The Atlanta Falcons are navigating the 2020 offseason through a quarantine, but are doing whatever they can to prepare for the upcoming virtual NFL draft.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff held a video conference with the local media and touched on a variety of subjects, including Todd Gurley’s signing and the team’s draft plans.
Here are all the biggest notes to come out of Dimitroff’s interview, as tweeted by different Falcons beat reporters.
On Todd Gurley officially signing his one-year contract despite passing a physical:
Dimitroff also said he is a big believer in spreading the ball around at running back regardless of Gurley’s status. Gurley has dealt with a left knee issue.
There is no set date for when Todd Gurley will take his physical with the Falcons due to the COVID-19. All the incoming free-agents will have their physicals completed by the team physicians at the appropriate time. No independent physicals elsewhere.
Thomas Dimitroff said the trade for Hayden Hurst will benefit the Falcons due to his “really good speed and athleticism.” Said they looked at him in the 2018 draft but decided against it because of where they were with Austin Hooper at the time.
On free agent Robert Quinn reportedly flipping a coin to pick between the Bears and Falcons:
Thomas Dimitroff said with the Robert Quinn/Dante Fowler Jr. situation, both players were interested in playing for Dan Quinn and living in Atlanta. Quinn flipped the coin and went to Chicago. He was the first choice.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Gurley’s contract has a $3.5 million base salary, with a $2 million signing bonus and another $500,000 in potential incentives:
Todd Gurley’s one-year contract with the #Falcons — signed today, pending physical — includes a $2 million signing bonus, $3.5M fully guaranteed base salary and $500K in incentives. The #Rams still owe him another $5.05M, the portion of a gtd roster bonus not covered by offsets.
Gurley, 25, has played in 73 games over his five-year career with the Rams. He’s rushed for 5,404 yards and 58 touchdowns, with another 2,090 receiving yards and 12 touchdown receptions.
The Falcons could still add a back in the draft, but Gurley’s signing took away the need that was created after Devonta Freeman’s release.
Trufant, a 2013 first-round pick, racked up 329 tackles (272 solo), 13 interceptions and 79 passes defended during his time in Atlanta. His release is somewhat of a surprise since the team has no clear replacement on the roster.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff is doing what he can to free up cap space, which means cutting players that still have value. Trufant’s release will save Atlanta roughly $5 million in 2020.
According to Falcons reporter William McFadden, the Falcons plan to let tight end Austin Hooper, De’Vondre Campbell and guard Wes Schweitzer test free agency
The Atlanta Falcons have roughly $4.3 million in salary cap space, which may force them to let some talented players walk out the door this offseason.
The #Falcons plan to let Austin Hooper, De’Vondre Campbell and Wes Schweitzer hit free agency. Will continue to pursue negotiations with all three players.
While Atlanta still hopes to sign all three, it’s more likely that Hooper and Campbell will get bigger contracts elsewhere. Both were selected in the middle rounds of the 2016 draft and developed into key players for the Falcons.
Hooper finished the year with 75 catches for 787 yards and six touchdowns. Campbell was the team’s leading tackler last season, racking up 129 total tackles, with two sacks and three forced fumbles.
Schweitzer has been a valuable backup interior lineman, especially with the Falcons’ offensive line getting decimated by injuries in 2019.
Regarding defensive end Takk McKinley, McFadden is reporting that the team has yet to reach a decision regarding his fifth-year option:
Thomas Dimitroff says the #Falcons have not yet reached a decision on Takk Mckinley’s fifth-year option.
The Falcons’ top-heavy roster is finally catching up with them, and they will have to find some contributors in the upcoming draft where the team holds two second round picks.
With the postseason scenarios all determined, Touchdown Wire unveils its final NFL Power Rankings of the 2019 regular season.
As the 2019 NFL regular season came to an end Sunday, I thought back to the start of the season and realized that things turned out very differently than I expected.
I also write for Street & Smith’s magazines, and I pulled out a copy of their season preview and reviewed my predictions and the magazine’s collective predictions. Let’s just say I was off by a mile in some cases, and the magazine was right on some and very wrong on others.
For the sake of humility, let’s start with my Super Bowl pick. I had the Rams defeating the Chargers. In reality, neither team made the playoffs. The overall magazine staff picked the Saints to defeat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. That prediction remains in play.
Perhaps my worst pick was selecting Baltimore to finish last in the AFC North. Here’s where the Ravens and the other 31 teams stand in Touchdown Wire’s final regular season Power Rankings.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
(2-14. Last week: 32)
The Bengals were predictably bad with a new coach, Zac Taylor, and a roster that doesn’t have much talent. There were no miracles in Cincinnati as the Bengals just kept losing. Does Taylor even get a second season? Probably so. Owner Mike Brown stuck with coach Marvin Lewis through some rough times. Taylor likely will get a bit more time to try to turn things around. The only good news out of this season is that the Bengals will get the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. At the moment, virtually everyone is projecting that to be LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner. Scouts and draftniks say he’s NFL ready. That means he’ll help the Bengals right from the start. But this team needs much more than a change at quarterback to turn things around.
