Talk » makes a quick trip to Toronto over the week

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons have an advantage over most teams that have the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft. The Falcons already have their franchise quarterback. Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said he appreciates being free to consider talented options he can add to an Atlanta roster that already includes Matt Ryan. "Rarely are you sitting at 6 when youre not looking for a quarterback," Dimitroff said. "The fact we have our franchise quarterback and were dabbling around in the top 10 is something that is very encouraging to me." Perhaps the most obvious option is to find better protection for Ryan by selecting one of the top offensive tackles in the draft. But Dimitroff said he also sees pass rushers, linebackers and wide receivers among the top 10 picks in the draft. "Its a very accomplished top 10," Dimitroff said. Ryan signed a $104 million extension before last season and then was sacked 44 times, a career high. The Falcons troubled offensive line couldnt protect Ryan or improve the leagues worst rushing attack. The Falcons could help protect the big investment in Ryan by drafting an offensive tackle. Texas A&Ms Jake Matthews and Michigans Taylor Lewan may be available at No. 6. Most mock drafts have Auburns Greg Robinson being selected in the top five picks. "Theyre all big, theyre all strong, theyre all athletic, theyre all really good football players with upside," Dimitroff said. "They all come to the table with something a little bit different." Here are five things to know about the Falcons draft: BOLD MOVE: Dimitroff has proved hes not reluctant to make bold moves in the draft. Perhaps his biggest gamble would be to pull off a monster trade with Houston, which has the No. 1 overall pick, to select South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. There is a definite need at the position after the Falcons had only 32 sacks last season, tied for the third fewest in the league. The Falcons have 10 picks, so they could offer a package to Houston. But an Atlanta team coming off a 4-12 season may have too many needs to afford committing a significant part of the draft to one player, even one as talented as Clowney. EXPECT A TRADE: Even if he doesnt move up to the top overall pick, expect Dimitroff to be active. The Falcons have made a trade in each of his first six drafts with Atlanta. Usually the GM has moved up with trades. This year he could look to add even more depth to his draft by trading down -- especially after the first round. Dimitroff said being near the top of every round "is important for us." "Weve rarely had that," he said. "The opportunity to be at the top of (the second through fourth rounds) is something that could be very beneficial for us. Not only the opportunity to draft there but the opportunity to potentially move back because a lot of teams will be interested in messing around up in that area, so to speak." TOP 10 HITS: Dimitroff has had success in his only other chances to select a player as high as No. 6. In 2008, his first draft with the Falcons, Ryan was the No. 3 overall pick. In 2011, he traded a package of five picks to move up and select receiver Julio Jones, who made the Pro Bowl the following year. Some say Jones season-ending foot injury in 2013 supported criticisms that Atlanta gave up too much for the receiver. Dimitroff said he remains "completely at ease" with the trade for Jones, who is expected to be ready for the 2014 season. LOOKING FOR A RB: Backup running back Jason Snelling has retired. Starter Steven Jackson will be 31 at the start of the season and missed four games with a hamstring injury last season. Jacquizz Rodgers returns behind Jackson, but help is needed at the position. NEW FACE IN DRAFT ROOM: Dimitroff has been reunited with Scott Pioli, the teams new assistant general manager. The two began their careers together in Cleveland, working under coach Bill Belichick in the early 1990s. Pioli and Dimitroff also worked together on New England staffs that won Super Bowls in the 2003 and 04 seasons. Pioli was let go as Kansas Citys general manager following the 2012 season. NHL Jerseys China . -- Novak Djokovic benefited from an erroneous call and claimed he didnt realize he had broken the rules. NHL Jerseys Outlet .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at LeBron James and the Miami Heat winning their second straight NBA championship. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/ . - Olympic champion Marielle Thompson accomplished her mission of defending her skicross World Cup title at Nakiska Ski Area on Saturday. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . If there is one club built to handle an off-field controversy, its the Bill Belichick era Patriots. Even if New Englands offence stumbles a bit out of the gate, their defence can help them stay in games, especially in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in the first two weeks. Wholesale NHL Jerseys .