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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Falcons in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): Let’s note right up front that that dream record would also include at least two postseason wins, which would be a first in the era of coach Mike Smith, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and Matt Ryan. In their time, the Falcons have played the days after Christmas exactly like they’re the days after Christmas. There’s been a huge letdown when January has rolled around.

That’s putting an enormous amount of pressure on the Falcons. But that might be a good thing. Smith has said postseason failures have caused him to rethink how he does a lot of things. There’s little doubt those failures played a role in the hiring of new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, moves that might get the Falcons over the hump.

There are a lot of scouts and coaches around the league who believe Ryan was held back by former offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and the defense never established any sort of identity under Brian VanGorder. The Falcons can score with any team if Ryan is allowed (and has time) to throw the ball downfield to Roddy White and Julio Jones. Nolan is preaching about the need to be more aggressive on defense.

Nightmare scenario (8-8 or anything worse): Let’s face it: The only way the Falcons are a .500 (or worse) team is if they have several major injuries or a huge implosion. This is a team that is loaded with individual talent on both sides of the ball. Or so it seems.

When coordinators go, head coaches and key players tend to lose their insulation. If Koetter can’t get more out of Ryan than Mularkey did, the Falcons suddenly have a huge issue at quarterback. If Nolan can’t get guys like Ray Edwards and Dunta Robinson to do more than they did for VanGorder, then maybe it’s not all about the coordinators or offensive and defensive schemes.

Owner Arthur Blank has said Smith isn’t on the hot seat, no matter what happens this season. But I think Smith is at least entering the same territory Tony Dungy once did in Tampa Bay. Smith is being labeled as a nice guy who can win a lot of games in the regular season but can’t win in January. If this team doesn’t win a playoff game, Smith officially is on the hot seat. If this team somehow fails to even make the playoffs, Blank might be forced to rethink his statement. This team is too talented not to win.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from Friday’s NFC South chat.

Ryan (Charlotte): Regression or Progression. Which will be the theme for Cam Newton next year.

Pat Yasinskas: I see progress. He's got a full offseason with the coaches and the play book this time around.

Chris (taylor): Saw you just made the article about the lawsuit. Article 43 section 1 states that per agreement, Vilma can only take grievance with the NFl, not the legal system. Do you think that the case will be thrown out?

Pat Yasinskas: Again, I'm no legal expert. But Munson is our legal expert and he said he believes there is a good chance it will get dismissed.

Bryant (Virginia): what are the bucs expecting to get out of McCoy/Price? Do you expect them to have big years?

Pat Yasinskas: They both have flashed promise when they've been healthy. But there's no denying this will be a crucial season for McCoy. He needs to stay healthy and start reaching his potential.

RossMcR (Glasgow, Scotland): Pat, I am not too concerned about the Brees lack of talks with Saints at this point however I do expect them to ramp up now! When do you expect this to get resolved??

Pat Yasinskas: Deadline to sign franchise players to long-term deals is July 16. I'm guessing it will play out pretty close to the deadline.

Kris (One Buc, FL): Who do you see having a better year? Freeman or Matt Ryan?

Pat Yasinskas: Hmmm, I'll say Ryan. I think Freeman will be much better than last year. But I think Ryan might really take a big step up in their new offense.

Brian (Baton Rouge): Much has been made of the Saints' "lack of depth" at DE this offseason. I think both Junior Gallette and Greg Romeus have a chance to blossom under Spags' guidance. Your thoughts?

Pat Yasinskas: Yeah, bringing up Romeus is a good point. He's supposed to be healthy and I think he could be a player. Gallette definitely has some raw talent and could be helped by Spags.

Tony (Richmond, CA): Will Mike Smith & Matt Ryan get over the hump this year and finally win a playoff game? If not, do questions begin swirling around the coach and his ability to take Atlanta to the next level?

Pat Yasinskas: Yeah, I think it's pretty obvious this is a crucial year for Smith. He needs to win a playoff game. Not saying he'll be fired if he doesn't, but the pressure is definitely on.

Scott (maine): when its all said and done who do you see playing oline for falcons?

Pat Yasinskas: I say Hawley at center with Konz and Blalock at guards. Clabo at RT. And this probably isn't what you want to hear ...but Baker at LT. I think they're serious about sticking with him -- for better or worse.

