What Raheem Morris’ return to Atlanta means for the Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons hired Raheem Morris as the team's next head coach on Thursday.

Morris was last in Atlanta three years ago, when he was interim head coach after Dan Quinn was fired following the team's 0-5 start. Morris went 4-7 as interim coach and Atlanta hired Arthur Smith to replace him. The Falcons fired Smith after three 7-10 seasons.

Morris comes from the Los Angeles Rams, where he had three successful seasons as defensive coordinator and is widely respected around the league. He has coached on both sides of the ball.

He is the first head coaching owner Arthur Blank has hired with prior NFL head coaching experience; he was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011. A young head coach at the time, he was 32 years old when he was hired by Tampa.

This concludes a search in which Atlanta interviewed 14 candidates for the position and had several second interviews, including with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Taking a closer look, Falcons reporter Michael Rothstein answers two big questions about Morris' hiring, including what will happen at quarterback. National reporter Dan Graziano explains what he heard about the hire and why it wasn't about Belichick, and draft analyst Matt Miller breaks it down in the draft. Finally, front office analyst Mike Tannenbaum rates the hiring.

What's changed since Morris was Atlanta's interim coach in 2020?

Rothstein: A lot. The roster is almost entirely renewed since his departure after the 2020 season. Only cornerback AJ Terrell, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, left tackle Jake Matthews, right guard Chris Lindstrom, right tackle Kaleb McGary and kicker Younghoe Koo remain from the roster he left behind and are under contract for 2024.

The Falcons announced that Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot would report directly to Blank, rather than CEO Rich McKay. Blank said McKay “will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of football.

The only thing that will resemble it might be the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and training grounds.

play

Swagu: Raheem Morris coaching success linked to QB position

Marcus Spears says Raheem Morris is the right hire for the Falcons, but adds he will ultimately be judged on his choice of starting quarterback.

What will the Falcons do at quarterback?

Rothstein: That's an open question and could be dictated by who Morris decides to hire as offensive coordinator.

Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke — Atlanta's quarterbacks last season — remain under contract in 2024, but Blank called their play “deficient” during his Jan. 8 news conference after firing Smith. So it's easy to assume that the Falcons will look to replace some – or all – of their quarterback room from a season ago.

Ridder was a third-round pick in 2022 and is on a rookie contract. Heinicke is a potential cap hit, a move that would save Atlanta $7 million.

Morris was on the Rams' staff last season when Baker Mayfield arrived as a late-season replacement, and he's set to become a free agent, so there would be some familiarity there if Tampa Bay couldn't come to terms with Mayfield. But this is all speculation at this point, and Mayfield and the Bucs have expressed a desire to find a solution.

It's quite possible Atlanta signs a veteran free agent for at least the first year, and if a rookie quarterback makes sense, the Falcons can either trade one or draft one at No. 8 and make them compete. Or there could be longer-term answers like Kirk Cousins ​​​​or Russell Wilson.

Once Morris settles in and puts his team together, the first big part of what he and Fontenot need to figure out is what to do at the quarterback position and how that quarterback fits into a attack with good position players: running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, receiver Drake London and tight ends Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith are all under contract for 2024.

Why the Falcons didn't hire Bill Belichick

Graziano: Multiple sources have said for weeks that Blank went into this process wanting Belichick, and I think the league and industry expected it to work. But there were obstacles that could not be overcome. Atlanta's organizational structure involves Blank and CEO Rich McKay, and many discussions with Belichick have centered on the idea of ​​what McKay's role would be if Belichick were to coach the team — and the power and the control that the different parties would have. at the end.

Belichick — who is 15 wins away from breaking Don Shula's all-time record by a head coach — was seen as a short-term play, so some in the Falcons building were concerned about a wholesale overhaul of things only . and we may have to start again in a few years. Blank may have gone into the process wanting Belichick, but he also went into it with an open mind and was willing to listen to feedback from others in his organization. All of this, combined with Morris' already high opinions, led to this surprise result. And that could leave Belichick jobless in 2024.

What else are you hearing around the league about hiring?

Graziano: Morris has as good and comprehensive a resume as any candidate this cycle, as well as a strong relationship with Blank. So, after interviewing 14 candidates, including Belichick twice, the Falcons made a hire that made perfect sense to them.

Morris was on Atlanta's coaching staff from 2015 to 2020. A longtime defensive coach, he moved to the offensive side of the ball to coach the Falcons' receivers from 2016 to 2019. He then became defensive coordinator in 2020 and served the final 11 games of that season as interim head coach following Quinn's firing. For whatever reason, Blank decided at that point to hire Smith instead of Morris. Well, three years later, the Falcons corrected their mistake.

Morris is extremely well-liked and respected around the league, and Sean McVay and the Rams were pushing for him to get a head coaching job this offseason. Morris had his second interview with Blank earlier this week, and sources said everything went well, which isn't a big surprise. The two men are very close. But between his previous (albeit a long time ago) experience as a head coach, his work as an assistant on both sides of the ball, and the time he spent under McVay (including assistants always appear to become head coaches), Morris returns to Atlanta with all the experience required to take on the job.

If Morris chooses to play defense at No. 8, who is the right person for his first pick as Falcons coach?

Miller: The 2024 draft class isn't rich in high-end defensive talent, but if Morris is targeting a defender at No. 8, Alabama standout passer Dallas Turner fits the bill. He is my best defender in the class and reminds me of Josh Allen from the Jaguars because of his impressive length and speed. Turner had 10 sacks in his final season for the Crimson Tide, and he not only has immediate starter ability, but also the highest upside of any defender in this class. That's what the Falcons need, considering they posted a 30.9% winning rate in 2023, last in the NFL.

How would you rate this hire?

Tannenbaum: Morris did an outstanding job rebuilding a very young and inexperienced Rams defense, but he went 21-38 as head coach (three seasons with the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011 and an interim stint in Atlanta in 2020). His first decision as Falcons coach – who will play the quarterback position – will be absolutely crucial for Morris.