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Bill Belichick To Conduct Second Falcons Interview

January 18th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Adam La Rose

Days after meeting with the Falcons for the first time, Bill Belichick will speak with the team again shortly. The longtime Patriots coach will have a second interview with Atlanta this weekend, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Falcons have increasingly been named as a team to watch with respect to a Belichick pursuit. As a result, it came as no surprise that the six-time Super Bowl winner met one-on-one with owner Arthur Blank on Monday. A mutual interest between the two sides was reported to exist after the summit, leading to more signs pointing the way of a Belichick-to-Atlanta move. Today’s news moves further in that direction. The upcoming sit-down will involve Belichick and a Falcons executive group, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

Atlanta has cast a wide net so far in the team’s ongoing search for an Arthur Smith replacement. Experience is believed to be more of a driving factor than Blank’s previous hires, and Belichick obviously tops the list of available options in that department. Jim Harbaugh has also interviewed once for the position, so the Falcons have been involved with the league’s highest-profile candidates in the 2024 cycle. Harbaugh has more closely been connected with the Chargers and Raiders, however.

The Falcons have conducted a first interview with six candidates other than Belichick, but the window for second interviews (which can be in-person) will open for staffers currently employed once the divisional round is complete. Having parted ways with the Patriots, though, Belichick is free to take any position at any time. The fact a second meeting with Blank and Co. has been arranged quickly is certainly a positive sign as it pertains to momentum for a deal to be reached in the near future.

Just like Harbaugh, Belichick has been connected to the vacancies in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. However, the latter has not yet lined up an interview with any team other than the Falcons so far. Pending the outcome of this weekend’s summit, it will certainly be interesting to see if any meetings are scheduled with teams outside Atlanta looking to bring in the winningest coach of the 21st century.

Belichick is likely two years away from surpassing Don Shula for first on the NFL’s all-time coaching wins list. At the age of 71, any posting he takes will no doubt have short-term success in mind. The Falcons have invested heavily at the skill positions in recent years, and the team has one of the league’s top offensive lines. Improvement on defense was also seen in 2023 after that unit was a point of emphasis in the offseason. A major roster hole exists at the quarterback spot, however, and filling it will be the top priority for the team and its next coach in the coming weeks and months.

Belichick’s track record with the Patriots after Tom Brady‘s departure certainly leaves plenty to be desired on offense in particular, and any arrangement with a new team will likely take on a different setup than the one he had in New England which allowed him to operate as coach but also de facto general manager. Mutual interest between he and the Falcons obviously exists, though, so this situation will be worth watching closely.

Falcons Permit Jaguars To Interview DC Ryan Nielsen

January 17th, 2024 at 8:39am CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons are changing course with Ryan Nielsen. After initially blocking Jacksonville from interviewing its defensive coordinator, Atlanta is giving the go-ahead.

Nielsen will interview for the Jaguars’ DC position, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. While the Falcons joined the Panthers in initially blocking the Jaguars from meeting with their first-year DC, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein notes the team has now granted permission for the lateral move.

The Falcons had blocked multiple staffers from interviewing elsewhere, including Marquice Williams, whom the Giants sought for a special teams coordinator meeting. Perhaps progressing on the hiring front, Atlanta may be greenlighting those moves now. Teams can block coordinators from interviewing for other coordinator jobs, so long as the position does not involve a non-play-calling OC or DC moving to a play-calling role. The Jags fired two-year DC Mike Caldwell shortly after their season ended. Jacksonville’s next DC will be its fourth in five seasons.

This would be a major change for the Falcons, who improved defensively with Nielsen. But the team is also in transition, having fired Arthur Smith. With Bill Belichick squarely on Atlanta’s radar, a defensive shakeup is also naturally in play. Regardless of which HC the Falcons hire, he will likely want to either call defensive plays himself or bring in his own boss on that side of the ball. With job openings available now, the Falcons will let Nielsen explore them.

While Smith could not provide a significant boost on offense, as quarterback issues plagued the team following the 2022 Matt Ryan trade, Nielsen did make an impact in his first year on the job. The Falcons improved from 25th to eighth in pass defense, with Feldman adding they climbed from 26th to seventh from 2022-23 in yards per play. The team vaulted from 27th to 11th in total defense in that span and finished 18th in scoring defense this season. That said, Atlanta dropped from ninth to 18th in total defense in a one-game span, allowing 48 points in an embarrassing Week 18 loss to New Orleans.