Here’s the complete transcript of the NFC South chat.

Let's take a look at the top headlines from around the NFC South.

Check out this Insider piece by Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders. No argument that the Falcons are looking for a return man, and the Saints could use some depth at cornerback. But I’m not so sure the Panthers are as much in the market for a No. 2 receiver as a lot of people think. I believe the Panthers are ready to let Brandon LaFell, David Gettis, Joe Adams and Kealoha Pilares compete for the spot opposite Steve Smith, and are hoping one of them will step up. I also think the Tampa Bay coaching staff is intent on going with Jeremy Zuttah at center. But it doesn’t sound like Tanier is a big Zuttah fan.

The sister of Tampa Bay defensive tackle Brian Price reportedly died from injuries she suffered in a car accident.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank used the carrot of being a potential Super Bowl and World Cup host while discussing the new open-air stadium he wants with season-ticket holders.

Willie Roaf, who will be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, reflects on why he left the New Orleans Saints for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Atlanta coach Mike Smith admitted in this radio interview that the Falcons are doing some “soul searching’’ after failing to win a playoff game the past four seasons.

Peter Finney writes that it’s time for Saints owner Tom Benson to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term deal. I couldn’t agree more. This situation has dragged on way too long. The Saints have dealt with a lot of turmoil this offseason, and getting their team leader signed to a new contract would accelerate the healing process.

Scott Fowler writes that the Panthers’ decision to put rookie Luke Kuechly at outside linebacker and keep Jon Beason in the middle for the moment is best for team chemistry. That’s true. Beason has been the leader of this defense for several years. It makes sense to at least let him open training camp in the middle. If a move needs to be made, it can come later.

The Atlanta Falcons could not discuss cornerback Asante Samuel until he officially was on their roster.

Well, the paperwork has been finalized. The Falcons traded a pick in this year’s draft (reportedly, a sixth-round choice) to Philadelphia for Samuel, who has signed a three-year contract with Atlanta.

So let’s hear what the Falcons have to say about the fourt-time Pro Bowl cornerback.

“We are pleased to be able to add a player of Asante’s caliber to our roster,” Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “Asante has established himself as a very productive player during his career. He is a proven player in this league and we feel that this move upgrades the talent of our roster and improves our football team.”

“We just improved our team today,” coach Mike Smith said. “Asante Samuel is a good football player and you can never have enough good players on your team. Our game has become more of a passing game, and you have to have the players who can neutralize how offenses are trying to attack you.”

Smith’s right. The Falcons are a better team now than they were a day ago. As I mentioned earlier, the Falcons now have three starting-caliber cornerbacks (Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes already were on the roster). That’s great news for the defensive backfield.

But there’s another positive aspect to this move. I know a lot of Atlanta fans wanted the Falcons to go after free-agent defensive end Mario Williams. They didn’t. But Samuel’s arrival suddenly makes Atlanta’s pass rush better.

Yeah, it’s true the Falcons haven’t added any pass rushers this offseason. But having Samuel in the secondary should help guys like John Abraham and Ray Edwards produce more coverage sacks because quarterbacks aren’t going to find as many open receivers.

As we told you a little bit ago, a league source said the Atlanta Falcons have declined an opportunity to be the featured team on HBO’s “Hard Knocks" this summer.

Now, let’s delve into this a little deeper so we can understand why the Falcons made this decision.

First off, the Falcons explored the possibility of being the featured team very thoroughly. There was intrigue throughout their building and the franchise fully realized that appearing on the show during training camp could help greatly in raising the national profile of a franchise that hasn’t been all that successful until recent years. Virtually every department in the building was involved in discussions about whether the Falcons should accept the invitation.

This wasn’t an easy decision, and the Falcons did have serious interest. In the end, though, they declined. The decision should not be viewed as a knock on the show, the source said. The Falcons saw plenty of positives, but they ultimately decided it was in their best interest – and in the best interest of their fans – to turn it down.

The Falcons want all their focus for the 2012 season to be solely on the field. This makes plenty of sense. The Falcons are facing a critical season. They’ve had four straight winning seasons, but haven’t won a playoff game in that span. After losing to the New York Giants in a January playoff game, owner Arthur Blank, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith pledged to do everything in their power to get the team to the next level.

