The Falcons hiring of Raheem Morris has received glowing reviews across the board. Fans, players, coaches, and executives all approve of Arthur Blank’s decision to bring Morris back into the building. It’s refreshing given what’s transpired this offseason from the firing of Arthur Smith to the Bill Belichick rumors, the Rich McKay fiasco, and everything in between. The Falcons are finally ready to move forward with Raheem Morris, but perhaps the most exciting hire of the entire offseason was Zac Robinson.
The former Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach was by far the hottest commodity among candidates for offensive coordinator positions. Morris was able to leverage the relationship he developed with Robinson in Los Angeles and bring him to Atlanta.
Robinson hails from the tree of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. With that, comes lofty and somewhat unfair expectations. Those are the two brightest offensive minds in the game, and their coaching tree has produced immaculate results. Beyond that, Falcons fans are well aware of what a Kyle Shanahan offense looks like when clicking on all cylinders. It’s enough to have everyone in Atlanta giddy about what is potentially coming to Atlanta.
However, no offensive coordinator — not even the Andy Reids, Kyle Shanahans, and Sean McVays of the world — can overcome the type of quarterback play that’s taken place in Atlanta over the last two seasons. Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinicke are backups in this league, incapable of winning anything significant.
The decision the Falcons make at quarterback is undoubtedly the most important of the entire offseason, and likely will determine whether the Falcons make the postseason or not. The Falcons brass has to get it right, and Zac Robinson discussed what he looks for in his quarterbacks at a press conference on Wednesday.
New Falcons OC Zac Robinson said the QB has to be the "most competitive guy in the room."
Said whether it's a pocket guy or a guy who can move around, they are just looking for the best guy. Said "all options are on the table." Also said they are evaluating Heinicke & Ridder.
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) February 14, 2024
The quarterback being “the most competitive guy in the room” and a leader of men is a no-brainer. The position is so much more than just physical attributes; however, the second part of Rothstein’s tweet is what’s most intriguing.
With Robinson being a disciple of Sean McVay, it’s assumed that he has a type, because McVay and Shanahan have a type — accurate passers with high IQs that can play within a system. Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, and Brock Purdy all fit this description. However, Robinson isn’t limiting his options to just those type of pocket passers, which opens up the door for a guy like Justin Fields, whose best attribute is his athletic ability.
The best offensive minds in the game are capable of adjusting their schemes to fit their personnel. It appears Zac Robinson is open to anything, which should be music to the ears of Falcons fans as the search for the next franchise quarterback in Atlanta is underway.
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Photographer: Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire
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