ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Falcons began a major overhaul Tuesday after a dismal season, signing three linemen at the start of free agency, re-signing defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, and cutting former Pro Bowl safety Thomas DeCoud. [url=http://www.footballhotspurstore.com/Women-Jan-Vertonghen-Totten

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Falcons began a major overhaul Tuesday after a dismal season, signing three linemen at the start of free agency, re-signing defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, and cutting former Pro Bowl safety Thomas DeCoud. Jan Vertonghen Jersey . Needing to bulk up on both sides of the line, the Falcons agreed to terms with guard Jon Asamoah, defensive end Tyson Jackson and defensive tackle Paul Soliai. Asamoah and Jackson played last season with Kansas City, where Asamoah lost his starting job. They were familiar to former Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who was hired in January as Atlantas assistant GM. The 345-pound Soliai spent seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins, including two seasons under Mike Nolan, now the defensive co-ordinator of the Falcons. "They are good football players and solid in many ways," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said in a conference call. "They add to the toughness, the size and the grittiness of our team. That was a goal we had set out at the beginning of the off-season to accomplish." Terms of the new contracts were not released, but Soliai reportedly received a five-year deal worth $33 million, with $14 million guaranteed, while Jackson got a five-year deal worth up to $25 million. "Paul has played for coach Nolan in Miami and is familiar with our scheme, and Tyson is a good football player that will fit with what we want to do defensively as well," Falcons coach Mike Smith said in a statement. "Jon is a physical, experienced offensive lineman that will add a veteran presence to our offensive line." The Falcons made re-signing Babineaux a top priority, not wanting to take another hit up front before delving into free agency. A nine-year veteran, Babineaux had 49 tackles, two fumble recoveries, a sack and a forced fumble last season. Overall, he has played 138 career games for Atlanta, with 108 starts. "Remaining an Atlanta Falcon and in Atlanta as my home were the best decisions for me and my family," said Babineaux, who agreed to a three-year contract. DeCoud, a third-round pick of the Falcons in 2008, was a leader on the Falcons defence two years ago when the team came up one victory short of the Super Bowl. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection. But DeCouds production dropped significantly last season as quarterbacks lit up the secondary and the Falcons plummeted to 4-12 for their first losing season since 2007. He was the second starter released from that unit, following cornerback Asante Samuel. "The search for a safety that will help us in our quest to be a more established and consistent defence was at the forefront of this decision," Dimitroff said. In other moves, the Falcons re-signed centre Joe Hawley, who made seven starts in 2013 after Peter Konz lost the job, and offensive lineman Mike Johnson, who was expected to contend for a starting job a year ago but went down in training camp with a season-ending injury. In a procedural move, Atlanta formally released tight end Tony Gonzalez, who retired at the end of last season and has already taken a job as a television commentator. "This was a decision we had to make with the start of the new league year as we begin retooling our roster for 2014," Dimitroff said. "On behalf of the entire Falcons organization, we wish Tony all the best in his television career and thank him for everything he did for this franchise." Asamoah was a third-round pick in 2010 by the Chiefs. He fell out of favour with coach Andy Reid and was benched last season in favour of journeyman Geoff Schwartz. Still, the Falcons feel he can stabilize the right guard position, which has been a major issue for several years. Atlanta cut Garrett Reynolds, who made 10 starts at that position last season before he was replaced by Konz, who had flopped at centre. The line must do a better job protecting quarterback Matt Ryan, who was sacked 44 times, and opening up holes for a running game that ranked last in the league at just 77.9 yards per game. Jackson was the third overall pick in the 2009 draft out of LSU, but never had a breakout year with the Chiefs. He did have a career-high four sacks in 2013, so the Falcons hope hes ready to make a more prominent impact. Atlanta is desperate to get more outside pressure on opposing quarterbacks after notching just 32 sacks last season; only two teams had fewer. Soliai played in 99 games with the Dolphins, including 62 starts. Last season, he had 34 tackles with one sack, one forced fumble and five passes defenced. He played under Nolan in 2010 and 2011, earning his first career Pro Bowl selection in the latter season. With big holes remaining in the secondary and at tight end, plus the draft coming up, Dimitroff said there is plenty of work left to do. "We will continue to add in every direction to fix this team," he said. Michel Vorm Hotspur Jersey .com) - The Dallas Mavericks had a five-game winning streak snapped last time out, but theyll try to get back into the winners circle Sunday evening when the Milwaukee Bucks pay a visit to American Airlines Center. Toby Alderweireld Hotspur Jersey . - Mark Sanchez found out the New York Jets had acquired Tim Tebow on a conference call with team management. http://www.footballhotspurstore.com/Women-Eric-Dier-Tottenham-Hotspur-Jersey/ . