FLOWERY BRANCH http://www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dre_mont-jones-jersey , Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons were looking to bulk up in the trenches after a disappointing season.They stuck to that plan, even when one potential target after another was snatched up ahead of the 14th pick in the NFL draft.In a bit of a surprise, the Falcons selected offensive guard Chris Lindstrom from Boston College with their first-round choice Thursday night, adding another piece to a line that needed a big upgrade after star quarterback Matt Ryan took a pounding in 2019.As it turned out, Atlanta wasn’t done. Just before midnight, the Falcons dealt their second- and third-round picks to Los Angeles for the next-to-last selection of the first round, which they used to grab Washington offensive tackle Kaleb McGary at No. 31. Atlanta also got a sixth-round pick in the deal.The Falcons were thought to covet a wealth of stellar defensive linemen, but six of those players were gobbled up in the first 13 picks. Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams went to Cincinnati at No. 11, depriving Atlanta of another possible selection. When Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was grabbed by Miami just ahead of the Falcons’ pick, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Lindstrom became the choice.He’ll now be charged with protecting fellow Boston College alum Ryan, who was the Falcons’ top pick in 2008.“He’s come up to speak with the team a few times T.J. Hockenson Jersey ,” Lindstrom said. “He’s a great ambassador for what it means to be a BC man. I’m thankful to be able to play with him.”Ryan will be looking for a lot better protection from the guys up front. He was sacked 42 times and took 108 hits, a career high.“We were focused on offensive line,” general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “We need to protect Matt.”Atlanta hasn’t used a first-round pick on an offensive guard since Bill Fralic was chosen at No. 2 overall in 1985. Lindstrom joins a revamped offensive line that includes two other new guards, free agent signees James Carpenter and Jamon Brown.“I’m just trying to help the team,” Lindstrom said. When asked pointedly if he was capable of starting right away, he deferred. “I’m just trying to come in and work right now and try to be a great player.”The pick was not well received by Falcons fans watching the draft at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Many appeared baffled by the choice, perhaps because many draft analysts projected Lindstrom as possibly slipping into Friday’s second round.At least he comes from good bloodlines. His father, also named Chris, was a lineman at Boston University who went on to play three seasons in the NFL. Younger brother Alec just completed his freshman year on Boston College’s offensive line.McGary is a 6-foot-7, 324-pounder who will get a chance to compete for the starting job at right tackle.While the Falcons received offers to move up from the 14th pick and were interested in players such as Wilkins, Dimitroff insisted that offensive line was the top priority.Lindstrom, he added Zach Brown Jersey , was the guy the Falcons wanted all along.“We knew we would have to be aggressive,” Dimitroff said. “We’re not looking back. We made the choice of Lindstrom. We’re not concerned about anyone thinking he’s a reach.”Set at quarterback with former MVP Ryan and veteran backup Matt Schaub, the Falcons were hoping several teams ahead of them would go in that direction. The Arizona Cardinals selected Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray with the top overall pick, and Daniel Jones of Duke went to the New York Giants at No. 6.That was it.After the Falcons selected Lindstrom, Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins was scooped up by Washington at No. 15.Atlanta had its highest spot in the draft since 2015, when the team was heading into its first season under coach Dan Quinn. On the heels of two straight playoff appearances, including a run to the Super Bowl during the 2016 season, the Falcons were ravaged by injuries and slipped to 7-9 a year ago.Quinn fired all three coordinators in a shake-up that led to the head coach taking over the defensive play-calling duties.Lindstrom watched the draft from his family’s home in Massachusetts.“It was just my immediate family until I got drafted,” he said during a teleconference with Atlanta media. “It sounds like a lot of people just showed up.” DALLAS (AP) — Scott Linehan is out as offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, less than a week after coach Jason Garrett sent mixed messages about the future for the oft-criticized assistant.Garrett, in a statement released by the team Friday, described the move as a mutual decision after he and Linehan had some open and positive discussions this week. Linehan Kyler Murray Jersey , who just completed his fifth season in Dallas, had one more season left on his contract.“This was very much a mutual decision, and there was a great deal of common ground and shared understanding between both of us during our meetings,” Garrett said. “Scott has had an incredibly positive impact on our football team. He has been instrumental in the development and success of a significant number of our veteran and younger players.”The Cowboys rebounded after a 3-5 start to win the NFC East. They beat the Seattle Seahawks in a home wild-card game before a 30-22 loss at the Los Angeles Rams last weekend.Garrett said on his radio show Monday he thought Linehan would return and didn’t expect any significant changes to his staff. But at a news conference later in the day, Garrett was far from definitive and said discussions about a coaching staff hadn’t happened.Linehan said in a statement issued by the team that he and Garrett agreed after “a good, direct talk” that “a fresh start was probably best for both of us.”“I’ll always respect Jason as a coach, and I consider him a good friend,” Linehan said. “I’ll miss my fellow coaches and my players a great deal. But life is about change and growth, and I very much look forward to my next challenge.”Dallas’ slow start this season was largely blamed on a misfiring offense. There were questions about creativity, including from Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-analyst Troy Aikman, who won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys in the 1990s.The Cowboys were much better offensively in the second half of the season after sending their first-round pick in this year’s draft to Oakland for receiver Amari Cooper. But the Cowboys were one of just four teams to convert fewer than half their trips inside the 20-yard line into touchdowns.During the regular season, the Cowboys averaged 344 total yards and 21.2 points a game to rank 22nd in the NFL in both categories. Their only loss the last half of the regular season was 23-0 at Indianapolis on Dec. 16 Byron Murphy Jersey , the first time in 15 years they were held scoreless.The question of Linehan’s replacement will revolve around finding the right fit for quarterback Dak Prescott. The 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year regressed in the season and a half following that honor before his efficiency improved after the addition of Cooper.The Cowboys also have one of the NFL’s best running backs in Ezekiel Elliott, who was a first-year sensation alongside Prescott for a 13-3 team that had the top seed in 2016 before losing to Green Bay in the divisional round. Elliott has won two rushing titles in his three seasons.One intriguing consideration is whether to utilize Prescott’s mobility more. One of his strengths is throwing on the run, and he’s already within two touchdowns rushing of Hall of Famer Roger Staubach’s franchise record of 20.“I think we can get better schematically,” executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said on his radio show a day before the decision on Linehan was announced. “I think we can improve on our scheme, on our design, and I think we can throw the ball efficiently and effectively with the personnel we have.”Linehan was Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins in 2005, when Garrett was in charge of the quarterbacks in his first year as an NFL assistant. St. Louis hired Linehan as head coach, and he was fired during his third season in 2008.The 55-year-old Linehan was offensive coordinator in Detroit for Matthew Stafford’s first five seasons with the Lions before joining the Cowboys when Tony Romo was the starter in 2014. Prescott replaced an injured Romo two years later.