On the offensive side of the ball, they’re waiting to hear back from Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, and Brian Callahan. On the other side, the Falcons requested to interview Mike Macdonald, Raheem Morris, Aaron Glenn, Anthony Weaver, Steve Wilks and Ejiro Evero.
There are surely more to come, but as of right now, this is the crop of potential Falcons head coaches. A few of them actually appeared among Atlanta’s best fits, according to Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated.
Best fits: Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh, Raheem Morris, Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Steve Wilks, Lou Anarumo
Jim Harbaugh is my top candidate. He’s a proven winner and has done it at every level, able to connect with veterans as well as fresh-faced rookies. Harbaugh has also built three different offenses around three different quarterbacks in Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith, and most recently J.J. McCarthy.
Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel would be the next two that stand above the rest. The former could be the next Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, etc, helping Atlanta’s three horsemen of skill position players realize their full potential. Vrabel, on the other hand, is also a proven winner that probably shouldn’t have been fired in the first place. His ability to squeeze the most out of a roster is an intriguing attribute.
Raheem Morris and Steve Wilks seem primed to garner plenty of head coaching interviews without actually ever getting a job offer, even if they deserve it. Morris seems unlikely in Atlanta because I doubt Arthur Blank and Rich McKay admit the last three years were a complete waste and hire their former interim head coach before Arthur Smith took over.
Lou Anarumo is a name that I haven’t seen very often. The 57-year-old Bengals defensive coordinator did great things with Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell then again impressed with youngsters Dax Hill and Jordan Battle. That versatility with personnel is intriguing because connecting to a 10-year veteran and a 20-year-old rookie isn’t easy.
However, the Bengals’ defense has certainly taken a step back with the departure of its stars. I’ve always said talent matters more than scheme on the defensive side of the ball, and it rings true here. Anarumo seems like a long shot.
My way-too-early prediction: Bill Belichick
The Falcons have been most connected to the GOAT, who parted ways with the Patriots earlier this week. It makes sense to a certain extent. Arthur Blank has been enamored with the “Patriot Way” that Belichick created in Foxborough. Moreover, the roster is ready to win right now, so there would be no grace period for either side.
However, for a few reasons, it doesn’t make sense. The quarterback position’s vacancy has to turn Belichick off in some capacity. He just came from New England where he didn’t have reliable play at the position, only to come to a club with the same problem? I don’t see it.
The Falcons owner seems set on Bill Belichick, though. It’d be my way-too-early prediction too.
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Photographer: Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire
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