[Vigilantcitizen]

SCOUT'S HONOR: Falcons should hire McKay




Brian De Lucia / Special to FOXSports.com

It all starts at the top with ownership. Some snicker and sneer at the mere sight of Blank, noting his affinity for the spotlight, his closeness with the players and his failure to hire a man to run football operations.

Some of the criticism may be justified, but I like Blank and what he represents. He's been spending his time studying his team and evaluating what can be done to improve it.

Blank has provided the players with a great work environment and has earned their trust as someone who cares about them and has a passion for winning. That means a lot to players.

Blank also has revitalized the atmosphere within the organization and created positive vibes with the fans by connecting the Falcons with their community. Blank relates well to consumers and has created bridges that make the fans feel they can be a part of something special.

he general manager

While some make a joke of Blank's inability to hire a general manager, I see it as a positive.

Blank knows what he wants and who he wants in that role. That's important. And he didn't settle for some second-tier candidate just for the sake of hiring someone. Too many times, that mistake is made by organizations.


Arthur Blank needs to hire the right people to rebuild the Falcons around Michael Vick.
Associated Press

aving a strong leader in the role of general manager is critical. That's been the biggest problem for the Falcons over the years — not having an unquestioned leader in charge of football operations. Without that presence, the Falcons have made a lot of moves that don't add up, resulting in erratic performances on the field from week to week.

Having a strong presence atop of the organization would provide much-needed stability and a high set of standards within the organization as a whole. The Falcons must have a clear, organized direction for the long term. They must have an environment that includes a high-level of standards for everyone who works within the organization — right down to the secretaries, custodians and other support staff. Anyone who comes in contact with the players has to sense that first-class championship atmosphere. That's been missing in Atlanta, creating a lot of inconsistency from year to year throughout the organization.

To build a championship organization, there are three main things the Falcons need:
# Leadership within the football operations that is championship-minded, with a clear long-term direction regarding personnel and what type of systems around which they want to build.
# Continuity in building a roster and personnel moves that support that direction at all times. They need to define the standard of individuals they want to bring into the organization.
# To build a team around a core group of players who possess solid character and leadership abilities and then to add the right blend of younger and older players behind them.

The Falcons have some talent, but the roster has too many holes in key areas and not enough team leaders like the Bucs' John Lynch and Derrick Brooks. That's why Blank has his eyes set on Tampa Bay GM Rich McKay, who has been given permission to talk to other teams.

McKay understands how to run a stable organization from top to bottom. He knows how to set the tone of an organization beyond just football issues. And McKay understands how to put together a team with selected free agents while building around the draft with solid players.

If some snag should prevent McKay from landing in Atlanta, the next-best option would be Baltimore's assistant general manager, Phil Savage. Savage shares many of the same beliefs as far as building a solid organization with the right type of players. He's been a tremendous asset within a Ravens braintrust that has shown it can go through a transition period without a major drop-off.

#
The coach

This one is no secret. As I've been saying here for the past month, St. Louis defensive coordinator Lovie Smith would be the ideal candidate to become the Falcons' next coach. It's just a natural fit.

Smith has charisma and natural leadership skills. He provides a fresh energy, sees the big picture and works well with his players, holding them absolutely accountable for their actions and results on the field.

Smith is much like Tony Dungy in his approach to running a team. He holds his players accountable for their actions, yet also connects well with them.

Overall, Smith would provide that fresh energy needed to set the tone for the new era in Atlanta and he also sees the big picture very well. The key for him would be hiring the right assistants on the offensive side of the ball to design an offense around the strengths of Michael Vick.

