Ex-Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff explains why teams fail to develop QBs

Ex-Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff on what went wrong for Arthur Smith in Atlanta and the NFL’s lack of QB development

The Falcons were unable to find their long-term answer at quarterback in the three years that Arthur Smith served as head coach, which is arguably the main reason he’s no longer in Atlanta.

Smith’s three seasons produced three 7-10 records, but 2023 was supposed to be the year that this team took that next step to the playoffs. After spending millions in free agency and getting off to a 2-0 start, the Falcons went 5-10 over their final 15 games and failed to secure a playoff spot.

If the team was able to win just one or two more games, Smith might still be the head coach. That’s the way former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff sees it, anyway.

During an interview with Kevin Clark of ESPN/Omaha Productions, Dimitroff laid out why coaches fail to develop quarterbacks and ultimately fail in the NFL, mentioning Smith as an example.

“Would Arthur Smith have survived this year if, well, if he would have picked another quarterback? But even that, even some of those losses, they could have been on the other side of .500. I think he could have still been in Atlanta.”

Dimitroff goes on to talk about working under Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and how coaches worry more about their jobs than developing talent to build sustained success.

“There are lazy coaches out there who don’t have it in them to develop young players and they’re worried about the time frame,” concluded Dimitroff.

Ex-Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff gives thoughts on Belichick in Atlanta

Ex-Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff gave his thoughts on Bill Belichick potentially becoming Atlanta’s next head coach

The Atlanta Falcons appear to be closing in on Bill Belichick for their head coach vacancy. According to multiple reports, the team will host the former Patriots coach for a second interview this weekend.

Belichick, 71, would be an interesting choice for a lot of reasons. He is a six-time Super Bowl champion as a head coach and the man behind the most painful loss in Falcons franchise history. Going a little deeper, though, there are some concerns about Belichick’s lack of success without an established quarterback under center.

Atlanta has a major need at the QB position and some wonder if Belichick is the right guy to make that kind of decision. Former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff gave his take on the situation during an appearance on “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams.

“He’s the man out there that can help bring an organization to win a Super Bowl in the next three or four years over anyone,” said Dimitroff.

Click HERE to watch the full episode featuring Dimitroff. The Falcons have interviewed eight candidates for their coaching vacancy, including three this week. On Thursday, the team met with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh also interviewed with the team this week, but there’s been no report of any other coach getting a second interview besides Belichick. Stay up to date with every interview and request using of Falcons head coach tracker!

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Mickey Loomis goes on the record and admits that yes, he does hate the Falcons

Mickey Loomis went on the record and admitted that yes, he does hate the Falcons, during a podcast with ex-Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff:

This is interesting: New Orleans Saints Saints general manager Mickey Loomis made a rare media appearance on the GM Journey podcast, hosted by longtime Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. Dimitroff worked against Loomis and the Saints during his 13-year run with Atlanta, and cultivated a unique relationship with Loomis as one of his peers and rivals. Loomis shared his perspective on the Saints-Falcons strife to lead off the conversation.

“First of all, I do hate the Falcons, I just don’t hate the people that work for the Atlanta Falcons,” Loomis clarified. “I have a lot of respect for the coaches that you have there, the owner, all the people involved in the building. I can separate the people from the rivalry.”

It’s a really fascinating discussion. Loomis spoke about the complexities involved with the job, especially when paired for so long with a head coach like Sean Payton: how often egos had to be checked at the door, all of the different personalities to manage on staff and in the locker room, and the challenges that arise when different priorities run against each other.

He’s seen a lot since being named Saints general manager in 2002; when Kevin Colbert steps down from the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2022 NFL draft, Loomis will become the longest-tenured general manager around the league (not counting hands-on owners Jerry Jones and Mike Brown, or New England Patriots shot-calling head coach Bill Belichick). And Loomis credited 15 years of his success to the Hall of Fame-worthy run that Drew Brees accomplished. Now it’s up to him to find the next face of the franchise for New Orleans.

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The best general manager candidates for the NFL’s 2022 hiring cycle

Who are the names to know for potential general manager candidates during this NFL off-season?

While the head coach hiring cycle is sure to get a ton of attention, the general manager hiring cycle is also about to heat up. With David Gettleman expected to announce his retirement on Monday, there is at least one position open. Another position just became available, with the Chicago Bears firing Ryan Pace.

A third available position also comes from the NFC North, with the Minnesota Vikings firing Rick Spielman.

