Falcons came away from interviews very impressed with these candidates
The Falcons have either scheduled or completed more than a dozen interviews with potential head coaches, and there are a few more on the docket this week.
Jim Harbaugh is set to meet with the club for the second time, and Adam Schefter reported Atlanta has a lot of interest in the current Michigan head coach. Bill Belichick, who many consider to be the frontrunner for the vacancy, has already completed his second interview.
The Falcons have also completed initial interviews with several coaches preparing for conference championship weekend. On the NFC side of things, Atlanta has met with both Lions coordinators, Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson. On the AFC side, the club has met with a pair of Ravens defensive minds, Anthony Weaver and Mike Macdonald.
All four have either already been requested for a second interview or expect to have one, which isn’t a surprise. They’re four of the top candidates in this hiring cycle, so it shouldn’t shock Falcons fans to hear that Atlanta folks came away very impressed with each one, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Three of these are at the top of my wishlist for the Falcons — Weaver, Macdonald, and Johnson.
The Lions offensive coordinator is going to be highly coveted this offseason. He’s helped revive Jared Goff‘s career, aiding the former No. 2 overall pick back to elite territory among the league’s quarterbacks.
But what’s most enticing about Ben Johnson in Atlanta is the work he’s done with Detriot’s skill position group. There’s an uncanny resemblance between the Falcons and Lions skill group.
Detroit’s offense ranks third in yards per game (394.8) — fifth in rushing (135.9) and second in passing (258.9) — and fifth in points per game (27.1). The Falcons are a talented yet underachieving offense that is ripe to experience a rise like the Lions. Johnson can’t do it alone; the club needs a quarterback, but that’s the case with any head coach.
Weaver is a name I don’t see enough of, maybe because he’s not a coordinator, currently acting as the Ravens defensive line coach, an area that has been dominant during Weaver’s time in Baltimore. In 2021, the unit ranked first in rushing yards allowed and then third in 2022. This season, the Ravens rank first in points allowed and sacks.