Nielsen has a history with Falcons GM Terry Fontenot, with both having worked with the Saints prior to their moves to Georgia. Fontenot remains in place, though a Belichick or Jim Harbaugh hire would either threaten his job security or put him at risk of seeing power stripped. Nielsen spent six seasons as the Saints’ defensive line coach, moving to a co-DC role in 2022.

Here is how the Jaguars’ DC search looks:

Falcons Interview Jim Harbaugh For HC Job

January 16th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

After meeting with Bill Belichick yesterday regarding their head coaching vacancy, the Falcons have added another major name to the list of candidates. The team announced that they’ve completed an interview with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.

[RELATED: Latest On Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Negotiations]

Similar to Belichick, Harbaugh was rumored to be a potential head coaching candidate in Atlanta. While these two major names navigated the early portion of the head coaching cycle, the Falcons seemingly operated as if neither would be available, with the team requesting interviews with 10 other candidates. Now, owner Arthur Blank has met with the two biggest names on the market.

Since parting ways with the 49ers after the 2014 campaign, Harbaugh has guided Michigan to an 86-25 record, including a 37-3 mark over the past three years. His efforts culminated in a National Championship win last week, and that performance put him firmly back on the NFL head coaching map. Harbaugh has already interviewed for the Chargers job, and he’s been a rumored candidate in both Las Vegas and Washington.

While the NFL interest is heating up, there’s also been rumors that Harbaugh could ultimately land back in Michigan. We heard earlier today that the coach continues to discuss a new contract with the school, one that could include a clause that would prevent Michigan from firing him as a result of any NCAA sanctions brought about by the ongoing investigations.

On the flip side, some of Harbaugh’s negotiation tactics have also pointed to an NFL return. At the moment, a suitor would need to pay a buyout of $1.5MM to hire Harbaugh away from Michigan. The school has been pushing to raise that number to $4MM, and while Harbaugh hasn’t necessarily denied that notion, he reportedly wants to push back the deadline that hiring fee to February 15, well after this year’s NFL coaching hires have been made.

Harbaugh would certainly make sense for a Falcons organization that’s desperate for a Super Bowl win. The organization has recently opted for first-time head coaches (a grouping that includes Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith), leading many to believe that Blank was seeking a more experienced voice. With more than 20 years of coaching experience, Harbaugh would certainly fit the bill.

There are now 12 definitive candidates for the Falcons head coaching vacancy, a grouping that includes:

Falcons Interview Bill Belichick For HC Opening

January 15th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bill Belichick sweepstakes has officially kicked off. The Falcons announced this evening that they’ve interviewed the iconic head coach for their own HC vacancy.

[RELATED: Falcons To Carry Strong Interest In Bill Belichick?]

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Belichick recently met in person with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to discuss the opportunity. While no deal is imminent, Pelissero notes that there’s mutual interest between the two sides and “conversations are ongoing.”

Once the Patriots and Belichick made their divorce official, we heard that the Falcons could make a strong push for the head coach. There were also whispers that Blank was seeking more experience during this coaching cycle. While the owner’s previous hires (Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith) were first-time head coaches, Blank’s current focus on experience certainly made Belichick a logical target.

Of course, there’s a bit of history between the two sides. Belichick was famously on the sideline when his Patriots erased a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Since then, the Falcons have seen an NFC South rival, the Buccaneers, snag a future Hall of Famer from New England and win a Super Bowl. Blank and the Falcons brass are clearly banking on similar fortunes this time around.

The Falcons have loaded up on skill positions in recent drafts, and Pro Football Focus ranked Atlanta’s offensive line — one spearheaded by Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews — fourth overall. Further, the front office invested some money into the defense in 2023, and the organization will presumably invest similarly in 2024 if Belichick takes over. The Falcons are expected to reside in the middle of the cap-space pack, with the organization projected to carry more than $21MM.

Of course, the team’s lack of certainty at quarterback could scare away some HC candidates, even with the organization expected to take a bigger QB swing heading into the offseason. Of course, Belichick has famously downplayed the significance of the QB position, a sentiment that played a role in the growing tension between him and Tom Brady. Belichick would surely welcome the question marks at quarterback, and he’d probably push against the instinct to invest significant draft or free agency capital into the position.