With all of these moves, who are some names to watch for general manager positions during this off-season?

At least 15 GMs to appear on Thomas Dimitroff’s ‘unfiltered TV show’ (report)

About six of the 15 are known:

Thomas Dimitroff, former general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, is not taking his talents to another front office in the NFL. Not right away, at least.

Instead Dimitroff, who was fired in 2020, is heading to the small screen where he’s going to give football fans something they haven’t seen much of before.

The life of an NFL general manager, as we know it, involves drafting players, making trades and negotiating contracts. But what else? We’re about to get some insight on some of that and more thanks to Dimitroff and 15 GMs in the NFL.

According to this week’s Football Morning in America column via NBC Sports , Dimitroff is producing a TV show which will help fans better understand what exactly general managers do:

3. I think Thomas Dimitroff is on to something big. The former Falcons general manager has now interviewed 15 GMs for an unfiltered TV show that he’s producing. The idea is to show aspects of the job—and the personalities behind it—that often go unseen/unexplained.

The column goes on to name four front office executives who are part of the operation already. Those four are:

  • Howie Roseman (Eagles)
  • Jason Licht (Buccaneers)
  • Mickey Loomis (Saints)
  • Brett Veach (Chiefs) 

Additionally, two other GMs likely to be interviewed in the show include the Bills’ Brandon Beane and the Ravens’ Eric DeCosta. Those two we know thanks to local restaurants in both of their respective markets.

Bar Bill Taven outside of Buffalo shared an image of Dimitroff interviewing Beane back in June. In another post relating to Dimitroff’s undertaking, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore also hinted that DeCosta will be among the 15.

Aside from the names of those who will be featured on the show, few other details have yet to be released. Included in unknown info is when and where the show is set the air.

Stay tuned for that update.

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Chiefs GM Brett Veach to be featured in Thomas Dimitroff’s new TV show

Former #Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff is interviewing a number of NFL GMs, including #Chiefs GM Brett Veach, for a new TV series.

Former Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has gone Hollywood.

Instead of pursuing a new opportunity in the league, Dimitroff is reported to be producing a new TV show. The concept of the show is simple, Dimitroff interviews current NFL general managers and provides an unfiltered behind-the-scenes look at the job they do. Dimitroff has plenty of insight about the job himself, having spent nearly 13 seasons with the Falcons as their general manager.

On Monday’s guest edition of Football Morning in America (FMIA), guest columnist Michael Holley revealed what Dimitroff is up to, including some of the general managers involved. It sounds like Kansas City Chiefs’ Brett Veach will be among the 15 NFL general managers featured.

Here’s what Holley had to say:

“I think Thomas Dimitroff is on to something big. The former Falcons general manager has now interviewed 15 GMs for an unfiltered TV show that he’s producing. The idea is to show aspects of the job—and the personalities behind it—that often go unseen/unexplained. Among the 15: Howie Roseman, Jason Licht, Mickey Loomis, and Brett Veach.”

It seems like the location for the interviews will be over some famous cuisine in each general manager’s NFL city. Bills GM Brandon Beane was interviewed at Bar-Bill Tavern. It seems like Ravens GM Eric DeCosta was interviewed at Jimmy’s Seafood. We can only assume that Brett Veach will be interviewed at one of the many famed Kansas City Barbecue joints.

Beyond that, there aren’t many more details known about the show at this time. We don’t know what the show will be called or when it will air. All we know is that this is supposed to provide people with a deeper understanding of what it’s like to be a general manager in the NFL.

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Former Falcons GM gives insight into team’s draft process

Former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff was let go in 2020 after a 13-year stretch running things in Atlanta.

Former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff was let go in 2020 after a 13-year stretch running things in Atlanta. There were highs and lows during his tenure, but Dimitroff definitely had more success building through the draft as opposed to free agency. In fact, his inability to find quality free agents was arguably his downfall as GM.

Last Friday, Dimitroff went on the Rich Eisen Show to give insight into the team’s thought process regarding the No. 4 overall pick. While many believe the decision will be left up to Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith, Dimitroff stated that a number of people are in the Falcons draft room discussing the pick, including president Rich McKay.

“There’s no question in my mind, I’m sure it hasn’t changed,” said Dimitroff. “Rich is [Arthur Blank’s] confidant and he’s Arthur’s [Blank] designee. He’s an important part within that organization and he’s working along side of the GM and head coach.”

