Unser Chat » It’s kind of absurd that Kenn hasn’t been welcomed int

o Canton with open arms."Mike Kenn is a Falcons legend. He was dominant on the field Black John Cominsky Jersey , and he worked tirelessly for the good of his fellow players off of it. But a spot in the Hall of Fame has eluded him despite the fact that he clearly deserves to be in. Kenn’s accomplishments on the field speak for themselves. He spent his entire career with the Falcons after being drafted by Atlanta with the No. 13 pick in the 1978 draft out of Michigan. He started every one of the 251 games he played in over his career. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, back when it was less of a name recognition thing and more of a true acknowledgment of a player’s impact. He was named a first-team All Pro three times, and landed on the second team twice. But the obstacles for offensive linemen when it comes to Hall consideration are myriad. The offensive line is not a sexy position group. They’re not making breathtaking plays like Julio Jones, who’s out there on a daily basis just crushing opponents’ spirit with circus catches no human should be able to make. We all know on an intellectual level that a team cannot have a successful offense unless the big uglies are effective at keeping the passer upright and moving some bodies for the run game. But that doesn’t translate into a nice and tidy stat sheet to compare against other linemen. Another factor is that offensive lines, more than any other position group, function as sums of their parts. Cohesion and chemistry between all five players is fundamental to success. These factors limit opportunities for one guy to stand out. Factor in recency bias and the fact that Kenn played so long ago that his impact will have faded from voters’ memories, and it’s a tall task to secure his legacy in the Hall. My very first real interview as a fledgling Falcons beat writer for The Falcoholic was with Kenn. We met at an Outback Steakhouse, and I do laugh thinking about it now, because I was nervous as hell. But his story is so fascinating, and the impact he had on the field for Atlanta so great, that I came away from it with even more respect for Kenn. I was also left even more confused that his legacy remains unrecognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That’s in part because Kenn was much more than just a player. He served as an NFLPA rep — first as an alternate rep, then a player rep, and he weathered the player strikes as an executive committee member. He became the president at a time when the NFLPA decided — at Kenn’s suggestion — that they needed to decertify as a union to be able to sue the NFL in antitrust court. At the time, NFL players weren’t even allowed by the league to have access to their own medical records. Thanks in part to Kenn’s leadership, that changed. What mattered to him about his work with the NFLPA was standing up for other players. “Met a lot of great guys--a lot of very compassionate guys, and passionate guys, because they cared. They not only wanted to protect themselves, but they wanted to protect their teammates,” Kenn said. “Basically our job was to represent players for wages, hours and working conditions. Simple union representation. Wages John Cominsky Atlanta Falcons Jersey , hours and working conditions.”Kenn shared with me why the idea of being enshrined in Canton matters to him. “Well, it’s, for the individual, it’s the ultimate recognition of an effort well played,” Kenn said. “You can’t get a higher peer recognition than being one of the select few to get into the Hall of Fame. That’s what it would mean to me personally, but there are a lot of friends and relatives who have lived vicariously through my career. “I come from a middle-class, blue collar socioeconomic environment, and all my friends from grade school and high school grew up in a similar manner, and they were always very proud to say that, “That’s my buddy, Mike Kenn.” So I would get great satisfaction out of it. I know that my family would. But I also know a lot of my friends would, too, so it would be very gratifying to them. So that’s meaningful to me.”It would be meaningful to Falcons fans, too, to see a player who was such a steady force on the field and one who fought so hard for the best interests of players off of it be recognized by the Hall for his accomplishments. 2019 will be the last year of Kenn’s modern era Hall of Fame eligibility, and I hope the voters do the right thing. Mike Kenn deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, and it’s a travesty that he isn’t. FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons spent the past couple of drafts filling in the pieces on a team with championship aspirations.This time around, they’re coming off a hugely disappointing season that turned up the heat on coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff.The Falcons have the 14th overall pick in next week’s draft — their earliest selection since 2015, when they took Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley at No. 8.Despite a 7-9 record in 2018 Cheap John Cominsky Jersey , which led to the ouster of all three coordinators, Dimitroff said there is no greater sense of urgency than other drafts. Just two seasons removed from a trip to the Super Bowl, he still feels the Falcons have the nucleus to reclaim their place as one of the league’s better teams, especially after addressing some of the most pressing needs in free agency.“We’re going into the draft in a really good place,” Dimitroff said. “We don’t feel the same amount of pressure going into the draft having to get all these depth areas taken care of. That’s a good feeling.”This is the fifth draft together for Dimitroff, the Falcons’ GM since 2008, and Quinn, who came aboard as head coach in 2015. The two take a collective approach to making their choices, which seems to work well for both.“We all have our hands in it,” Dimitroff said. “This is not an organization where you have one guy pounding their fist on the table.”The Falcons’ success on the first night of the draft may be determined by how many quarterbacks are selected in the first 13 picks. Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins and Missouri’s Drew Lock have all been mentioned as potential top 10 picks.Atlanta, of course, is set at quarterback with 2016 MVP Matt Ryan and veteran backup Matt Schaub. Quinn jokingly lobbied for other teams to gobble up as many quarterbacks as possible before the Falcons get their turn.“This is one of the best quarterback classes I’ve seen since 1983,” Quinn said, with tongue planted firmly in cheek. “It’s really, really something to behold.”Here are some things to watch for when it’s the Falcons’ time to pick:BULKING UPAfter a devastating rash of injuries gutted both sides of the line, the Falcons learned the hard way there’s no such thing as too much depth. Even though they signed guards James Carpenter and Jamon Brown in free agency, and also brought back defensive end Adrian Clayborn, the Falcons will be looking for more big bodies in the draft.If Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins or Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams falls their way, it would be hard to pass up — especially on the offensive side Keanu Neal Jersey 2019 , where the Falcons must do a better job of protecting Ryan.“It’s a big year for offensive linemen,” said Dimitroff, who thinks as many as 10 could go in the opening round. “It’s not only a big year for number of tackles, but this is a year when several guards could fall in the first round as well.”THIN CORNERThe Falcons parted ways with three of their top four cornerbacks from 2018, including longtime starter Robert Alford, making this a top draft priority. Atlanta always seems to select a player from LSU, so Greedy Williams could be on the radar. Georgia’s Deandre Baker is another player to keep an eye on.“It’s not necessarily a fast group,” Dimitroff pointed out. “That said, there are some really good corners. Just because their (40-yard) times are in the 4.5s doesn’t mean they won’t be effective in this league.”EYES ON THE BACKFIELDRunning back Devonta Freeman has endured two straight injury-plagued seasons, and the Falcons no longer have insurance policy Tevin Coleman, who left in free agency to sign with the 49ers. Atlanta will likely be looking for another running back on the second or third day of the draft.PLAYING IT SAFEWith starting safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen both coming off major injuries, Quinn acknowledged that the team might be looking to add to its depth in that area.“That’s an important position, and it’s evolved more,” said the coach, who is taking on the added duties of defensive coordinator. “People are using a third safety more than they have in the past.”TRADING THOMASDimitroff loves to wheel and deal on draft day, and he’s got extra picks to work with in the fourth and fifth rounds, a total of nine selections in all. While a major deal seems unlikely, look for the Falcons to do some maneuvering to get the players they want.