While it’s easy to assume that one of the most accomplished head coaches of all time would be atop the Falcons wish list, that hasn’t stopped the organization from eyeing other candidates for their vacancy. Belichick is now the 10th official candidate for the role, joining a growing list that includes:

Patriots Notes: Steve Belichick, Mayo, Front Office, ST Coordinator

January 15th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

While Bill Belichick‘s iconic stint with the Patriots has come to an end, there’s a chance his sons stick with the organization. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, both Steve Belichick and Brian Belichick have been offered opportunities to stay on the staff for 2024.

Steve Belichick has worked his way up through New England’s coaching ranks, culminating in him earning the roles of defensive play-caller and linebackers coach. New head coach Jerod Mayo worked closely with Steve, as the two effectively served as New England’s defensive coordinator over the past few years. While the elder Belichick could recruit his son to his next destination, the younger Belichick still has a strong connection to Mayo and the Patriots.

Brian Belichick joined the organization as a scouting assistant in 2016 and eventually earned a promotion to coaching assistant. After three years in that role, he was promoted to safeties coach, a gig he’s held since the 2020 campaign.

More notes out of New England…

  • The Patriots quick decision to promote Mayo wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction, a fact we already partly knew considering the outlined succession plan in the coach’s contract. However, Breer notes that Robert Kraft has been touting Mayo as his next head coach for two years, with the owner telling others that Mayo would earn the promotion if Belichick left the organization.
  • Belichick’s exit didn’t only open a hole on the sideline. Belichick also had full control over personnel, meaning the Patriots now have a GM-sized hole in their front office. We previously heard the organization was expected to lean on their current staff, a grouping that includes director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf. If that configuration doesn’t work out, Breer says Kraft could end up looking to hire a GM, although the owner won’t be rushed into any decision. Breer also notes that the Patriots will better empower their scouting a department, a group that was becoming increasingly “frustrated that they weren’t being heard in the final decision-making process.”
  • The Patriots have requested permission to interview Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams for the same job, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Williams got his NFL coaching start via the Bill Walsh NFL diversity coaching fellowship, and he worked his way up with the Bears, Lions, and Chargers before joining the Lions as the assistant ST coordinator in 2019. After two years in that role, he earned the top ST gig in Atlanta in 2021.
  • Before the team’s season finale, the Patriots converted Lawrence Guy‘s $500K playing-time incentive into a bonus, guaranteeing the veteran’s money regardless of his snap count in Week 18. Guy would have earned the incentive had he appeared in 45 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, and he entered Week 18 having played in 45.57 percent. Guy ended up clinching that mark during the loss to the Jets.
  • During that season finale, most signs pointed to it being special teams ace Matthew Slater‘s final NFL game. ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that there were “strong hints” that the captain would be hanging up his cleats, with the Patriots wearing custom, Slater-themed hoodies and the player’s family being in attendance.

Seahawks Request HC Interviews With Dan Quinn, Frank Smith, Ejiro Evero, Raheem Morris

January 15th, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Quinn came up as the first known candidate to replace Pete Carroll in Seattle. The ex-Carroll lieutenant will indeed land on the Seahawks’ request list.

The Seahawks sent out a slip to the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Quinn, 53, enjoyed multiple stints in Seattle, the second of which coming when he spent both Super Bowl seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator in the 2010s. While Quinn’s Dallas defense disappointed Sunday, he is now likely to conduct HC interviews with at least five teams.

[RELATED: 2024 Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The former Falcons HC has been a popular name on the interview circuit for three years now. After Quinn bowed out of the 2023 interview process early, he appears set to stay on this year’s carousel longer. Quinn has been Dallas’ DC for three seasons, though it will be interesting to see how the organization handles the Mike McCarthy situation following the Packers’ runaway win.

Dolphins OC Frank Smith and Panthers DC Ejiro Evero have also received an interview request from the Seahawks, Pelissero adds. Smith has been Mike McDaniel‘s OC in Miami for the past two seasons. McDaniel and Smith’s offense fared miserably Saturday night in frigid Kansas City, but the team turned a corner under McDaniel. The Seahawks join the Panthers in showing interest in McDaniel’s right-hand man on offense.

Evero has been a coveted HC candidate despite spending his two DC years on bad teams. Evero’s defenses outshined the offenses in Denver last season and in Carolina recently, and he has now secured interview requests from the Falcons and Seahawks — in addition to his Panthers meeting.