31. Washington Redskins
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
(3-13. Last week: 31)
There are big changes coming in Washington after a hugely disappointing season. Coach Jay Gruden was fired during the season. Team president Bruce Allen reportedly will be stripped of his football operations duties, although he may remain with the team, with his main role being to help the Redskins get a new stadium. That would be a good move. Despite being the son of legendary coach George Allen, Bruce Allen is not a football guy. In his 10 years in Washington, the Redskins won zero playoff games. They need a football guy at the top, and they need a new coach. Owner Dan Snyder is likely to make a splash hire for the coaching job because he needs to revive a frustrated fan base. The only bright spot to this season was rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. He still has a long way to go, but he showed promise at times.
30. Detroit Lions
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
(3-12-1. Last week: 30)
Coach Matt Patricia has had two dismal seasons. But his job is safe. The team already has announced that Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn will return next season. Ownership likely gave Patricia a pass because he was without injured quarterback Matthew Stafford for much of the season. Stafford should be back and healthy next year. But Quinn and Patricia need to bring in more talent on both sides of the ball in the offseason. Owner Martha Ford isn’t going to remain patient forever. Patricia needs to win in 2020 or else he’ll be gone.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
(6-10. Last week: 29)
One of the more disappointing teams in the league, the Jaguars were supposed to bounce back from a rough 2018 season and get back to the form they showed in the 2017 season, when they made it to the AFC Championship Game. Much of the hype came because they signed free-agent quarterback Nick Foles. But Foles got hurt in the season opener, and the Jaguars turned to sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew, who played surprisingly well. Now, the dilemma for next year is whether to start Foles or Minshew. The competition between those two in the preseason probably will be one of the most interesting storylines in the league in the summer. It remains to be seen if coach Doug Marrone will be back after two disappointing seasons. The Jaguars already fired executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin and may decide to have a thorough housecleaning.
28. New York Giants
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
(4-12. Last week: 27)
The Giants have been patient with coaches for most of their history. But that changed when Ben McAdoo was fired after two seasons. Pat Shurmur could follow the same track after two disappointing seasons. But his saving grace could be that he’s got the nucleus of a good young offense in place. Second-year running back Saquon Barkley is one of the best all-around players in the league, and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones showed promise. But it’s up to the front office to improve the offensive line and defense. If Shurmur survives, he likely will make some changes to his coaching staff.
27. Miami Dolphins
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11. Last week: 28)
Although Miami stunned New England with a victory Sunday, this was not a great year for the Dolphins. Early in the season, there was speculation that the Dolphins were losing on purpose to get the No. 1 overall draft pick. There was even talk of an 0-16 season, which seemed quite possible after an 0-7 start. For whatever reason, Miami stayed with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick for most of the season instead of going with second-year pro Josh Rosen, who was a first-round pick by Arizona last year. The Dolphins gave Rosen only a brief look, so it’s obvious he’s not their future. Miami still will have the No. 5 overall draft pick. Will the Dolphins’ quarterback of the future be available at that spot?
26. Carolina Panthers
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11. Last week: 26)
There will be major changes in Carolina this offseason after a disappointing season that ended with an embarrassing loss to New Orleans on Sunday. There will be a coaching change. Ron Rivera was fired during the season and replaced by interim coach Perry Fewell. It’s safe to say Fewell won’t get the permanent job. Owner David Tepper seems poised to hire a big name as he continues to distance the current team from its past. The more intriguing storyline is at quarterback. Cam Newton missed all but two games with a foot injury and was also coming off major shoulder surgery. He may no longer be the long-term answer. Plus, Newton’s contract makes him vulnerable. He’s scheduled to make $21 million next season, but the Panthers could clear $19 million in cap space by trading or cutting Newton.
25. Los Angeles Chargers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11. Last week: 25)
Another of the league’s most disappointing teams, the Chargers are likely to have some major changes in the offseason. Head coach Anthony Lynn might be pressured into making changes to his coaching staff. But the bigger change could come at quarterback. Philip Rivers’ contract is up and he doesn’t appear to have much left. The Chargers still have plenty of talent, so don’t expect them to blow up the roster. Drafting a quarterback would set the franchise back. The Chargers might be better off bringing in a free agent such as Teddy Bridgewater. Someone like Bridgewater could fix this team in a hurry.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is giving Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff another shot, which is great news for the New Orleans Saints.