Instead of making a major splash in free agency, the Falcons chose mostly to retain their own players. There’s a strong belief in the building that new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will bring a change in schemes and attitude that could take the Falcons a step forward.

As intriguing as “Hard Knocks’’ was from a business and marketing standpoint, the decision ultimately came down to football. The Falcons didn’t want to put added pressure on Koetter and Nolan as they tried to install new schemes. Although the Falcons generally are a quiet team, they did recognize some potential dangers in opening all their doors to cameras for training camp. Receiver Roddy White can be outspoken and flamboyant at times and having cameras on him at all times could have presented the potential for controversy. There are a few other players on the roster that also could have brought some risk if the Falcons had decided to open things up.

In the end, the Falcons decided to go about their business quietly. I think that sends a pretty strong message. They’re focused totally on taking the next step and they want to do it by doing everything the right way on the football field. “Hard Knocks" might have brought them attention in the short term.

But the best and purest way the Falcons can enhance their national profile is going out and winning games, especially playoff games.

Breakdown: The Falcons might as well go ahead and appear on HBO’s “Hard Knocks’’ during training camp because they’re going to be regulars on national television. They’ll play two Monday night games (Week 2 against Denver and Week 16 at Detroit), once on Sunday night (against Dallas in Week 9) and a Thursday night game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 13.

This will be the second consecutive season the Falcons have been featured in four prime-time games. This gives Atlanta a chance to really raise its national profile to the highest level in franchise history. That brings pressure, but it also brings a world of opportunity for a franchise that’s trying to get over the hump and win a playoff game for the first time since coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan have been around.

You’ve got to like the fact the Falcons don’t play the New York Giants until Dec. 16. That will be a rematch of last season’s playoff disaster. By that point, we should have a pretty good idea whether the Falcons are legitimate contenders, and facing the Giants should be a reminder of where they’ve been and where they might be going.

Complaint department: The Falcons play at New Orleans on Nov. 11 and host the Saints on Nov. 29. That’s two games against the Falcons’ biggest rival in 18 days. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather see at least one of those games being played in the last week or two of the season.

Back and forth: The people who made the schedule played it right down the middle on the Falcons. Amazingly, the Falcons don’t play back-to-back home games or consecutive road games all season. They alternate between home and road games all through the season.

Falcons Regular-Season Schedule (All times ET)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, at Kansas City, 1:00 PM
Week 2: Monday, Sept. 17, Denver, 8:30 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, at San Diego, 4:05 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Washington, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, Oakland, 1:00 PM
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, at Philadelphia, 1:00 PM
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, Dallas, 8:20 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, at New Orleans, 1:00 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, Arizona, 1:00 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, at Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 13: Thursday, Nov. 29, New Orleans, 8:20 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, NY Giants, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Saturday, Dec. 22, at Detroit, 8:30 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM

I shared my thoughts with you Wednesday on why the Atlanta Falcons could be a good fit on HBO’s “Hard Knocks’’ this summer.

That’s when we found out the Falcons were getting strong consideration. Now, there’s an updated report that they’ve been offered to be the team featured on the show throughout training camp and the preseason. So, the ball is in the Falcons’ court, and there likely will be some high-level meetings at their Flowery Branch facility before a final decision is made.

One person that’s likely to have a big voice in all this is coach Mike Smith. Some coaches like to keep their teams out of the spotlight, and I’d generally say Smith falls into that category. He’s a low-key guy without much of an ego. But when you look at Smith’s history -- and the current state of the Falcons -- it’s not difficult to see him embracing the opportunity, and intentionally putting some potential distractions in front of his team.

Back when “Hard Knocks’’ made its debut in 2001, Smith was a low-level defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens. He also is the brother-in-law of former Baltimore coach Brian Billick. The Ravens were the first team to be featured on “Hard Knocks’’ and Smith had an up-close view of the thinking that went into the team accepting that role and how the process worked.

The Ravens were coming off their Super Bowl victory. At the start of training camp, Billick was asked about why the Ravens chose to be on “Hard Knocks.’’ Thanks to AFC North colleague Jamison Hensley, who covered the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun back in those days and was able to dig up the following quote from his archives.

“I can't imagine much that would be thrown at us in terms of a distraction during the season that we would not have already experienced,’’ Billick said. “Very truthfully, training camp is about providing learning experiences, and that's what this is for my players."

