Atlanta Falcons: The future of Kyle Shanahan and Thomas Dimitroff

November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley (44) at the line of scrimmage during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi

What do the Falcons need to do to get to the next level?

AF: They need to add more top-level playmakers on both sides of the ball. Improvements along the offensive line and another dynamic threat at wide receiver and/or tight end would greatly help the offense reach the upper echelons on the league.

I don’t think there will ever be a point where a Kyle Shanahan-led offense is ever going to be hailed as one of the league’s best, but it’s perfectly capable of getting the Falcons were they want to go in the postseason if they have the right pieces.

Defensively, the pass rush is still among the league’s weakest and they need to add more playmakers at every level of the defense, particularly at linebacker and safety. Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme isn’t complicated and predicated on our guys being better than your guys. That certainly is not the case yet with the Falcons defense.

A lot of fans have been critical of Kyle Shanahan and Thomas Dimitroff. Should these guys stick around in 2016?

AF: I advocated that the Falcons should’ve let go of Dimitroff last year in a clean sweep. He was just as culpable (if not more so) as Mike Smith to the failures of the 2013 and 2014 due to a series of poor drafts, notable whiffs in free agency and the extended periods of time where the Falcons featured subpar talent at several notable positions (right guard immediately jumps to mind).

As for Shanahan, I’m of the opinion that he should get another shot next year, assuming the Falcons can make some of the offensive personnel upgrades I mentioned earlier, particularly at wide receiver, tight end and along the interior of the offensive line. If the Falcons offense still stagnates with more talent next year, then it’s certainly fair to move in a different direction come 2017.

Next: Prediction for the game