FanHouse ThomasDeCoud

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

On the heels of a nightmarish 2007 season, the Falcons were predicted to go 0-16 by some pundits. But not even the most optimistic Falcons fan would have expected a playoff spot, and even fewer would have seen Matt Ryan going from rookie to franchise quarterback before the season's halfway point.

But now here comes the hard part: The Falcons have never managed to put together back-to-back winning seasons. Whenever the Falcons have broken through with a playoff appearance, it's always been followed with a quick crash back to Earth.

On a Falcons team that was young at a whole lot of positions, safety Lawyer Milloy was one of the few old men in the starting lineup.

But when the 2009 season rolls around, Milloy will be playing elsewhere. The Falcons have told Milloy's agent that they are not planning to offer him a contract to come back.

Erik Coleman is coming back, while Thomas DeCoud, last year's third-round pick, would seem to be the best bet to get the first shot at replacing Milloy although DeCoud seems to be a better fit at free safety than strong safety.