Speaker 1: You're not going to make any knee jerk reaction moves,

218
00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,480
Speaker 1: and that's that's a sign of a good organization. So

219
00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,280
Speaker 1: Thomas has always we appreciate your time. Happy Halloween. Hope

220
00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,040
Speaker 1: you and your family enjoy that holiday and get back

221
00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,160
Speaker 1: on the winning note this week against Carolina. Okay, thanks gentlemen,