Falcons Hire Devaney

[Rams and Gators]

Falcons hire former Rams G.M. Billy Devaney
Posted by Darin Gantt on February 19, 2014, 5:58 PM EST

AP
The Falcons continue to add former decision-makers to their personnel department.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Falcons have hired former ESPN analyst Billy Devaney as a regional scout.

Devaney’s personnel career topped out as General Manager of the Rams, but he previously worked for the Falcons under team president Rich McKay.

The Falcons also hired former Chiefs G.M. (and former NBCSN analyst) Scott Pioli as an assistant to his old friend Thomas Dimitroff.

That gives them plenty of experience in a personnel department that has become a bit of a breeding ground for young executives, with Dave Caldwell leaving for the Jaguars G.M. job, and Lionel Vital interviewing for those type of jobs.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/19/falcons-hire-former-rams-g-m-billy-devaney/

 

[Barrison]

Hahaha those poor bastards!

 

[LesBaker]

That was likely someone throwing a friend a bone. The NFL is a good old boys club.

 

[Sum1]

He had his share of swings and misses...but he did hit on some players that are overlooked as well.

If you ask me...Devaney's biggest mistake was hiring Spags (a move that I was in favor of at the time)...his second biggest mistake was sticking with him so long...and finally, his third biggest mistake was Jason Smith. Though, I do think a really big part of Smith's developmental problem was his injuries.

I'm glad the Rams finally have some people in place that know how to set a goal and vision and put the right people in place ot make it happen.

 

[Thordaddy]

Ardunno, I think Devaney is why we have Quinn and was the lesser of two evils in the Spagvaney debacle

 

[tonyl711]

Spags was his downfall, that and trying to buy a team through FA and getting rid of promising young players to do so.

 

[jrry32]

Ardunno, I think Devaney is why we have Quinn and was the lesser of two evils in the Spagvaney debacle

True. Issue was that he couldn't hit on picks outside the first two rounds and majorly whiffed on Jason Smith. Pretty cruddy situation for both him and Spags but neither made it better the way they could have. Spags and his assistants didn't develop talent well. Devaney didn't find gems in the mid to late rounds.

 

[Boffo97]

Devaney's major flaw was his late round picks not panning out. And he had horribly bad luck to be picking in the cursed career killing draft of 2009.

But he did find us Danny Amendola off a practice squad and had the smarts to pick Robert Quinn despite the tumor.

IMO, a major reason Fisher came here was because we had good core players in place because of Devaney. (Though Chris Long doesn't count as one of them because his draft was before Devaney was GM)

 

[mr.stlouis]

Don't let him draft players outside the first round!!!

Wasn't he in when we picked J. Smith? Ugh...

I wanted Monroe just because he was the best pass protector of the class. Dude had injury concerns, though.

 

[Thordaddy]

True. Issue was that he couldn't hit on picks outside the first two rounds and majorly whiffed on Jason Smith. Pretty cruddy situation for both him and Spags but neither made it better the way they could have. Spags and his assistants didn't develop talent well. Devaney didn't find gems in the mid to late rounds.

We were bargain shopping for GMs and coaches both at the time, Devaney was the better value.
I remember when Linny was our HC his salary plus all his assistants were only marginally more than they'd been paying Martz ,who they fired mainly for asking for a raise.

 

[LesBaker]

Guys.......he got a job as a regional scout.

That's a long way down the ladder from GM.......and there are reasons for that.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Devaney did a decent job bringing in some talent on a talent-depleted roster IMO.
Drafted Long,Saffold,Quinn,Laurinaitis,Kendricks.
Brought in Amendola.

The Donnie Avery pick was way too cute,he swung and missed on a 3-2 pitchers count with the Jason Smith pick and there wasn't enough drafted talent beyond the early rounds,but he wasn't a disaster as GM.

 

[Selassie I]

Let us not forget who hired Billy D... the ring leader of the clown show himself... that's right... the director of dysfunction ... john shaw.

Fuck the falcons... they deserve him. I hate the falcons. Perfect scout for them I say.


This song popped into my head when I saw this news...

 

[jjab360]

Let us not forget who hired Billy D... the ring leader of the clown show himself... that's right... the director of dysfunction ... john shaw.

freak the falcons... they deserve him. I hate the falcons. Perfect scout for them I say.


This song popped into my head when I saw this news...

Why hate the Falcons? They did give us Snead, after all..

 

[mr.stlouis]

Guys.......he got a job as a regional scout.

That's a long way down the ladder from GM.......and there are reasons for that.

Good for them... I guess.

Do beleive Long, Quinn, Sam, James L, and Atogwe were all drafted under him so not ALL bad.

 

[Selassie I]

Why hate the Falcons? They did give us Snead, after all..

Us old timers remember them being in our division. Steve Barkowski and shit.

 

[LesBaker]

LOL the NFC West has seen some teams from WAY east over the years.

ATL and NO and CAR.......how did they end up in the west right

 

[Boffo97]

Devaney did a decent job bringing in some talent on a talent-depleted roster IMO.
Drafted Long,Saffold,Quinn,Laurinaitis,Kendricks.
Brought in Amendola.

The Donnie Avery pick was way too cute,he swung and missed on a 3-2 pitchers count with the Jason Smith pick and there wasn't enough drafted talent beyond the early rounds,but he wasn't a disaster as GM.

He wasn't GM when the Avery pick was made. He was working for the Rams, but he wasn't the guy in charge.

That means he doesn't get the blame for Avery, but doesn't get the credit for Long either.

 

[jjab360]

Good for them... I guess.

Do beleive Long, Quinn, Sam, James L, and Atogwe were all drafted under him so not ALL bad.

Not Atogwe, and not really on Long, he wasn't the GM yet.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I wish Billy Devaney all the best.

I liked the man and believed in him. I think Spags really hurt BD. So did Looney.