Michael Turner Photos

It's time to start projecting It would be hard to find an acquisition that seemed more inevitable than Steven Jackson, who had been linked to the Falcons for weeks leading up to his signing. At worst, S-Jax brings more to the starting job than Michael Turner did, with his ability to catch balls out of the backfield, even if he can't do much more as a runner than Burner. At best, he's a sizeable upgrade who can do a little bit of everything. We won't know what S-Jax is capable of for these Falcons until he steps on the field, but we can certainly project what he'll do in 2013. I'm turni...

This pick could have gone in a lot of different directions. With the releases of OT Tyson Clabo, DE John Abraham and RB Michael Turner, and the uncertainty surrounding the return of TE Tony Gonzalez, there were a lot of holes to fill on a team that is built to win now. Those questions marks were addressed in pretty rapid fire -- the return of Gonzalez, the signing of former St. Louis workhorse Steven Jackson at RB, and the signing of Osi Umenyiora at DE (although the latter may be a situational player only). This franchise is desperate to win it all now-MDR21 One train of thought...

The Falcons were a team heavily reliant on the run for much of the last decade. Whether you were talking about Warrick Dunn, T.J. Duckett or Michael Turner, the Falcons always had a back who was capable of carrying a hefty load. Until they broke down, at least. Dunn and Turner both had anemic last years in Atlanta, and in both cases, the Falcons looked to free agency to find their replacements. In this case, though, the Falcons elected not to go for young, fresh legs, but one of this generation's greats. With the addition of Steven Jackson to an already crowded depth chart, let's look ...

During his weekly National Football Post article called the Sunday Blitz, author Dan Pompei rates the best available free agents at this point during free agency. Grouped by positions, names like Brady Quinn, Michael Turner, Kevin Boss, Brandon Lloyd are out there (hence why free agency has mostly shut down). Reflecting on Eric Winston, who is arguably the best offensive tackle on the free agency market, Pompei concludes during his offensive tackle blurb that "Several personnel men I spoke with find Andre Smith highly overrated." Lack of known interest around the NFL indirectly confir...

FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2008 file photo,Atlanta Falcons' center Todd McClure spikes the ball to celebrate a two-yard touchdown run by Michael Turner against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFL football game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. McClure will officially announce his retirement at a news conference Monday, March 25, 2013, after spending his entire 14-year career with the Falcons. The 36-year-old McClure said on Twitter, "Hope I can get through it with out getting (too) choked up." (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

If you've seen me in the threads or on Twitter, you know that for all my trepidation about sinking a three-year deal into a 30-year-old back, I think Steven Jackson fits the offense perfectly. Why would I go and say a crazy thing like that? Because of what S-Jax brings to the table. Let's do a quick comparison of Jackson's 2012 numbers versus Michael Turner's. Let me stress, given the nature of comparison I'm about to make, how much I respect Turner and appreciate what he did for the Falcons franchise. Michael Turner: 222 carries, 800 yards, 3.6 YPC, 10 TDsSteven Jackson: 257 carrie...

The Falcons are in a stage of transition. While the departures of Michael Turner and Dunta Robinson were not entirely surprising, the release of John Abraham was a little startling. Any time you cut a player responsible for 10.0 of the team's 29.0 sacks, it's a gutsy move, and it means that Thomas Dimitroff will need to find an impact pass-rusher with all due haste. But more than that, it is a move that signifies several things. The Falcons are looking to get younger, of that we can be certain. The team also appears ready to invest in a pass-rusher that can remain on the field on a mor...

The Falcons under Thomas Dimitroff have never been afraid to make a bold move. Some of those moves (Julio Jones, Michael Turner) have worked out well. Others have failed (Dunta Robinson). If we've learned one thing from the last five years, though, it's to never totally discount a rumor. The latest rumor is one we've discussed idly before, but it's a doozy. According to the New York Daily News, the Falcons and 49ers are the two teams that have the most interest in trading for Darrelle Revis. Read More: Revis wore a Falcons hat Obviously, this would be a blockbuster. The Falcons wo...

Reports of the Atlanta Falcons' interest in St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson are not shrinking away. Atlanta thinks that he could be a suitable replacement for since released Michael Turner. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the latest on the Jackson-Falcons reports: As far as outside free agents, it appears that Steven Jackson, who reportedly will void his contract with the Rams, will be the top target in light of the release of running back Michael Turner ... Jackson could split duties with Jacquizz Rodgers, who had a strong second season. Jackson is an adept pass catch...

If in the distant future when you're bouncing a virtual granchild on your bionic knee, you are asked about Michael Turner, you should be able to recall exactly what made him great during his five seasons in Atlanta. In the interest of not disappointing little 3R1C, I've put together a handy year-by-year guide to what made Turner one of the most compelling and productive players in the long history of our Atlanta Falcons before his release on Friday. Come remember the best and worst of times with me, won't you? The Beginning, 2008 The Falcons under Thomas Dimitroff developed a reputatio...

The free agency frenzy doesn't begin until March 12. FILe - In this Dec. 16, 2012 file photo, Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner (33) runs over New York Giants linebacker Adrian Tracy (98) during the first half of an NFL football game in Atlanta. FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2012 file photo, Atlanta Falcons defensive end John Abraham is shown on the sidelines during the second half of the NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C. The Falcons have released running back Michael Turner, Abraham and cornerback Dunta Robinson The moves were announced Friday, M...

It's time for an open-ended question, because I know you love those. If the Falcons can fit any non-Falcon free agents into their newly created cap space—and that's a question mark, too—who would you have them get? Read More: Michael Turner among Falcons cuts I open the floor to all of you. Discuss!

By now, the news of the cuts to Michael Turner, Dunta Robinson and John Abraham has resonated through Falcons nation. While the Turner cut - and to a lesser extent, Robinson - were somewhat expected, the Abe cut caught many people by surprise. At this point, it seems likely that Abe will find another team - even if he will be 35 this season. So, with Abe out the door, where the do the Falcons turn for a pass rush? I think the answers may already be on the roster. Before we delve into each of these guys, let's remember back to a statement that Mike Nolan made when he first came to the F...

There's no telling how big a factor the injury was in Michael Turner's release—my guess is not a lot—but we're now seeing reports that say Turner was cut for a failed physical. I also want to take a moment and thank the Atlanta Falcons fans. You guys made it easy for me to come to work every day and give you everything I had. -Michael Turner on Facebook I've thought since early in the off-season that the Falcons would part ways with Turner, given his $6.9 million salary, and it's likely he would have gotten the axe even if he had been in peak physical condition. The fact that he...

FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2013 file photo, Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson celebrates after stripping the ball from San Francisco 49ers' Michael Crabtree during the second half of the NFL football NFC Championship game in Atlanta. The Falcons have released running back Michael Turner, defensive end John Abraham and Robinson. The moves were announced Friday, March 1, 2013, by a team that came up just short of the Super Bowl. (AP Photo/David Goldman)