When the Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski to be their new head coach, he brought along several assistants with him. Tommy Rees as offensive coordinator. Alex Van Pelt as QBs coach. But perhaps the most important one of all is bringing on Bill Callahan to serve as the new offensive line coach.
The one thing the Falcons have yet to bring over with Stefanski is much of his former personnel. The only former of players of his they signed this offseason were Cameron Thomas and Austin Hooper, but they have an opportunity to reunite Callahan with a guy he coached in Cleveland: Joel Bitonio.
The seven-time Pro Bowler is somehow still available in free agency, and the Callahan connection is intriguing. So while naming ideal landing spots for the top free agents still available, Fox Sports' Ben Arthur labeled the Dirty Birds as a team who should try and sign Bitonio before the offseason ends.
"Bitonio’s former offensive line coach with the Browns, Bill Callahan, now has the same position with the Falcons, so Atlanta is a natural landing spot for him," Arthur wrote. "The Falcons have starting guards in place with Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron, but offensive line depth is never a bad thing."
Should the Falcons look into reuniting Bill Callahan with FA guard Joel Bitonio?
It isn't all that often that one of the best guards in the NFL is still a free agent by Memorial Day weekend. The 34-year-old may not play for that much longer, but Ian Cunningham has cap space at his disposal, so Bitonio would be worth signing on a short-term deal if the Falcons can get it done.
Arthur correctly noted that Atlanta doesn't need starting guard help because they have Matthew Bergeron and Chris Lindstrom locking down those positions. I highly doubt Bitonio would sign a deal with a team where he wouldn't start, but you can never have too much depth in the trenches.
Besides, Bergeron is entering a contract year and his future with the franchise is up in the air, so Callahan could find his replacement in a guy he (and Stefanski) coached with the Browns. They spent three seasons together, so that's more than enough time to develop a rapport with a position coach.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bitonio's 70.7 PFF grade in 2025 ranked 23rd out of 81 qualified guards while his 75.7 pass blocking grade ranked eighth. The 2014 second-round pick out of Nevada may be on the older side, but if 2025 was any indication, he still has quality football left in the tank.
The Falcons boldly let Dwayne Ledford walk in favor of the legendary OL coach. And if they want to set him up for immediate success, they could sign Bitonio to a team-friendly deal to add depth to the offensive line.
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