Billick wanted his players to be prepared for the spotlight. They didn’t get back to the Super Bowl, but the 2001 Ravens did go 10-6 and won a playoff game before getting eliminated.

Smith has had four winning seasons since taking over the Falcons. But he’s never won a playoff game. Clearly, the Falcons are a team looking to get over the hump.

Smith might follow the lead of his brother-in-law and embrace the spotlight as a way to help his team take the next step.

Let’s take a tour of some headlines around the NFC South.

I highly recommend you read Tom Sorensen’s column on Steve Smith. It gives a very accurate portrayal of the complicated wide receiver. I also urge you to read right through the very last line of the column. It should make you laugh.

You knew there would be some shots from the Atlanta media at Bobby Petrino after he was fired at the University of Arkansas. I’ll hold back comment of my own because we didn’t start the ESPN.com blog network until 2008, just after Petrino’s very brief era with the Falcons ended, so I’ve never met the man.

The Falcons sent a contingent that included coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff to watch Clemson defensive tackle Brandon Thompson and defensive end Andre Branch work out. The Falcons don’t have a pick until the second round (No. 55 overall). Some projections have Thompson and Branch going in the top 50, but the Falcons have their homework done if either of them falls.

Here’s a minor bit of Saints’ news that’s not related to the bounty program. Defensive back Leigh Torrence has signed with the Redskins as a free agent. Torrence was a backup and special-teams guy and the Saints didn’t have the cap room to keep him.

Here’s a recent mock draft in which I made the pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I’ve stayed consistent on this one, so far. I didn’t make the pick for the Panthers, but I definitely see a chance of it playing out like this.

Former Tampa Bay fullback Mike Alstott has accepted a job as a high school coach in St. Petersburg.

We could see an NFC South team on HBO’s “Hard Knocks’’ this summer.

Rich Cimini reports the Atlanta Falcons have emerged as a strong candidate to be featured on the show, which chronicles a team throughout training camp.

This topic seems to come up about every team in the division every year and I’m not always a big advocate of teams opening up everything to the camera crews. I don’t think the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at a point in their development where they could easily handle the increased pressure that comes with being on the show. I don’t get the sense the New Orleans Saints will be in the mood to let anyone with a camera (or a tape recorder) behind the scenes any time soon.

But I could see the Falcons being a perfect fit for “Hard Knocks." They’re a veteran team without a lot of drama, as long as Roddy White doesn’t decide to show off his Twitter skills for the cameras. The Falcons also have a nice storyline. They’re a team that’s had four straight winning seasons, but they haven’t yet won a playoff game with quarterback Matt Ryan, coach Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff, and it’s pretty well known that Atlanta’s goal is to take the next step.

I also think appearing on the show makes sense for the Falcons from a marketing standpoint. This is a team that doesn’t have a high national profile. Heck, even in Georgia it’s only been in recent years that the Falcons really have caught on, and they still are overshadowed at times by the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and baseball’s Braves.

This would be a chance for the Falcons to really allow people to get to know them. They’re a likeable team with nothing to hide. This might be the right time for the Falcons to open their doors and let the nation in their locker room.

In this recent column, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank talked quite a bit about the importance of continuity.

He cited it as a reason why the Falcons didn’t make a big splash in free agency. That pretty much backs up the philosophy that’s been recited by the Falcons since the arrival of general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith in 2008 -- draft well, keep your core players for the long term, and supplement them with free agents when necessary.

You’ve got to give the Falcons credit for practicing what they preach. This offseason marked the first time that a big portion of a Dimitroff/Smith draft class became eligible for free agency, and the Falcons did a good job of keeping the players they wanted. They re-signed receiver Harry Douglas, safety Thomas DeCoud, and defensive end Kroy Biermann. Quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive tackle Sam Baker, the top two Atlanta picks from 2008, remain under contract. The Falcons did lose middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, a player they had interest in keeping.

The Falcons gave Lofton an offer before free agency, but he had a different figure in mind. Lofton ended up signing with New Orleans for a lot less than his original asking price, and the Falcons are prepared to move on with either veteran Lofa Tatupu or second-year pro Akeem Dent in his place. Ryan is likely to get a contract extension at some point, and the Falcons might use the final year of Baker’s contract to make a decision on if he’s a long-term answer.