This fast-moving process also includes Raheem Morris, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Morris has spent the past three seasons in the NFC West, working as the Rams’ DC. He joins Quinn in bringing HC experience to the table, having coached the Buccaneers for three seasons and having served as the Falcons’ interim coach following Quinn’s 2020 ouster. Morris spent six seasons on Quinn’s Atlanta staff, serving in myriad capacities.

A usual-suspects list thus far, the Seahawks are jumping onto the HC carousel a bit later. They reassigned Carroll to an undetermined role, in what amounts to a firing due to the 14-year HC making a case to keep his job, and it is unknown if the longtime leader, who is 72, will coach again. But longtime Carroll leadership partner John Schneider is steering the ship right now; the GM will be likely to explore a reunion with Quinn, who helmed the Seahawks to back-to-back first-place finishes in scoring defense from 2013-14. He parlayed that into a Falcons HC gig, which started to go south following the Super Bowl LI collapse. Quinn has rebuilt his stock in Dallas, though it will be interesting to see how Sunday’s shocking loss affects his chances of securing a second HC position. Quinn initially worked in Seattle from 2009-10, being hired by Jim Mora Jr. and then retained by Carroll as D-line coach.

Evero, 43, worked with Morris in 2021 while also working alongside OC Shane Waldron with the Rams in prior years. Waldron, however, is far from guaranteed to stay. The Seahawks have greenlit a Waldron Bears OC interview. As for Evero, he has garnered respect for his work to keep the 2022 Broncos in games — during their mess of a season under Nathaniel Hackett — and his Panthers defense ranked fourth in yards allowed. DVOA was less kind to Evero’s defense (25th), but eight teams over the past two years have sought HC interviews.

Miami’s offense ranked second in scoring and first in yardage, but the frontrunning label and the team’s struggles against quality opposition will be inescapable after the egg the team laid against the Chiefs. It will be interesting to see if Smith, 42, garners serious consideration in the wake of Miami’s inconsistent season. Morris, 47, is 21-38 as a head coach. But he was just 32 when he landed the Bucs’ top job in 2009. Morris is now best known for collecting a Super Bowl ring as the Rams’ DC. He did well to develop some Aaron Donald pass-rushing sidekicks this year, in third-round picks Byron Young and Kobie Turner.

It should be expected Ravens DC Mike Macdonald will receive a request; the two-year Baltimore defensive boss joined Quinn in early rumors pertaining to the Seahawks’ HC gig. Teams are already interviewing candidates virtually, and Quinn has four Zoom meetings scheduled for this week. No in-person interviews can occur until the divisional round concludes, marking a delay from the NFL’s usual schedule.

Falcons Request HC Interview With Antonio Pierce

January 14th, 2024 at 9:06am CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons have added Antonio Pierce to the list of candidates for their vacant head coaching position. Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Atlanta has requested an interview with the Raiders’ interim HC.

After Las Vegas’ in-season firing of Josh McDaniels, Pierce galvanized a dejected locker room and guided the Raiders to a 5-4 record to close out the 2023 season, despite the up-and-down performance of fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell under center. Although Pierce’s coaching resume is quite thin — his first coaching job in the NFL came when the Raiders made him their linebackers coach in 2022, a position he held when he received the promotion to interim head coach this year — his leadership abilities have clearly caught the attention of execs around the league.

Pierce, 45, has also landed an HC interview with the Titans, and Raiders players are publicly pushing to have owner Mark Davis remove Pierce’s interim tag and name him the permanent head coach. Indeed, star pass rusher Maxx Crosby is reportedly prepared to demand a trade if that does not happen.

Davis is said to be impressed by Pierce, and the most recent reporting on the matter suggests that the former Washington and Giants linebacker has a strong chance to become the Raiders’ full-time HC. However, Davis is also rumored to be looking for a big name to lead his club, and just last week we heard that Las Vegas was making a push to land current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Raiders have also been connected to former Patriots HC Bill Belichick.

As of the time of this writing, Davis has not actually conducted any HC interviews — he wants to hire a permanent GM first — while the Falcons are well into their interview docket. As shown on our head coaching tracker, Atlanta has compiled a mix of offensive- and defensive-minded targets, and there are rumblings that the team is an ideal fit for Belichick. After all, the Falcons have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and could be a quarterback away from legitimate contention, which makes them an intriguing landing spot for any number of hot HC candidates.

