The Falcons staff under Raheem Morris is shaping up quite nicely.
The most notable hire was Zac Robinson, who was the most coveted offensive coordinator candidate of the hiring cycle. The former Rams quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator will be in charge of Atlanta’s offense.
Jimmy Lake, who has ties to Raheem Morris from their time in Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, will be the defensive coordinator in Atlanta. Morris also retained a healthy amount of coaches from Arthur Smith’s staff.
Offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, regarded as one of the best in the business, is a holdover as well as Michael Pitre, running backs coach, T.J. Yates, who is being moved from wide receivers to quarterbacks, and special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.
On Wednesday, we learned that the Falcons will also be retaining another member of Arthur Smith’s staff — Jerry Gray.
#Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray will remain with the team as a member of Raheem Morris’ coaching staff, sources say. Gray has agreed to a contract extension to stay in Atlanta.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 31, 2024
Gray’s specific role under Morris hasn’t yet been announced, but most of his experience lies in the secondary, which is where I would expect him to stay. Moreover, Jimmy Lake’s expertise lies in the secondary, and as defensive coordinator, he might not be as free to coach the defensive backs one-on-one. Keeping Gray on makes sense.
The Falcons experienced a load of success from the secondary this year. Jessie Bates III had an All-Pro campaign in his first season in Atlanta. Clark Phillips III and DeMarcco Hellams, both Day 3 draft picks, went from reserves to starters by the end of the season. Former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith praised Gray’s ability to explain the nuances of different schemes as well as his ability to connect to players as a former four-time Pro Bowler.
In addition to Jerry Gray, the Falcons are bringing in Jay Rodgers to be the defensive line coach after spending the last two seasons with the Chargers, according to Zach Klein.
Per NFL league source… Jay Rodgers is expected to be the newest Falcons defensive line coach. Spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) January 31, 2024
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Photographer: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
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