N/S Falcons offer Mike Smith (Jags DC) job as HC (1 Viewer)

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The Atlanta Falcons have offered their head coaching job to Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mike Smith.

A person familiar with the search, who requested anonymity because contract talks between the Falcons and Smith have not been completed, told the Associated Press a news conference could be set for Thursday.

Smith, the Jaguars' defensive coordinator since 2003, had his second interview with the team Friday. He has never been an NFL head coach.

Smith first interviewed with Falcons owner Arthur Blank before the Jaguars lost to the New England Patriots in a divisional playoff game. His second meeting with the team was his first opportunity to meet newly hired general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

Smith, a former defensive assistant with Baltimore, had the league's No. 12 defense with Jacksonville this season after ranking second in 2006 and sixth in 2005.

More here:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d806313ff&template=without-video&confirm=true
 
I'm surprised that he hasn't officially taken it yet. I forget who it was on ESPN (ex-player from Jags I think) but he didn't believe Smith would have the respect and command of the Falcons players. Of course, who respects THEM to begin with?

Any move that causes them more chaos sounds like a great deal to me.
 
I'm surprised that he hasn't officially taken it yet. I forget who it was on ESPN (ex-player from Jags I think) but he didn't believe Smith would have the respect and command of the Falcons players. Of course, who respects THEM to begin with?

Any move that causes them more chaos sounds like a great deal to me.

Yawn...what is he, like their 6th choice?

I, too, love them in chaos. It may make me happier than the Saints winning. So this is the leader of the defense we torched this year? and they were almost as undisciplined as the Bengals 2 years ago. Excellent...
 
I'm surprised that he hasn't officially taken it yet. I forget who it was on ESPN (ex-player from Jags I think) but he didn't believe Smith would have the respect and command of the Falcons players. Of course, who respects THEM to begin with?

Any move that causes them more chaos sounds like a great deal to me.


You were referring to Marcellus Wiley. He played under Smith for two seasons.
 
:bravo-applaudi-147: If this is all Falcons can do i can't wait to watch another few years of Bad Season from them LOL. LMAO!! Falcons are gonna suck forever, and it's a shame the guy didn't even accept the job yet, Amazing, no one wants to coach there LMAO!!!
 
He has nothing to lose. The birds are in good shape, as far as talent evaluation. Their owner seems to be passionate about his team. I expect them to make a splash in free agency.
 
Interesting analysis of the Smith hiring...if that is his real name.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

FALCONS OFFER JOB TO SMITH

They're just not sure they can take the rejection.

How else can anyone explain the decision to offer the head-coaching job to Jags defensive coordinator Mike Smith before getting a shot at talking to Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo? With Bobby Petrino, Bill Parcells, and Jason Garrett each telling the Falcons to get their beaks bent in the past six weeks, the Falcons apparently opted not to set themselves up for yet another "no thanks," this time from Spagnuolo.

Smith, to our recollection, had not previously been a candidate for any NFL head-coaching gig, and the only team that interviewed him in the current hiring cycle was Atlanta. He has been with Jacksonville since 2003, and he previously spent four seasons with the Ravens. Prior to that, he had been in the college ranks from 1982 through 1998.

The fact that the Ravens, who had Smith in the building for four years, didn't give him a sniff for their own vacancy should have sent up a red flag for the Falcons. Not to mention that ill-fated decision to play the Pats deep -- and invite a slow death at the hands of Tom Brady in the divisional round.
 
good job falclowns. I didnt want to have to disappoint you next week when you asked me to coach the team.
 
Sad part is that they had a good HC in Jim Mora. I thought he was a pretty good coach. Still not sure why they fired him.
 
He has nothing to lose. The birds are in good shape, as far as talent evaluation. Their owner seems to be passionate about his team. I expect them to make a splash in free agency.


I think the reasons it took so long for Smith to accept the jobs -

1. Meddling owner. Blank, for some reason, gets a pass for being on sidelines, looking over coaches shoulders, micromanaging the Falcons. When Jerry Jones does it he's called a "control freak" but Blank "just wants to win". I wouldn't want to work for a guy that wants to control every microscopic detail of my job, I think Smith thought twice about it too.

2. Talent? Yes, the Falcons have a smattering of talent here and there. But they have no QB (and there's not a Drew Brees available this offseason), no offensive line, and a ton of disgruntled guys on their D. Facing going into the season with Joey Harrington or Byron Leftwich behind the Falcons OL was enough to scare most guys off.

3. Free Agency - they can't make a splash in FA after McKay worked his "magic". Right now the Falcons have the 30th most cap space (that's right - three zero) and a whooping $5.79 million to spend on FA. $5.79 mil will get you a backup or two and couple street FAs.It's going to take new Falcons GM Dimitrioff awhile to straighten out their cap.

4. I won't be shocked if Arthur Blank demands the NFL FO gives them some "cap relief" on Michael Vick's contract. I hope he does after he and rest of the owners in the South balked at giving the Saints a little extra cap space post Katrina. I want the pleasure of seeing him get shot down..........
 
Sad part is that they had a good HC in Jim Mora. I thought he was a pretty good coach. Still not sure why they fired him.

I don't think Mora was anything special. He seemed to have a rapport with the players, but it takes much more than that to be a successful coach. Even as a secondary coach in New Orleans and San Francisco, he didn't appear to lead those squads to much success. I think his best asset is his last name, quite frankly.
 
I think the reasons it took so long for Smith to accept the jobs -

1. Meddling owner. Blank, for some reason, gets a pass for being on sidelines, looking over coaches shoulders, micromanaging the Falcons. When Jerry Jones does it he's called a "control freak" but Blank "just wants to win". I wouldn't want to work for a guy that wants to control every microscopic detail of my job, I think Smith thought twice about it too.

2. Talent? Yes, the Falcons have a smattering of talent here and there. But they have no QB (and there's not a Drew Brees available this offseason), no offensive line, and a ton of disgruntled guys on their D. Facing going into the season with Joey Harrington or Byron Leftwich behind the Falcons OL was enough to scare most guys off.

3. Free Agency - they can't make a splash in FA after McKay worked his "magic". Right now the Falcons have the 30th most cap space (that's right - three zero) and a whooping $5.79 million to spend on FA. $5.79 mil will get you a backup or two and couple street FAs.It's going to take new Falcons GM Dimitrioff awhile to straighten out their cap.

4. I won't be shocked if Arthur Blank demands the NFL FO gives them some "cap relief" on Michael Vick's contract. I hope he does after he and rest of the owners in the South balked at giving the Saints a little extra cap space post Katrina. I want the pleasure of seeing him get shot down..........
People's perception of meddling may vary. I didn't know they were that tight against the cap, but moves can be made to give them some space. By talent, I meant their new GM has done a good job evaluating draft picks for the Pats.
 
Sad part is that they had a good HC in Jim Mora. I thought he was a pretty good coach. Still not sure why they fired him.

It may have had something to do with his comments on a radio show where he stated, and I paraphrase greatly, that even if the Falcons were a perennial playoff contender, he would take the Washington (college) job in a heartbeat - wouldn't give it a second thought. Later, he said he was joking, but listening to the soundbite, he sounded very serious, and I think that pretty much doomed him in Atlanta, in addition to the Falcons being the suxors(tm).
 

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