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.TORONTO – The Maple Leafs dont have to look back too far in history to know how this story ends. Toronto has happily snatched up 15 of 18 points in the past three weeks, but not without a few troubling signs of late that has the group on alert. An all too brief window of shot suppression and structure after a pair of November blowouts has veered precisely in the opposite direction. The club has surrendered an average of 37 shots in the past six games, outshot by an average of nearly 10 in that span. Theyve scratched out wins on the strength on a powerhouse offence and of late, some fine goaltending, a formula history has proven flawed. Obviously winning is the No. 1 thing, head coach Randy Carlyle said. But we know and history has proven to us, if its proven to anybody, that if it continues, then our chances of having long-term success are going to go down. Last seasons nightmarish finish is all too fresh, the Leafs skating on a house of cards that eventually collapsed in another failed playoff miss. Process, rather than simple results, has been the approach in avoiding a similar fate this time around. That was the mindset after they were pummeled twice in a matter of days last month. They would focus on the details and let the results play out from there. One such detail or process goal as they dubbed it, was holding opponents under 25 shots, something they came close to managing in a trio of late November games. It was all about playing the right way, a mantra players and coaches co-opted last month. But as Carlyle noted Friday, the Leafs have gotten away from doing just that. Detroit peppered James Reimer with 42 shots on Wednesday, controlling the puck almost without exception in a game the Leafs lucked out in a shootout. A night earlier, the Leafs clung nervously to a one-goal lead in the third period, prevailing on the strength of Jonathan Berniers theatrics in a misleading 4-1 win over Calgary. Its not the recipe for success, said 37-year-old sage, Stephane Robidas. You look at teams that are successful, they play really good defensively and thats something we feel we need to correct, those areas of our game that can be better. For Robidas, it starts in those details; taking care of the puck, holding tighter position in the neutral zone and attacking the opposing defence with rigour. The Leafs dug out from the lowest point of their season – that 9-2 thrashing to Nashville at home – by focusing on those habits, subsequently spending less time defending and more time on the attack. The more time we can spend in the offensive zone, the better it is, Robidas said. Thats the best way to defend. The Red Wings, whom the Leafs host again on Saturday, held possession of the puck for more than 70 per cent of the affair at Joe Louis Arena. Only Reimers 41 saves kept it close enough for the visitors to steal in the shootout. However wearisome their play has been most recently, this Leafs group looks different from the one that flamed out last season. For one, they boast a deeper and more versatile lineup, no longer entirely reliant on one line for offence. Among others, Mike Santorelli, Peter Holland, Leo Komarov (still out with a concussion), and Richard Panik have spurred a more balanced attack. Christian Eriksen Hotspur Jersey. The Leafs trail only Tampa in nightly offence – 3.36 goals per game – managing 17 goals more than they had at this point a year ago. And thats with that aforementioned top unit puttering through the last few weeks at even-strength. We know we can score, thats just a given, said Nazem Kadri, whos emerged with eight points in the past seven games, but its just preventing goals and keeping goals out of our net and having those shot totals decrease a little bit. I think the last couple games have been a little iffy for us as far as the shot department goes, but thats something we can limit, no problem. This Leafs team also has shown to be capable on the penalty kill thus far, boasting a top-10 unit for much for the season. Continued success there alone would help stem some of the damage that gutted the club last year. And unlike that group of a year ago, the goaltending (until just recently) has been just good, but not great. Maybe most notable of all is the awareness of a group that now includes more seasoned types like Robidas, Santorelli and Daniel Winnik. Torontos group last year proved stubborn to Carlyles constant prodding and the need for change, rarely accepting that their flawed process to victory was ill-suited for long-term success. At about this point in December last year, they lost for the eighth time in 10 games at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Kadri brazenly declared afterward that theres lots of time. Fifty games left, theres no reason to panic. Its just something weve got to figure out in the dressing room. They never did. And while Kadri observed that the rising shot totals recently was something we can limit, no problem there was, at the very least, an acceptance of the concern. If less likely to completely implode, theres reason to believe this hot streak will cool some soon. Beyond just the obvious faults of their very recent play is that aforementioned offence, which is unlikely to pop at such a furious pace. The Leafs have scored four goals per game since Nov. 20, scoring on a better percentage of their shots than every team but one this season. Their PDO – which combines shooting percentage and save percentage to measure luck – suggests that such luck will regress some in the future. Continuing to yield nearly 40 shots every night is also an obvious formula for trouble and if improved marginally in the possession game – theyve crept from 30th to 27th overall – the Leafs are still amongst the worst in the league. I dont like to compare last year because we all know what happened in the end, said Carlyle, and thats really what were trying to guard against in this situation. We cant accept whats happening, but well accept the points. Nobody is going to say no we dont want the points but we understand that there is a better and more productive way for us to have long-term success. We have to change some of the things that are happening out there. Carlyle sold that point ahead of a weekend set with the Red Wings and Kings. The proof will be in our reaction, he said. ' ' '