There is still a lot to be decided for the Atlanta Falcons over the coming months, and at the center of it all is their head coaching decision. Will they fire Raheem Morris after just two seasons?
After last week's upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you could feel the needle slightly move to them not firing him. But none of us know what is going on in the mind of the team's owner after he has had to watch another terrible season.
If they do fire Morris, the next question is whether they will have first dibs on any head coach they want. Unfortunately, if you trust ESPN's Bill Barnwell, they will be picking from the bottom of the barrel.
Bill Barnwell bafflingly suggests the Falcons aren't a desirable head coaching destination
Barnwell identified eight teams that could be searching for a new head coach in the offseason: the Falcons, Giants, Raiders, Titans, Cardinals, Dolphins, Browns, and Bengals. Out of those eight teams, he had the Falcons as the sixth-best opportunity, only sitting ahead of the Dolphins and Raiders.
Hey, at least they could beat the Dolphins this time!
Perhaps it is biased, but this isn't a great ranking. Two things were listed as working against the franchise: their cap space and lack of 2026 draft capital.
The issue with that argument is that they can release Kirk Cousins and Darnell Mooney to clear up significant cap space in the offseason. That is a quick fix to what has been seen as a big problem for this team's future.
As for the missing first-round pick, there is no realistic way to recoup it. However, two franchise cornerstones, James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts, came out of that trade with the Rams.
And when you look at the rest of the roster, there is plenty of talent to propel this team to a playoff appearance. Whether it is skill players like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, or Kyle Pitts (assuming they franchise tag him), a solid offensive line, or talented players at each level of the defense, there is plenty to work with.
The one issue is quarterback; what do they have in Michael Penix Jr.? We know they have a talented player who can make any throw in the book. However, he may not be back until partway through next season, and even then, can you rely on him to stay healthy?
With that said, look at the teams listed ahead of the Falcons: the Bengals, Cardinals, Browns, Titans, and Giants. Outside of the Bengals, are you fully convinced that any of those teams have a franchise quarterback? Or, at least, more convinced than you are about Penix being successful?
Ranking the Dirty Birds near the bottom isn't fair. They are talented enough to attract any head coach candidate they want, even despite being in QB purgatory, since any new coach would inherit an immediate playoff roster.