Dimitroff later added that, while he doesn’t know if Blank has given his insight on the player he wants the team to choose, he isn’t going to override the general consensus in the room. The former Falcons general manager then said he 100 percent believes the team will draft a quarterback.

“I think at the outset of this year, I thought they were going to 100 percent go quarterback. I just really believe that it would’ve been the perfect transition to have a young quarterback and come in there and continue to learn from someone like Matt Ryan, who I have a great deal of respect for,” said Dimitroff.

But even after restructuring Ryan’s contract, Dimitroff still feels the team should consider taking a quarterback with the No. 4 pick, adding that drafting Kyle Pitts wouldn’t necessarily elevate the offense as much as many believe.

“I say this humbly, but I think there’s still a lot of firepower on that offense and to add another receiver, or something in that vein, I don’t know necessarily if that is the most useful,” Dimitroff stated.

Listen to a small snippet of the interview below, via the Rich Eisen Show’s Twitter account and click here for the full video.

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Falcons name Saints executive Terry Fontenot their general manager

The Atlanta Falcons named Terry Fontenot their general manager, ending his 17-year run in the New Orleans Saints front office.

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This move was expected, but that doesn’t lessen its impact. The Atlanta Falcons announced Tuesday that Terry Fontenot will be their next general manager, ending his 17-year run with the New Orleans Saints front office. Fontenot climbed the ladder in New Orleans and most recently served as vice president of player personnel, as well as assistant general manager to Mickey Loomis. He’ll be replacing longtime Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

He predominately worked on the pro scouting side of the show, evaluating veteran free agents and players around the league that might interest the Saints. His work factored into the big personnel decisions — like signing All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis — as well as the more-mundane weekly tryouts in New Orleans. He’ll be missed.

Losing Fontenot to a division rival stings a little more, but it’s good to see him get this opportunity. He’s earned the shot at running his own team and calling his own shots, and he’ll get to do that once paired with first-year Falcons coach Arthur Smith. The Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reports that the Saints intend to replace Fontenot with a candidate already on staff, likely pro personnel scout Michael Parenton. College scouting director Jeff Ireland, the Saints’ other assistant general manager, is also expected to remain in New Orleans.

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Carolina Panthers GM search: 8 potential candidates that could be on the radar

This morning, the Carolina Panthers fired general manager Marty Hurney. Now, the search for his replacement begins.

This morning, the Carolina Panthers fired general manager Marty Hurney. Now, the search for his replacement begins.

At this point, nobody knows who team owner David Tepper is actually going to hire, but we asked around the network to try to find potential candidates in other front offices. With the help of some other editors around the NFL Wire network, here’s a list of people who could be on Tepper’s radar to fill the post.

Report: Detroit Lions to interview former Falcons-GM Thomas Dimitroff

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning to interview former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning to interview former Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff next week.

After interviewing internal candidates Kyle O’Brien, Lance Newmark, and Rob Lohman for their vacated general manager position last week, the Lions have reportedly set up three more interviews. Former Philadelphia Eagles director of pro personnel Louis Riddick is reportedly coming to Allen Park on Friday, while Dimitroff and former Houston Texans GM Rick Smith are scheduled for next week.

This brings the interview total up to six, already double the total amount of interviews the Lions did in the GM search that landed them Bob Quinn. Additionally, it’s important to note that the Lions have yet to explore candidates who are currently employed by other NFL teams, as they have to wait for the conclusion of their seasons before that can happen.

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Like Smith, Dimitroff was one of the top candidates for general manager we at Lions Wire identified after Quinn was fired, and is currently on a shortlist of preferred candidates from Lions Wire editors Jeff Risdon and Erik Schlitt.

Dimitroff has been working on the NFL for 28 years, including spending four years with the Lions as an area scout. By 2008, Dimitroff took a GM job for the Falcons and remained there until earlier this year when he was fired earlier this year.

During his 13 years in Atlanta, Dimitroff has seen many ups and downs, has rebuilt the roster twice, and led the team to a 2016 Super Bowl appearance. The fact that he led the Falcons on two separate championship runs is a great indicator that he knows how to build a winner from the ground up — something the Lions are desperate for.

In our examination of GM and coaching candidates crossing career paths, we noted that Dimitroff has worked directly with one popular head coach candidate and has an indirect connection with another.

Current Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and Dimitroff worked together for five seasons in the early 2000’s. While Dimitroff’s connection to San Francisco’s defensive coordinator Robert Saleh goes through the 49ers head coach is Kyle Shannahan, who was an offensive coordinator in Atlanta.