[jwplayer bxIdhpR7-ThvAeFxT]
Rejoice, New Orleans Saints fans: the Atlanta Falcons aren’t calling it quits just yet. Team owner Arthur Blank confirmed that he’ll retain head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff for the 2020 season despite their repeated mediocrity after blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI.
Two years into his stint as head coach, Quinn went into that game with a 21-13 record; including that championship loss, his Falcons have gone 24-26 since then, with one left to play. A win on Sunday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would mean back-to-back 7-9 seasons.
And that number gives Blank something positive to point to. The NFC South-rival Saints stagnated with three consecutive 7-9 seasons from 2014 to 2016 before bouncing back in 2017; they’ve since won 38 of their last 51 games. Blank watched as the Saints kept the ship steady with Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis at the helm, and then things took off.
"The organizations that maintain a continual relationship with the head coach and general manager… are the ones that produce over time."
So Blank’s following that example, only he’s missing the finer details. After that third mediocre season, the Saints completely revamped their defensive coaching staff and college scouting department. Longtime assistants like Joe Vitt and Bill Johnson were let go, while new blood including Mike Nolan, Ryan Nielsen, and Jeff Ireland were hired (and Ireland was eventually promoted to assistant general manager). While the top of the organizational chart remained stable, the Saints did some serious self-scouting to identify liabilities, and took major steps to address them.
Blank is hesitant to do that. Underwhelming play-caller Dirk Koetter will remain the offensive coordinator, while secondary coach Raheem Morris was promoted to defensive coordinator. The Falcons don’t appear willing to part ways with any familiar faces within the organization, meaning another year of motivational T-shirts and missed opportunities is likely on the way.
You love to see it. The Saints overlooked the Falcons after their bye week, and got upset by them. The San Francisco 49ers were too beaten-up by the Saints in their own game against them, and managed to let the Falcons beat them, too. Those two surprising late-season wins showed Blank enough to justify another year with things as they are, and maybe not as they should be.
And that’s great news for Saints fans. The longer the Falcons stick to an subpar formula, the better off New Orleans will be.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank announced coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff will be returning next season.
Halfway through the season, it looked as if Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn wouldn’t even make it through the season. At best, the Falcons would stick with him and dump him after the season.
Well, forget both of those scenarios. Quinn will be the Atlanta coach in 2020. And general manager Thomas Dimitroff also will return. Team owner Arthur Blank made the announcement Friday. Quinn and Dimitroff will continue to report to team president Rich McKay who reports to Blank.
“Every year we evaluate all our football operations and this year I have asked Rich to work closely with Thomas and Dan over the next couple of weeks to conduct a top-to-bottom review, inclusive of structure, processes, resourcing and personnel to identify whatever changes are necessary to enable us to compete consistently at the highest level. In my time as owner, and particularly since 2008, we have been one of the winningest teams in the NFC ranking fourth in wins and across the NFL, tied for seventh in wins, and that remains the only acceptable result for us now and in the future,” Blank said in a statement.
That’s good for Quinn and Dimitroff. But they’ll enter next season on the hot seat. Blank wants to win and his patience has to be wearing thin. Despite having star players like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, the Falcons got off to a 1-7 start.
Perhaps the only thing that saved Quinn was that he never lost the team and has gone 5-2 since. But he’s down to his last chance. If the Falcons don’t win next year, Quinn – and likely Dimitroff – will be gone.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Atlanta Falcons fans were dismayed to learn that head coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff will be staying with the team.
On Friday, the Atlanta Falcons announced that both GM Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn would be returning next season.
The announcement came in a video from team owner Arthur Blank, who reinforced his commitment to Dimitroff and Quinn moving forward.
It was a pretty surprising move from the organization. The Falcons went to a Super Bowl under Quinn in 2016, then had a nice 10-5 season in 2017, but have since been the definition of NFL mediocrity. The team went 7-9 last year, and sit at 6-9 this year. They were at one point at 1-7, however, and it looked like there was no chance either would have a job. Then the Falcons went 5-2 in seven games, and here we are. They kept their jobs.
Still: This team hasn’t looked good in two seasons, and Atlanta fans are getting fed up with it.
So you can imagine they weren’t super excited when the news dropped on Friday. Let’s go to the measured, calm reactions!
Straight slap in the face to us fans. Continue to enjoy having your new shiny stadium half empty next season as well!
— Fire Dan Quinn, James Coley, & Lloyd Pierce (@GaBoy_Shockley) December 27, 2019
Smh are you serious @AtlantaFalcons 🤦🏾♂️ I’m convinced Dimitroff has some kind of dirt on Blank…this guy is beyond horrible as a GM smh…Another season of mediocrity coming right up smh
Atlanta is now cursed both ways. We cannot even lose correctly. Can’t wait to start slow next year but “finish strong” while missing the playoffs. Wake up Blank.