I just got some numbers that back up what the Falcons have been saying. When it comes to retaining drafted players, the Falcons are among the league leaders in the Smith/Dimitroff era.

Of the 32 players drafted by the Falcons since 2008, 26 are on the roster. That’s 81.3 percent, which puts the Falcons second only to the Minnesota Vikings, who have an 82.1 percent retention rate in that same time frame (the percentages were current as of early Tuesday afternoon). For the sake of comparison, Denver ranks last in the league by retaining only 48.6 percent of the players drafted since 2008. For more context, Tennessee (77.8 percent) and Houston (75 percent) are the only other teams with a retention rate of 75 percent or better.

Most of the rest of the NFC South also has fared well in retaining draft picks since 2008. Tampa Bay, which has been preaching a philosophy similar to Atlanta’s, ranks No. 7 in the NFL at 70 percent. Of the 31 players the Buccaneers have drafted since 2008, 21 remain on the team.

Although the Saints have had the second-fewest number of picks since 2008, their retention percentage is fairly high at 68.2 percent. Of the 22 players New Orleans has picked, 15 remain on the roster.

Carolina is the only NFC South team in the bottom half of the league in retention. The Panthers are No. 21 at 61.8 percent. They’ve had 34 picks, and 21 remain on the roster.

Time for a look at the Tuesday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

• Free-agent defensive back Madieu Williams is expected to choose between offers from the Falcons and the Redskins. The Falcons could use some veteran depth in their secondary after letting James Sanders and Kelvin Hayden go in free agency.
• California linebacker Mychal Kendricks is scheduled to have a pre-draft visit with the Falcons.
• New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson reportedly has spoken with NBA commissioner David Stern about the possibility of buying the New Orleans Hornets.
• Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith reportedly will be at Clemson on Tuesday to watch defensive end/linebacker Andre Branch and defensive tackle Brandon Thompson work out.
• LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle said he had a pre-draft visit with the Panthers.
• Gary Shelton writes about Warren Sapp and says he once could have owned Tampa Bay, but now has filed for bankruptcy.

The Atlanta Falcons shocked more than a few of their fans when they didn’t go after defensive end Mario Williams in free agency.

As owner Arthur Blank explained in this column from Saturday, coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff chose to stick with continuity instead of making splashy moves. Salary-cap considerations factored into that.

There was speculation that the Falcons would let veteran defensive end John Abraham leave when he revealed before the start of free agency that he wanted a deal worth $12 million per season. Abraham didn’t get that kind of money on the open market and he’s back with the Falcons on a three-year contract that averages $5.5 million.

Abraham will turn 34 next month, but the Falcons still believe he can be the key to their pass rush. He had 9.5 sacks last season and 13 in 2010.

“John has been our most productive pass-rusher since we’ve been here,’’ Smith said at the recent NFL owners meeting. Chronologically, his age may say one thing, but his body says another. John will still command how they’re going to block him and that’s going to open other options for (new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan) and what we want to do schematically.’’

The Falcons don’t have a first-round draft pick and may pursue another pass-rusher at some point in the draft. But they still view Abraham as their top threat up front. Defensive end Ray Edwards, Atlanta’s big free-agent signing last year, had just 3.5 sacks last season. The Falcons are expecting more out of Edwards, as well as rotation players Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury. They also want more production out of the middle of their defensive line. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux had just one sack after producing a combined 10 sacks in 2009 and 2010.

“You don’t want to have just one guy that’s getting all the production,’’ Smith said. “You want other defensive linemen and linebackers being productive pass-rushers. If you look at Coach Nolan’s 14 years as a defensive coordinator, he’s been one of the most productive on third down. You want to have a scheme that puts added pressure on the quarterback on third downs."

Given the way Atlanta Falcons fans have reacted to what the team has done (or, more accurately, not done) this offseason, I was expecting Arthur Blank to pull out earmuffs as he reached into his pocket just before the start of an interview last week.

It didn’t happen. Instead, the owner of the Falcons pulled out a pair of sunglasses. This was a rare step outside during the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. He slipped on the shades, surveyed the Atlantic Ocean, sat down on a bench and started explaining, in great detail, the course his team has chosen.