If the Falcons can't land Smith, there are several other strong candidates:
# Charlie Weis has done an excellent job as offensive coordinator in New England. He does a dynamic job of motivating his players and getting the most out of them, but he's also very diverse with his schemes on offense. He's one of the few coordinators who remain adaptable to their players' strengths. He would work very well with Vick and put together an offense best suited to his talents. Weis also understands how to build a winning program in the league after working under Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick for the last several years.
# Brad Childress has been overshadowed by coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia, but has developed a solid reputation as an offensive mind and for his work with quarterbacks Donovan McNabb, Koy Detmer and A.J. Feeley. Childress is a lot like Reid and has a personality that people around the league have become more familiar with this season. Like Reid, Childress has high standards, but he also maintains a good relationship with his players.
# The stock of Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger has been climbing in the past year. He's done an excellent job working with Steve McNair and taking his career to the next level while working younger players into the passing game. McNair has become the most complete quarterback in the NFL under Heimerdinger, who is tough-minded and holds his players accountable to high standards.
# Finally, there is Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who possesses natural leadership ability, has a versatile offense and puts his players in position to succeed. He can be very creative in the passing game, but his timing passing game might not be the ideal fit for Vick. Still, when it comes to grading potential head coaches, Mularkey grades high as someone who will have the respect of his players.

[Vigilantcitizen]

MOORE: Blank looks to strike quick for new coach
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Dave Moore Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 2 days ago

Atlanta coach Dan Reeves was fired Wednesday.

The shock value of that statement is relatively low. You might as well tell someone that Michael Vick is a pretty good running quarterback.

The one, small element of surprise comes in the timing. Why make the move with three weeks left in the regular season? Why do it less than 72 hours after Vick's electrifying performance produced a victory over division-leading Carolina?

It's a matter of perception. It's a matter of performance.

And it's a matter of getting a jump on the competition.

Up to eight head coaches could be fired in the next few weeks. If you've already determined that a change is necessary, as Falcons owner Arthur Blank has, why wait until all of those clubs are in the market for a head coach?

There are precious few high-profile candidates available. You want to talk to those coaches and make your pitch before another team enters the process and possibly freezes you out. You want to give your new coach an edge on the competition in putting together his staff.


On Wednesday, Michael Vick called his former coach "sweet."
Ric Feld/Associated Press

If the Falcons lust after LSU's Nick Saban, as many clubs do, if they're intrigued by St. Louis defensive coordinator Lovie Smith or if they feel good about former Minnesota head coach Dennis Green, why delay in making their intentions known?

What happened last year is an ideal example. Five coaches were fired. Dallas was the only one that began the interview process in December. The club was only four days removed from the end of the regular season when it introduced Bill Parcells as the next head coach.

Detroit wound up with a highly respected coach in Steve Mariucci. Cincinnati landed Marvin Lewis, who has done a wonderful job in his first year as coach. But there is no question that Parcells was the 800-pound Tuna in the bunch.

Blank wants to strike quick. His goal would be to have a coach in place as quickly as the Cowboys did last season. And he wants someone to fit the dynamic face he's determined to put on this franchise.

Reeves is respected. Only five men in NFL history have won more games. He's in his 23rd consecutive year as a coach in the league, giving him a tenure that no current coach can touch.

But when a team is losing, that sort of longevity can work against a coach. Often, you will hear whispers that the game has passed him by. He may be portrayed as a stern disciplinarian who is out of touch with today's players (please see Jacksonville's Tom Coughlin last season) or a kindly, grandfatherly type who just doesn't connect.

Reeves can be a stubborn, demanding coach, but he falls into the latter category. It was insightful Wednesday to hear Vick call his coach a sweet guy who cares about his players.

Sweet is not a description normally applied to successful NFL coaches.

In no way, shape or form has this season been a success for Atlanta. We know Vick wasn't healthy enough to make his first start until Sunday night. But the Falcons have been nauseatingly bad on defense and never figured out how they wanted to play offensively in Vick's absence. The players carped about how hard Reeves pushed them in practice and appeared to have a sympathetic ear in the owner.

Blank encourages players to come to him if they have a problem. He's especially close to the high-profile free agents he's signed in the last two years as he aggressively goes about changing the Falcons' image.

Blank wrote a letter to the executives at ABC Sports apologizing for the team's performance in a Monday Night game and took out an ad in the Atlanta newspaper apologizing for the Falcons' poor play. When an owner issues one public apology after another and admits he has put together a few names as to who might take your job, you know the gig is up.

