ESPN reveals Falcons top head coach targets behind Raheem Morris

You thought we were done with the Bill Belichick saga? Think again Falcons fans.

ESPN recently dropped a bombshell of a story detailing behind the scenes of Atlanta’s head coaching search with Belichick. First of all, I highly recommend that you go read the story in its entirety because it’s one hell of a piece of journalism.

Now, to the meat and potatoes of my piece. The Falcons, according to ESPN, never really had Belichick among the finalists for the vacant head coaching position.

“The Falcons’ second interview was granted to Belichick ‘largely out of respect.'”

But we do know who the finalists were. Arthur Blank strangely enlisted his top lieutenants to rank their top candidates, and Belichick didn’t even crack the top three, while Raheem Morris was the unanimous top choice.

However, he was on the way to Seattle to interview for the Seahawks’ vacant position, so the backup plan was Mike Macdonald and then Bobby Slowik.

“In that straw poll, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, eventually hired by the Seahawks, was the second choice. Slowik finished third.”

Slowik ended up staying in Houston with DeMeco Ryans as the Texans’ offensive coordinator, and Macdonald ended up taking over for Pete Carroll in rainy Seattle.

Slowik is a branch from the Shanahan coaching tree and really burst onto the scene last year. He helped guide C.J. Stroud to an Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, in which the former No. 2 pick threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first season. Stroud credited Slowik for a lot of his success.

Macdonald succeeded under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, coordinating a top 10 defense in the country. He then helped the Ravens to the #1 scoring defense this past season. They also led the league in sacks and turnovers.

The talent on the Baltimore defense is second to none, but Macdonald’s creative schemes have made life a living hell for some of the brightest offensive minds in the game. Look no further than what the Ravens did to Stroud, Slowik, and the Texans in the playoffs.

Most Falcons fans seem pleased with how things shook out. I certainly am. I think Raheem Morris is a great leader of men and has put together an exciting staff, particularly Zac Robinson as the offensive coordinator.

The process seems a bit irregular, but it won’t matter if Morris and the Falcons win. If they don’t, everyone will look back at this article and continue to laugh at Blank and his organization.