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness.BROOKLYN - It was widely expected to be one of the more unpredictable drafts in recent memory, but in the end it was Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors that raised the most eyebrows. For the first time all night, as the Raptors were on the clock to make the 20th overall selection, no one had the slightest idea what was about to happen. No leaks, no whispers, nothing. Then came the announcement. "With the 20th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select Bruno Caboclo from Sao Paulo, Brazil," first-year commissioner Adam Silver proclaimed with a confused look on his face as the basketball world raced to their internet browsers and Google apps. Who was this Brazilian mystery man? The grainy clip of him shown on the broadcast appeared to be shot from a cell phone. A web search produced a few brief videos, little more. The bio distributed by the Raptors came courtesy of Eurobasket and listed his weight as "n/a". "Theres probably three or four teams that knew about him," Raptors coach Dwane Casey told reporters in Toronto shortly after the selection. Seven days ago Casey was in the same boat. He knew very little about the player that would eventually become his newest 6-foot-9, 205-pound small forward. "I hadnt seen him, didnt know who he was but I was totally impressed when I saw him," said Casey, who accompanied Ujiri on a scouting trip to Houston where they watched Caboclo workout and met with him a week ago. Caboclo had been on Ujiris radar for some time. The Raptors general manager made three trips to see the young Brazilian forward play throughout the season, and he had to be "stealth" about it. In this day and age it seems impossible that such a talent could exist, anywhere in the world, without every team and every scout knowing about him, right? It also seemed impossible that for once, in this age of social media, a pick was not broken on Twitter five minutes before it was made. But thats Ujiri. Thats how he does business, quietly. Expecting to use the 37th pick of the draft, Ujiri promised Caboclo the Raptors would select him months ago and as a result, the forward declined to workout for NBA teams. True to form, Ujiri was not following along with mock drafts, he was not the least bit concerned about how such a pick would be received. He saw something in Caboclo. "Hes a talent," Ujiri said of the 18-year-old and youngest player available in this draft. "I think at the end of the day we will be happy we picked him." Caboclo was not Ujiris primary target. As expected, the Raptors were after Canadian point guard Tyler Ennis, hoping he would fall to them while also trying desperately to trade up for him. Ideally, Toronto had hoped to select Ennis with pick no. 20 and snag Caboclo early in the second-round with pick no. 37. But the plan changed, as they often do on draft night, when the Phoenix Suns took Ennis at 18, two picks ahead of the Raptors. "We decided we lost one," Ujiri said. "Were not going to lose the second one. We jumped on it." The Raptors were fearful that Caboclo, second on their board, wouldnt make it back to them. A couple teams that had intel on the Brazilian and were believed to be interested - Phoenix and Utah - had picks ahead of Toronto and after missing out on a similar prodigy in Greek freeak Giannis Antetokounmpo a year ago, Ujiri was not going to let this target get away.dddddddddddd. The allure, despite the lack of available information, is not a surprise given the rare gifts possessed by the long and athletic Caboclo. The first thing that jumps out watching short clips of the newest Raptor is his 7-foot-7 wingspan. "Bruno is an athletic phenomenon," Casey said. "At [pick no.] 20, you cant go out and get a perfect player but this young man has a chance to hit it big. Hes raw but hes going to be a guy thats going to develop in our program and grow and do a lot of things for us. Defensively hes long, he covers a lot of ground down [and] blocks shots with his length." He passed Caseys eye test immediately and the Raptors coach is confident hell turn heads once he heads north, calling him one of the most athletic players in the draft. "I know a lot of people dont know about him. Were excited to get him. Hes going to be a guy thats going to grow with our program and no one is going to be disappointed once this guy is developed and hits his peak because hes one of those guys that has a chance to hit it big as far as his potential is concerned." After a return to the playoffs last season, the Raptors have the luxury of bringing Caboclo along slowly, allowing him to learn in practice and on the bench, without the pressure of having to produce at a high level in his rookie campaign. Among other things, hell need to get bigger and stronger, hell need to get comfortable with the NBA game and his familiarity with the language will also be a work in progress. Upon meeting the 18-year-old Brazilian, Casey asked him who his favourite player is, to which Caboclo responded, "Kevin Durant". "Can you guard Kevin Durant," Casey asked and without hesitation the young man replied, "yes". Casey was impressed with his willingness and ability to learn on fly, a quality that should serve him well when he does join his new team. "Hes a smart young man, his basketball IQ is high," said the Raptors coach. "He knows how to play, has a great feel for the game. Hes going to be a clean slate as far as a guy to work with." Caboclo spent draft night in New York getting his visa sorted out before he makes a quick trip to Toronto over the weekend, where hell be introduced following a workout at the ACC on Saturday. Next week hell meet up with some of his new teammates and coaches in Los Angeles and is expected to participate in Summer League with the Raptors next month. Although theres no telling what role hell have with the team or to what extent hes able to produce right away, Caboclo will be a member of the Raptors this coming season. The Raptors were able to add a more seasoned player with the 37th pick in forward DeAndre Daniels, a proven winner and member of the reining National Champion UConn Huskies. Daniels, 22, averaged 13.1 points and 6.0 rebounds with Connecticut last season. "Hes a good athlete also," Casey said of Daniels. "Hes a guy thats going to go through our Summer League program and well see where he is but I was impressed with his workout." Toronto selected Xavier Thames of San Diego State with the 59th overall pick, quickly trading him to the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations. ' ' '