Blank made it clear this move wasn't based on Atlanta's performance this season. He said it was purely about the future of the organization.


Nick Saban is a hot name being bantered about for an NFL head coaching spot.
Scott Halleran/Getty Images

That's only partly true. It was made because Blank had seen enough of Reeves and his past to know there was no future.

Reeves led the Falcons on a surprising run to the Super Bowl during the 1998 season. That was easily the high point in franchise history, even though the team did lose to Denver.

But that must be balanced against the fact that Reeves presided over a winning season just twice in his seven seasons as the Atlanta coach. The Falcons are 28-48-1 since their Super Bowl appearance.

In the end, Reeves was unable to break the damning pattern established by the nine coaches who preceded him. In the franchise's 38 years of existence, it has never had back-to-back winning seasons.

Try selling a dynamic image when you can't carry over success from one season to the next.

There are a lot of moving parts here. The most crucial is that Blank still has a general manager to hire. People around the league believe his unrequited pursuit of Tampa Bay's Rich McKay less than two years ago could finally come to fruition.

Whatever happens, the Falcons have taken the early lead in what will be a very crowded field to hire a new head coach. And that is in the club's best interests.

Veteran NFL writer David Moore is a frequent correspondent for FOXSports.com.






Troy's weekly radio rants
AIKMAN on Dan Reeves getting fired in Atlanta:
"It seemed to be somewhat of a strange fit between Michael Vick and Dan Reeves."

Actually, I think the situation was handled pretty well. I admire the way (Falcons owner) Arthur Blank made a decision, went and told the head coach and didn't leave it up for speculation. Obviously you'd like to see Dan Reeves finish the year. I understand why he didn't, but for the team, you'd like to have seen him finish the season. They decided to go in a different direction and I think it was all handled very professionally. It seemed to be somewhat of a strange fit between Michael Vick and Dan Reeves. There's no suggestion that there were any problems between those two. I think Dan Reeves' style as a head coach or an offensive play caller maybe didn't fit Michael Vick all that well. Having said that, I think Dan Reeves is an excellent football coach. I have great respect for him. He's done a heck of a job everywhere he's been. But I think it was the best decision for everyone involved.

AIKMAN on if NFL players can get coaches fired:
"Whenever there are problems and the team is struggling you can't get rid of a lot of these players."


I think it's fair, absolutely. It's unfortunate.

I think what happens, if you've got the investment that these owners have in these players, whenever there are problems and the team is struggling you can't get rid of a lot of these players and so the first thing you do is replace the head coach. A lot of times the things that are going on in a franchise or the struggles a team is having are not a result of what's happening at that head coach position. That's the nature of the business. These coaches understand that when they get in it.

Right or wrong, this is the decision that's been made in Atlanta and you just hope they get someone in place who can have some success there.

AIKMAN on NFL coordinators who may be in line for head coaching positions:
"I think Norv Turner grew with his experience in Washington and whatever opportunity he gets next, I think he'll have tremendous success."

There are two guys I think will make excellent head coaches. One of which was already a head coach, and that's Norv Turner, who is currently the offensive coordinator with the Dolphins. As most people know, he was the head coach with the Redskins from '94 through 2000. I think he, a lot like Mike Shanahan and Bill Belichick, had opportunities prior to where they currently are at, Shanahan with Oakland and Belichick with Cleveland. I think Norv Turner grew with his experience in Washington and whatever opportunity he gets next, I think he'll have tremendous success because he's an outstanding football coach.

The other guy I think will probably be named an NFL head coach next season is defensive coordinator for the Rams, Lovie Smith. His credentials are tremendous. He's a lot like Marvin Lewis in the way that he's been brought along. He was in Tampa Bay under Tony Dungy. He's done a great job as the defensive coordinator with the Rams. He's a very classy guy. Great integrity. Great work ethic. I think he's going to get an opportunity and his name will be mentioned with a lot of that jobs that are going to become open for next season.