What Raheem Morris’ return to Atlanta means for the Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons employed Raheem Morris because the crew’s subsequent head coach on Thursday.

Morris was final in Atlanta three years in the past when he was the interim head coach after Dan Quinn was fired following the crew’s 0-5 begin. Morris went 4-7 because the interim coach, and Atlanta employed Arthur Smith to switch him. The Falcons fired Smith after three 7-10 seasons.

Morris comes from the Los Angeles Rams, the place he had three profitable seasons because the defensive coordinator and is extensively revered across the league. He is coached on each side of the ball.

He is the primary head coach proprietor Arthur Clean has employed with prior NFL head-coaching expertise; he was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011. A younger head coach on the time — he was 32 when he was employed by Tampa.

This concludes a search the place Atlanta interviewed 14 candidates for the place and had a number of second interviews, together with with former New England Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick.

Taking a better look, Falcons reporter Michael Rothstein solutions two large questions on Morris’ hiring, together with what is going to occur at quarterback. Nationwide reporter Dan Graziano dishes on what he is listening to in regards to the rent and why it wasn’t Belichick and draft analyst Matt Miller spins it ahead to the draft. Lastly, entrance workplace analyst Mike Tannenbaum grades the rent.

What has modified since Morris was Atlanta’s interim coach in 2020?

Rothstein: Quite a bit. The roster is nearly utterly turned over from when he left following the 2020 season. Solely cornerback AJ Terrell, defensive sort out Grady Jarrett, left sort out Jake Matthews, proper guard Chris Lindstrom, proper sort out Kaleb McGary and kicker Younghoe Koo stay from the roster he left behind and are beneath contract for 2024.

The Falcons introduced each Morris and normal supervisor Terry Fontenot will report on to Clean, as an alternative of to CEO Wealthy McKay. Clean stated McKay will “not be concerned in day-to-day soccer operations.”

The one factor that may look the identical to him could be Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the follow fields.

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Swagu: Raheem Morris’ success as a coach tied to the QB place

Marcus Spears says Raheem Morris is the best rent for the Falcons, however provides that he’ll finally be judged on his selection at beginning quarterback.

What is going to the Falcons do at quarterback?

Rothstein: That is an open query and could be dictated by who Morris decides to rent as offensive coordinator.

Each Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke — Atlanta’s quarterbacks final season — stay beneath contract in 2024, however Clean referred to as their play “poor” throughout his Jan. 8 press convention after firing Smith. So it is easy to surmise the Falcons will look to switch half — or all — of their quarterback room from a season in the past.

Ridder was a third-round choose in 2022 and is on a rookie contract. Heinicke is a possible cap lower, a transfer that may save Atlanta $7 million.

Morris was on the Rams’ employees final season when Baker Mayfield got here in as a late-season substitute, and he’s scheduled to be a free agent, so there can be some familiarity there if Tampa Bay was unable to come back to phrases with Mayfield. However that is all speculative at this level, and Mayfield and the Bucs have expressed a want to work one thing out.

It is extremely doable Atlanta brings in a free agent veteran for at the very least the primary yr, and if a rookie quarterback is smart, the Falcons can both commerce up or draft one at No. 8 and have them compete. Or there could be long term solutions like Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson.

As soon as Morris will get settled and assembles his employees, the primary large piece of what he and Fontenot have to determine is what to do at quarterback and the way that quarterback matches into an offense with good ability place gamers: Working backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, receiver Drake London and tight ends Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith are all beneath contract for 2024.

Why the Falcons did not rent Invoice Belichick

Graziano: A number of sources have stated for weeks that Clean went into this course of wanting Belichick, and I feel the league and the trade anticipated that to work out. However there have been hurdles that could not be cleared. The organizational construction in Atlanta includes Clean and CEO Wealthy McKay, and loads of the discussions with Belichick centered on the concept of what McKay’s position can be if Belichick got here to educate the crew — and the way a lot energy and management the assorted events would have in the long run.

Belichick — who’s 15 wins shy of breaking Don Shula’s all-time report for many by a head coach — was seen as a short-term play, so there have been some within the Falcons’ constructing who had been involved about overhauling issues extensively solely to probably have to take action once more in a number of years. Clean could have gone into the method wanting Belichick, however he additionally went in with an open thoughts and was keen to take heed to the enter of others in his group. All of that, mixed with already excessive opinions of Morris, led to this shock end result. And it might go away Belichick with out a job in 2024.

What else are you listening to across the league on the rent?

Graziano: Morris has nearly as good and full a résumé as any candidate on this cycle, plus a robust relationship with Clean. So after interviewing 14 candidates, together with Belichick twice, the Falcons made a rent that makes all types of sense for them.

Morris was on Atlanta’s teaching employees from 2015 to 2020. A longtime defensive coach, he moved to the offensive facet of the ball to educate Falcons vast receivers from 2016 to 2019. He then turned defensive coordinator in 2020 and served out the ultimate 11 video games of that season as interim head coach following Quinn’s firing. For some purpose, Clean determined at that time to rent Smith as an alternative of Morris. Properly, three years later, the Falcons corrected their error.

Morris is extraordinarily well-liked and well-respected across the league, and Sean McVay and the Rams had been pushing for him to get a head coach job this offseason. Morris had his second interview with Clean earlier this week, and sources stated it went nice, which is not any large shock. The 2 males are very shut. However between his earlier (albeit way back) head-coaching expertise, his work as an assistant on each side of the ball and the time he spent beneath McVay (whose assistants at all times appear to develop into head coaches), Morris returns to Atlanta with all the requisite expertise to deal with this job.

If Morris opts to do protection at No. 8, who’s the proper match for his first choose because the Falcons’ coach?

Miller: The 2024 draft class is not wealthy with top-end defensive expertise, but when Morris has his sights on a defender at No. 8, Alabama’s standout pass-rusher Dallas Turner matches the invoice. He is my top-ranked defender within the class, and he jogs my memory of the Jaguars’ Josh Allen due to his superior size and velocity. Turner had 10 sacks in his ultimate season for the Crimson Tide, and he not solely has instant starter potential but additionally the very best upside of all defenders on this class. That is what the Falcons want, contemplating they posted a go rush win charge of 30.9% in 2023, final within the NFL.

How would you grade this rent?

Tannenbaum: Morris did an excellent job rebuilding a really younger and inexperienced Rams protection, however he has gone 21-38 as a head coach (three seasons with the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, and an interim stint in Atlanta in 2020). His first determination because the Falcons’ coach — who will play quarterback — might be completely vital for Morris.