Pierce would certainly qualify as an unorthodox choice for a club that could attract more accomplished talent, but the Falcons nonetheless want to take a closer look at the man who quickly earned the vocal and enthusiastic support of his charges.

Jaguars Exploring Options For Open DC Job, Scheduling Interviews

January 12th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

After firing defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the rest of the defensive staff, head coach Doug Pederson and the Jaguars have started the process of finding replacements. That became clear with a series of reports today that several defensive assistants from around the league would be interviewing for the open position.

In a continuation of what looks like a future decimation of the Ravens‘ coaching staff this offseason, secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt will interview for the job, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Baltimore’s coordinators have both been garnering interest for multiple head coaching openings, and earlier today, we saw the team’s defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson interview with the Giants for their open defensive coordinator job. Even Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver has received head coaching interest.

Hewitt has been a staple in Baltimore, coaching with the Ravens since the team’s last Super Bowl season in 2012. The Jamaica-native started off coaching as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the college level for the Fighting Irish before spending eight seasons at Rutgers coaching running backs and cornerbacks. In 2012, Hewitt joined John Harbaugh‘s staff as a defensive backs coach. After another eight years, Hewitt was promoted to pass defense coordinator and has spent the past two seasons in his current role.

Jacksonville isn’t afraid to poach from a division-rival, scheduling an interview with Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. While Bowen technically is still employed in Nashville, the firing of Mike Vrabel leaves Bowen in a precarious position, as whoever eventually replaces Vrabel may not choose to retain him in Tennessee. After five years as an assistant with the Texans and Titans, Bowen got his first coordinator job in 2021. In his first season, Bowen impressed, with Tennessee finished as the sixth-best scoring defense and finishing 12th in yards allowed. The next two seasons saw mostly middling defenses in Tennessee.

Also off the Titans’ coaching staff, the Jaguars will interview Tennessee’s defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris, according to Ben Arthur of NFL on FOX. Since entering the NFL in 2013 as a Bears defensive quality control coach, Harris went from assistant defensive backs coach for the Chargers to defensive backs coach for Washington before landing in his current role with the Titans this year. Harris also got some interest in last year’s coordinator search for the Texans.

Finally, the last candidate to receive a request to interview for the Jaguars open position was Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Manuel started coaching in Seattle in 2012, a few years after concluding his playing career, as an assistant special teams coach. He would climb the ladder for the Seahawks becoming a defensive assistant and an assistant secondary coach over the next two years. He took his first position coaching gig as the secondary coach for the Falcons in 2015 and was promoted to defensive coordinator two years later. When his contract in Atlanta expired, Manuel was hired as the defensive backs coach in Philadelphia for a year before taking the safeties coach position in New York. Like Harris, Manuel was a candidate for the Texans defensive coordinator job last offseason. He also interviewed for the same job with the Panthers last year, as well.

The Jaguars are certainly exploring plenty of options for who will coach the defensive side of the ball in Jacksonville next year. The team reportedly also requested an interview with Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen but were blocked access, per Jaguars beat reporter John Shipley. The Panthers also blocked an Ejiro Evero interview. There seems to be a concentrated focus on coaches with defensive back experience, which makes sense after the team gave up the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL this year.

Falcons To Carry Strong Interest In Bill Belichick?; Team Not Yet In On Jim Harbaugh

January 12th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 12: In an update which may point further in Belichick’s direction, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes the Falcons are likely to favor coaching experience more this year than in past hires. While Harbaugh is certainly among the candidates to have spent time in charge of an NFL sideline, making his omission from Atlanta’s list of targets notable, it thus comes as little surprise the team is heavily interested in Belichick. The latter can join the Falcons or any other suitor at any time, whereas coaches employed by playoff teams must follow the league’s interview schedule.

JANUARY 11: Bill Belichick will not be a fit for every team with an HC vacancy. The six-time Super Bowl-winning leader will turn 72 in April; no team has hired a head coach older than 66. A rebuild effort would not seemingly be a fit, as Belichick is intent on breaking Don Shula‘s career wins record.

Now officially separated from the Patriots after 24 years, Belichick is a coaching free agent. While several teams have been tied to the all-time great, Falcons noise is growing louder. After previous connections emerged, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the Falcons are expected to have strong interest in Belichick.

