The Falcons have made their first two major hires of the offseason in president of football operations Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Their search for a new general manager begun before those moves became official, but Stefanski is expected to “have a voice” in the search, according to The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.
Of course, a new head coach helping the team pick their next general manager is not much of a surprise. The process typically goes the other way around, but the Falcons’ new structure has the GM reporting to Ryan. So, hiring Stefanski first and involving him in the search will allow him to find a true partner as they work to build a team together.
It is worth noting that Ryan did not participate in the first stage of interviews, so his real influence will not come until the second round, when Stefanski will also be involved.
Had the Falcons not landed Stefanski, their other targets for second interviews were Jeff Hafley and Jesse Minter, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Both would have been immediately available for those in-person meets, which could have allowed the Falcons to move just as quickly as they did with Stefanski.
Instead, Hafley ended up in Miami, and Minter is a finalist for multiple head coaching vacancies around the league. Hafley’s new GM, former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan, had come in from Green Bay just a few weeks before he was hired, while Minter could end up in Baltimore, where he previously worked with Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta during his stint as a defensive assistant.