Coach Mike Smith and General Manager Thomas Dimitroff have manufactured the longest stretch of winning regular seasons in the history of the Atlanta Falcons. But the team has struggled mightily in the postseason, losing in blowouts to Green Bay and the New York Giants in back-to-back seasons.

Still, the cupboard is overflowing, with quarterback Matt Ryan and two stud wideouts in Julio Jones and Roddy White being complemented by a solid corps of players on both sides of the ball. But tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Michael Turner are aging. And defensive end John Abraham and cornerback Brent Grimes are free agents. So where do the Falcons go from here and how do they take the next step toward becoming a Super Bowl contender?

Jamie Kelly, senior editor of Blogging Dirty, joined us to share his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: How would you assess Matt Ryan’s development?

Jamie Kelly: I am pretty happy with Matt’s development. His success in the regular season has been outstanding leading the falcons to four straight winning seasons, which has been unheard of in Atlanta since the beginning. This next year will be a huge one for Matt with the change in offensive coordinator to Dirk Koetter. The prevailing opinion has been that Mike Mularkey was holding the offense back and that is something I would agree on. On the large majority of the Falcons scoring drives they came out of the no huddle when Matt Ryan calling the plays instead of Mularkey calling them. With Koetter now in the mix, Matt will get the opportunity be in the no huddle a lot and be able to throw the ball down the field more to outstanding receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones.

His obvious improvement needs to come in the playoffs. He has played ok in the last two playoff games but for the Falcons to advance further into the postseason he needs to carry this team there. I believe he is capable of doing it and winning a Super Bowl. I guess time will tell.

Zoneblitz: What are your thoughts on the Julio Jones trade?

Kelly: Love it! Love it! Love it! At the time it happened I was incredibly excited by the move and that feeling hasn’t subsided yet. Julio is an incredible athlete and his production got better and better as the year went on. He only played in 13 full games last year but still managed 959 yards and 8 touchdowns as a rookie! He has the potential to be one of the best receivers in the NFL, he really does. He has all the physical tools, he is fast and strong and he catches the ball well and after the catch he runs hard like a running back. This type of talent is only usually available in the top 10 of the draft and given Atlanta’s success where they are picking in the 20s regularly, Atlanta were going to have to make a bold move to acquire this kind of explosive talent.

Missing this year’s first round pick is a bit tough but more than worth it for the player we got out of it.

Zoneblitz: Tony Gonzalez is talking retirement and Michael Turner is getting up there in running back years. How will the Falcons deal with their futures?

Kelly: Tony Gonzalez, we can say with relative certainty will retire at the end of this upcoming season. The falcons will look to draft a tight end this year, if they can fill some of the other needs in free agency. If possible they could use their 2nd round pick on Stanford TE Coby Fleener, Clemson TE Dwyane Allen or Georgia TE Orson Charles.

With Turner his carries will drop this season as the Falcons move away from the power running game to a more vertical passing game under new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. Jacquizz Rodgers will get more carries and Jason Snelling could be more in the mix as well. With carries falling away, Turner’s productivity should hopefully increase, as he will be more fresh. The issue becomes his contract, on which he has two years remaining. He will be with the Falcons this year but could be cut next year if his productivity is poor this year.

Zoneblitz: Sam Baker was benched and the whole offensive line seemed in flux at times in 2011. How will that change in 2012?

Kelly: Yeah well Baker is terrible for a start and he will be cut sooner rather than later. Left guard and right tackle are sorted with Justin Blalock and Tyson Clabo respectively. Center could do with a long term replacement for Todd McClure but until that person comes McClure will hold down that spot.

Right guard and left tackle are where the problems are. At left tackle the Falcons are expected to pursue Chargers tackle Marcus McNeill if he gets released. At right guard, the Falcons may have a go at getting Carl Nicks from the Saints if the cap space allows it. If not the Falcons will have an open competition between Joe Hawley, Garrett Reynolds, Andrew Jackson and Mike Johnson unless any other players are introduced into the mix.

The Falcons have changed offensive line coaches, hiring Pat Hill, the former Fresno State head coach, in an effort to reinvigorate the line. I expect the offensive line to be better in 2012 particularly, if we pick up McNeill.

Zoneblitz: Brent Grimes, John Abraham and others are about to hit the open market. Will the Falcons keep those guys around? And if not, what’s the plan for replacing them?

Kelly: Grimes could be looking at the franchise tag, so he should stay if the Falcons have any sense. If he does go the Falcons really like their young corners they are developing, Chris Owens, Dominique Franks and Darrin Walls who played ok down the stretch.

If Abraham leaves, we will need to draft a young pass rusher early in the draft. We are looking at Marshall DE Vinny Curry and Oklahoma DE Frank Alexander.

Zoneblitz: How will the hirings of Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator and Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator affect the Falcons going forward?

Kelly: Both are really encouraging moves. Koetter should make the offense less predictable and move the scheme to more of a pass first instead of a run first philosophy. Nolan is simply a terrific hire and he should be able to get the best out of our talent on defense and turn us into a top 10 defense for next year.

Zoneblitz: What is your assessment of the work of Head Coach Mike Smith and General Manager Thomas Dimitroff?

Kelly: Dimitroff has clearly done a terrific job. The two time executive of the year has hired the right people and built the roster around what the coaches wanted. Smith is a really good coach, but playoff failures are starting to catch up with him. Atlanta’s expectations are based on playoff success now and Smith could be on the hot seat if the Falcons fail again. I do not want to see him go however and I like his aggressive nature. He should be helped by having good coordinators which he has been lacking for a few seasons.

Zoneblitz: Atlanta has had 23 wins in two strong seasons but both ended with bad playoff losses. What do the Falcons have to do to make a deeper run?

Kelly: Execute when it matters. We have the talent; we just need a solid game plan when it comes to the playoff time and to execute it effectively.

Zoneblitz: What would you like to see the Falcons do in free agency and the draft?

Kelly: Offensive line help is an urgent need in free agency. We don’t have the time to draft another young lineman. From the draft, I would like some help at tight end and defensive end, as we need some young players at those positions.

Zoneblitz: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Kelly: Don’t sleep on the Falcons! We will be underdogs this year and should thrive under those conditions.

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