Maybe this will, once and for all, stop all the screaming in Atlanta about how the Falcons didn’t pursue LB Mario Williams and didn’t really do much of anything in free agency. Blank has a detailed answer for that and, when you listen, it should all start to make sense.

There was a moment when I looked directly at Blank, but could have sworn I was seeing and hearing Gene Hackman. It was almost exactly like the scene in “Hoosiers," where the basketball coach played by Hackman firmly tells a referee “my team is on the court" after a player fouls out and the coach elects to go with four players instead of turning back to a player who had defied orders.

Blank has said, “My team is on the field."

Yeah, the marquee free-agent signings have been linebacker Lofa Tatupu and guard Vince Manuwai. And Atlanta fans aren’t exactly jumping up and down about the fact that the Falcons re-signed defensive end John Abraham and center Todd McClure; it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if they decided to retire. Throw in the re-signing of role players Thomas DeCoud, Jason Snelling and Harry Douglas, and it’s easy to see why a lot of Atlanta fans believe the Falcons haven’t done a single thing to get better after ending last season with an embarrassing playoff loss to the New York Giants.

But Blank has an explanation, so let’s hear it.

“I feel good about where we are,’’ Blank said. “I know we didn’t make a big splash going into free agency. But that really wasn’t our intention going into this year. We really felt we had a lot of talent. We were fortunate that we had the opportunity to bring in the two new coordinators and a few other coaches. At some point, it’s not even a matter of if the contents are correct. Sometimes, it’s a matter of who is delivering the message and whether the players are hearing it or not.’’

The man makes a good point. The 2011 Falcons team that went 10-6 (and didn't play with much consistency) was essentially the same team that went 13-3 and played with a great deal of consistency in 2010. The 2012 Falcons have largely the same roster as the previous two teams. In the eyes of Blank, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith, the problem last season and the reason this team hasn’t won a playoff game under the current administration isn’t about the roster.

Maybe the roster was just fine, but the coaching staff and the schemes were holding back the Falcons. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey left after the season to become head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder left after the season to become the defensive coordinator at Auburn. Both men left on their own, but I get the impression that if they hadn’t, they might have been shown the door.

Let’s be honest here. Mularkey’s offensive system reached its peak in 2010 and didn’t get any better even with the addition of talented rookie receiver Julio Jones last season. VanGorder’s defense was solid but never dominant, which was a disappointment because the Falcons have some individual talent on defense. Mularkey has been replaced by Dirk Koetter, and VanGorder has been replaced by Mike Nolan.

“I love the selections that Smitty and Thomas made,’’ Blank said.

I get the sense that the days of QB Matt Ryan rolling out and almost always checking down are over. I get the sense that the days of sitting back in the Cover 2 are long gone.

“Dirk and I have had numerous discussions in terms of what our players are capable of doing,’’ Smith said during the meetings. “I think, first and foremost, you have to design your schemes toward what the players are capable of doing. We’ve spent a lot of time identifying the strengths and weakness of all our guys and what they do well and what they don’t do well, and we want to put together an offense that accentuates their strengths.’’

In other words, the Falcons aren’t going to be handing the ball to Michael Turner 300-plus times a season. They’re going to try to take some shots downfield with Jones and Roddy White, and they’re going to get versatile second-year running back Jacquizz Rodgers more involved in the offense. They also will try to put Ryan in a position where he can go from being a good quarterback to an elite one.

Smith said he’s had similar discussions with Nolan, the former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers who has had success as a defensive coordinator elsewhere. Nolan is noted for producing aggressive defenses. Some minor tweaks to attitude and scheme could provide an upgrade over the VanGorder units that never were able to establish any sort of identity.

Blank made quite a bit of noise after the loss to the Giants about how simply getting to the playoffs wasn’t good enough. He wants his team to win playoff games and contend for the Super Bowl.

That really hasn’t changed. But after the heat of the moment cooled a bit, Blank, Smith and Dimitroff sat back and realized they weren’t all that far from where they wanted to be. Early in his days as an owner, Blank was portrayed as hands-on and reactionary. I don’t think those descriptions really fit him anymore and I think he’s learned from his past. I think Blank is at a stage where he remains plugged in but trusts Smith and Dimitroff to make the football decisions.

