Falcons trade for Tony Gonzalez

Two days before the start of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Falcons traded for perennial Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez on Thursday, general manager Thomas Dimitroff announced.

The Falcons sent their second-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Gonzalez, who’s a 10-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro selection.

The trade changes the focus of the draft for the Falcons. Several projections had them selecting Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew with the 24th pick. After acquiring Gonzalez, the Falcons will draft heavily for defense after allowing five starters to leave via free agency.

“The tight end position was in consideration,” Dimitroff said. “It’s very important for us to continue to focus on the defensive side of the ball.”

The Falcons have been in the market for a pass-catching tight end since the middle of last season. They attempted to trade for Gonzalez at the trading deadline last season.

Talks heated up recently and culminated with this trade between Dimitroff and Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli, two men who worked together with the New England Patriots.

The Falcons also pursued tight end L.J. Smith during free agency before deciding that he did not fit their scheme. Smith eventually signed with Baltimore.

Dimitroff doesn’t believe that the Falcons gave up too much for Gonzalez, who turned 33 in February.

“We feel very comfortable with the fact that it is a 2010 second-rounder,” Dimitroff said. “We wanted to put together two draft classes, this year and last year. It was very important for us to have a full slate this year.”

There wasn’t any dropoff in Gonzalez’s play last season. He caught 96 passes for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns while playing most of the season with quarterback Tyler Thigpen, who was in his first season as an NFL starter.

Gonzalez was the 13th player taken in the 1997 draft. He also played basketball in college at California.

Over his 12 seasons — all spent with the Chiefs — Gonzalez has averaged 76.2 catches and 994.5 yards per season.

“We think Tony is a very adept tight end at all levels on the field,” Dimitroff said. “He has the ability to be a threat in the red zone.”

The Falcons haven’t ruled out selecting an offensive player in the draft.

“We still will consider offense,” Dimitroff said. “We have a list of need positions and will continue to look at the draft to see how it falls.”

Dimitroff and Smith called Gonzalez with the news.

“We had a great conversation with him,” Dimitroff said. “He was very excited to be apart of the Atlanta Falcons. He really believes he can come to this team and offer leadership both on and off the field.”