The Falcons didn’t make many changes to their organization this offseason, but the few they made were substantial.
The two most high-profile changes were Raheem Morris taking over for Arthur Smith and Kirk Cousins taking over for Desmond Ridder; both of which Falcons fans hope to be massive upgrades.
As far as the veteran quarterback, Cousins is a known commodity. Ridder was the single biggest factor in Atlanta’s shortcomings last season. Others contributed, but the third-round signal caller should shoulder more blame than any. Cousins probably isn’t going to all of a sudden win a Super Bowl in Atlanta; however, he’s a significant upgrade over Ridder.
Morris isn’t an unknown commodity, but he has little experience as a head coach. In three years with Tampa Bay, Morris compiled a 17-31 record, which is a .354 winning percentage. Typically, that would never earn a coach another shot.
However, that was more than a decade ago. Morris has gone through more than a dozen roles since then with several different clubs and worked his back into the coaching pool.
The Falcons hope that he can improve upon Arthur Smith’s 21-30 record. As far as the coach-QB duo, there’s a lot of ‘wait-and-see’ surrounding Atlanta’s duo, but CBS Sports believes they’re the second-best duo among the clubs that hired new head coaches.
2. Falcons: Kirk Cousins (QB)*, Raheem Morris (HC)*
Atlanta’s surprise top-10 pick of Michael Penix Jr. proved the club isn’t necessarily as sold on Cousins as we all thought back in March, but even approaching 36, coming off a torn Achilles, the ex-Minnesota Vikings captain brings much-needed stability to the focal point of a growing offense. Morris, meanwhile, is a likable leader whose defensive prowess should balance the lineup.
The Falcons trailed only the Chargers, and that’s pretty obvious. Justin Herbert is among the most coveted talents in this league, and Jim Harbaugh was the most sought after head coaching candidate this offseason. Unfortunately, it was clear that he only had eyes for the Chargers.
I think there are a lot more questions about what Raheem Morris can be for the Falcons, not Cousins. As I said, the veteran is a known entity. We know what we are going to get with Cousins. That isn’t the case with Morris.
—
Photographer: Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.