The Atlanta Falcons aren’t accustomed to being a model franchise. Even before Mike Vick was hauled off to prison, their successes were of the flash in the pan variety. So when general manager Thomas Dimitroff came aboard in 2008, who knew the most successful decade in franchise history lay directly ahead?
Fast forward a decade and the Falcons are perennial contenders in the NFC. They’ve set an excellent example for teams looking to escape mediocrity. ESPN’s Vaughn McClure really got me thinking about this earlier today with his must-read piece about Deion Jones.