Although Arthur Blank inherited Dan Reeves upon buying the Falcons in 2002, each of his head coach hires (Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith) had never been an NFL HC. Belichick laps 2024’s candidate field in accomplishments and NFL experience, having debuted in the league with the Baltimore Colts in the mid-1970s. The 29-year HC (five in Cleveland) would stand to appeal to Blank, who is 81 and has seen his franchise drift off the contender map since Belichick’s Patriots erased a 28-3 deficit in Super Bowl LI.

This position could certainly appeal to Belichick as well. The Falcons used back-to-back-to-back top-10 picks on skill-position players, and Pro Football Focus ranked Atlanta’s offensive line — one spearheaded by Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews — fourth overall. After some free agency dollars went to defense in 2023, the Falcons finished 11th in total defense and 18th in points allowed. The Saints’ 48-point finish dinged the latter placement, and DVOA was not as bullish, slotting the Falcons 24th. But the unit is improved from 2022.

Granted, Belichick going from one team without a quarterback answer to another would be a lot to ask — especially if the Chargers are legitimately interested — but the Falcons are expected to take a bigger QB swing after standing down and going with Desmond Ridder last year. Some close to Belichick view this as a good fit for the veteran coach, Graziano adds. The team looks to be planning to keep Terry Fontentot as GM, though it seems it is flexible regarding his power going into his fourth year on the job. That said, the Falcons value Fontenot, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, making it hard to believe they will push him out at this point.

Another NFC South all-in push would be fascinating, considering the blueprint the Buccaneers established upon signing Tom Brady in 2020. Granted, Belichick has not been known — in most offseasons, at least — for wild spending to fortify his roster, but his vision may change if a short-term plan is in place. He is 14 wins shy of Shula’s all-time record. In terms of cap space, the Falcons — who again hold the No. 8 overall pick after a 7-10 season — reside in the middle of the pack, being projected to carry more than $21MM.

While it does seem like a Belichick-Falcons interview will take place, the team has sent out eight requests to other staffers Thursday. Jim Harbaugh has not yet received a slip from the Falcons, and Fowler adds the team does not look to have launched a pursuit of Michigan’s national championship-winning HC just yet. Harbaugh figures to have options out west, but the Belichick-to-Georgia storyline is obviously one to monitor going forward.

Giants Conduct DC Interview With Ravens’ Dennard Wilson; Interview Request For Marquice Williams Blocked By Falcons

January 12th, 2024 at 1:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants added ex-defensive coordinator Don Martindale after his Ravens stint came to an end, and the team is again looking Baltimore’s way in their efforts to find his replacement. New York conducted a DC interview with Ravens secondary coach Dennard Wilson, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Martindale’s future on Brian Daboll‘s staff was thought to be in flux after a November report pointed to tension between the two. The latter initially said he expected the former to remain in place for the 2024 campaign, after both sides attempted to downplay the issue. However, Daboll fired two position coaches who followed Martindale from the Ravens to the Giants, and Martindale is now out of the picture as a result.

Wilson is the first known candidate to interview for New York’s DC position. The 41-year-old joined the Ravens’ staff this past offseason after a stint with the Eagles. He was at one point considered the favorite to be promoted to defensive coordinator in Philadelphia following Jonathan Gannon‘s departure, but the Eagles ultimately hired Sean Desai instead. Wilson therefore moved on, taking the Baltimore gig after also being connected to the Browns’ DC opening.

Wilson impressed during his previous time with the Jets, and he is seen as a strong coordinator candidate. It thus comes as little surprise that the Giants have shown interest as they look for a rebound on defense from the team’s performance in 2023. The Ravens ranked sixth against the pass this season (allowing 192 yards per game through the air) and racked up 18 interceptions, the third-highest mark in the league.

The Giants have also, however, hit another roadblock in their search for a special teams coordinator. New York attempted to speak with Chargers ST coordinator Ryan Ficken, but Los Angeles blocked the request. The same has now happened with respect to the Falcons. Atlanta has denied New York’s bid to interview Marquice Williams, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Having yet to fill the vacancy filled by Arthur Smith‘s firing, the Falcons are not allowing their assistants to interview with outside teams.

While the Giants will therefore need to continue searching for candidates to replace Thomas McGaughey, they have at least had a meeting with Wilson. The latter could be a name to watch on the coordinator circuit once again in 2024 given his rising stock and the Ravens’ backend performance on his watch this season.

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