“I went back and studied this over a long period of time in the NFL and studied the great teams,’’ Blank said. “Consistency is very important in terms of leadership with coaches and players. The great teams, what they have done is they’ve kept their head coaches for a longer period of time, kept their general managers for a longer period of time, and they identified early enough their core players and they extended them. The football staff has done a great job of identifying the players that can help us and keep them.’’

The salary cap also was a factor in the Falcons’ approach to the offseason. Pursuing Williams or some other big names in free agency would have meant sacrificing continuity. The only key player the Falcons lost was middle linebacker Curtis Lofton -- and that was a calculated loss. Lofton wanted a lot of money and Atlanta placed a limit on his value. If the Falcons had made just one or two big free-agency moves and kept Lofton, guys like Abraham, McClure, DeCoud, Douglas and Snelling wouldn’t be on the roster. The team would have had to cut other players to free up cap room. The Falcons could have made a splash, but it would have left them with all sorts of holes.

“What you have to look at is, this is not like baseball,’’ Blank said. “There are limits. This is real money and not monopoly money … one of the beauties in the NFL is that in July and August fans of every team think their team has a chance to go to the playoffs or to go to the Super Bowl and win it. The salary-cap system forces you to make some tough choices. Thomas and Smitty and their staffs made these choices because they believe they were the ones that will give us the biggest bang for the buck going forward. I certainly tested their logic and asked questions, but I think their plan was all very sound and well-formulated.’’

Like it or not, Blank is putting his team (the one chosen by Smith and Dimitroff) on the field this fall. You might not like it now and that’s fine with Blank. He thinks you’ll like it a lot more as the season goes along.

The Atlanta Falcons will be featured once on national television in the preseason.

They’ll host the Cincinnati Bengals in an Aug. 16 game that will be carried on FOX. The exact dates and times for the other three preseason games are not set yet.

But the Falcons will open their preseason schedule at home with the Baltimore Ravens sometime between Aug. 9 and 13. They will play at Miami between Aug. 23 and 26.

They’ll wrap up the preseason with a game at Jacksonville on either Aug. 29 or 30. In recent years, the Falcons and Jaguars have played in the preseason and also held joint practices leading into the game. Atlanta coach Mike Smith was a former assistant to former Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio. Former Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is now the head coach in Jacksonville, so the healthy relationship between the two teams continues.

I’m not sure Smith and Mularkey would want to hold a joint practice so late in the preseason, because those type of workouts generally come earlier in the preseason. We’ll see.

USA Today sports television writer Michael Hiestand throws out a fascinating suggestion, writing that the New Orleans Saints should be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks’’ this summer.

It would be a fascinating story -- a close-up look at a team preparing to go through a season without suspended head coach Sean Payton. There could be even many more layers to this story before training camp arrives. Bill Parcells could be in Payton’s place and it’s possible multiple players also could be facing suspensions. This is unprecedented stuff for an NFL team and the drama could be tremendous.

Would the Saints accept if the show is offered to them? Tough question. In normal years, I’d say no. Payton runs a tight ship and I’d have a tough time seeing him giving cameras total access to his team. But this is not a normal year. Despite all the turmoil that has come out of the bounty program, the Saints have some charming players that could put this team back in a positive light. This might not be a bad move.

Could any other NFC South teams be candidates for the show?

The Atlanta Falcons last year made some vague statements that they could be interested if the time was right. Atlanta has the kind of veteran team that could probably handle the distractions that might come with this. But I have a tough time seeing coach Mike Smith being in favor of opening up his locker room and meeting rooms to the world.

The Carolina Panthers are viewed as a team on the rise and quarterback Cam Newton is a media darling. That could make the Panthers interesting to HBO and NFL Films. But as long as Marty Hurney is the general manager, I don’t see the Panthers going down this road.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were courted for the show last season and former coach Raheem Morris was lobbying for his team to be on the show. Ultimately, the Bucs declined. They said they wanted to make sure their young team was at a point in its development where it could handle potential distractions. That was probably a wise move because last season showed the Bucs were far from a finished product. My early impressions of new coach Greg Schiano are that he’s not the kind of guy that would want to put his team in the spotlight. That could change once Schiano’s been around a year or two, but I’m guessing the Bucs aren’t interested this year.