Falcons Not Expected To Trade Matt Ryan, Julio Jones
With Matthew Stafford off the market, teams interested in acquiring other accomplished quarterbacks may not need to look toward Atlanta. Last weekend’s Lions-Rams blockbuster shows nothing can be completely ruled out, but the Falcons are not looking to part ways with either of their two cornerstone players this year.
The Falcons have not engaged in any trade talks regarding Matt Ryan or Julio Jones, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (video link). Both Falcon stars are expected to be part of Arthur Smith‘s first Atlanta squad.
Ryan stands in an interesting situation. He will be set to play for a third head coach, but Smith will be the first offense-geared leader to lead the Falcons in Ryan’s tenure. The Falcons also hold the highest draft choice they have possessed since drafting Ryan in 2008, presenting a prime opportunity to acquire the 35-year-old passer’s successor. Regardless of how Atlanta proceeds with the No. 4 overall pick, Ryan’s lucrative contract is expected to remain on the franchise’s 2021 payroll.
Despite Jones’ 10th NFL season halting his historic run of production, thanks to hamstring trouble that kept him out for much of the 2020 slate, the future Hall of Famer would obviously generate trade interest. But the Falcons gave him a market-topping extension in 2019. His 2021 base salary ($15.3MM) is fully guaranteed. The Falcons would be tagged with a greater dead-money sum — in excess of $40MM — if they were to move Ryan. Another Ryan restructure could be on tap; the 13-year veteran’s 2021 cap figure sits at $40.9MM.
With a salary cap drop expected in March, the Falcons are already projected to be well over the estimated ceiling. GM Terry Fontenot‘s new team is not in the kind of cap hell the Saints are, but the Falcons are one of five other teams — as of Groundhog Day — who project to be over the cap by more than $30MM. While the cap may not drop to the agreed-upon $175MM floor, the Falcons will certainly help themselves by not trading Ryan and Jones this year.
Falcons Add Kyle Smith To Front Office
Kyle Smith will go from being a key lieutenant in Washington’s power structure to playing a similar role in Atlanta. The Falcons hired the young executive as its VP of player personnel.
While Smith will move from having the same job title in Washington, he will become the Falcons’ top-ranking executive behind new GM Terry Fontenot. Washington hired Martin Mayhew as GM and Marty Hurney as its executive VP earlier this month, lowering Smith’s standing in an organization that has given HC Ron Rivera considerable power. Smith, 36, will now play an integral role in Atlanta’s new regime.
Other teams were interested in Smith, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, who adds one year remained on his Washington contract. Washington did not interview Smith for its GM post, per Jhabvala, who adds Smith and Rivera were not believed to be on bad terms during their short stay together. But the team did interestingly meet with Eric Stokes, who worked under Smith as director of pro personnel in Washington’s previous front office setup.
Washington, which hired Smith in 2010, promoted him to VP of player personnel last year. The team did not hire a GM in Rivera’s first season. Well respected for his draft acumen, Smith figures to be a GM candidate in the not-too-distant future.
T.J. Yates Joins Falcons Coaching Staff
While the Falcons may have hired a pair of offensive minds in new head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone, they’ll be turning to a former NFL quarterback to (partly) handle their passing game. The Falcons announced today that T.J. Yates has been hired as their passing game specialist. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle was first with the news (via Twitter) yesterday.
Yates, a 2011 fifth-round pick out of North Carolina, managed to put together a seven-year career, including stints with the Texans (thrice), Falcons, Dolphins, and Bills. He last played in 2017 with the Texans, when he garnered three starts. In total, Yates finished his career having appeared in 22 games (10 starts), completing 55.2-percent of his passes for 2,057 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Yates joined the Texans coaching staff in 2019, working his way up from offensive assistant to assistant quarterbacks coach. The 33-year-old is somewhat familiar with his new personnel; he was the backup to Matt Ryan during the 2014 season. Yates will work alongside Smith, Ragone, and new quarterbacks coach Charles London.
The Falcons also announced the hiring of two more coaches on Saturday. Lanier Goethie, who most recently served as linebackers coach at Duke, will join Atlanta as a defensive assistant. Nick Perry, who spent the past four years at Alabama, is joining the team as an assistant defensive backs coach.
FB Patrick DiMarco To Retire
Patrick DiMarco began the 2020 season on IR and ended it as a free agent, and the veteran fullback will not attempt to return next season. DiMarco announced his retirement Thursday (via Twitter).
Originally a Chargers UDFA in 2011, DiMarco became best known for his work with the Falcons. The ex-South Carolina Gamecock made the Pro Bowl in 2015 and was Atlanta’s primary blocking back from 2013-16.
DiMarco, 31, helped pave the way for Devonta Freeman‘s two Pro Bowl nods, aiding the Falcons’ transition from Steven Jackson to their Freeman-Tevin Coleman backfield in the mid-2010s. Freeman and Coleman combined for more than 1,600 rushing yards in 2016, when the Falcons boasted one of the highest-scoring offenses in NFL history.
The Bills signed DiMarco to a four-year, $8.5MM deal in 2017. Primarily working as a special teams contributor, DiMarco logged three 16-game seasons from 2017-19 but suffered an injury that prompted Buffalo to move him to IR ahead of Week 1. The Bills released DiMarco via injury settlement prior to their season opener.
Illustrating the role of the modern fullback, DiMarco logged just seven career carries. He did score four receiving touchdowns with the Falcons, however.
Coaching Notes: Pack, Rathman, McCardell
The Packers are making a change on special teams. They are firing ST coordinator Shawn Mennenga, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). A longtime college coach, Mennenga had previously served as Browns assistant ST coach before joining Matt LaFleur‘s staff in 2019. The Packers are expected to promote assistant ST coach Maurice Drayton to replace Mennenga, Pelissero tweets. At least one other team was interested in Drayton for such a role, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Drayton was in contention for this job two years ago.
Here is the latest out of Green Bay and from around the league:
- Mike Pettine may not be locked in as Packers defensive coordinator next season. The veteran DC opted not to sign an extension last year, and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes his contract is up. The Packers invested heavily in their pass rush and used three first-round picks on defenders from 2018-19 but dropped from 15th in defensive DVOA in 2019 to 17th this past season. Pettine is a holdover from Mike McCarthy‘s staff, having arrived in 2018.
- Colts running backs coach Tom Rathman announced his retirement Thursday. The Colts hired Rathman in 2017, after his eight-year tenure as 49ers running backs coach ended. Rathman attempted to retire in 2019 and ’20, but the Colts successfully lobbied him to stay on, per The Athletic’s Stephen Holder (on Twitter). A decorated fullback who won two Super Bowls with the 49ers, Rathman coached running backs from 1997-2020. Sixteen of those years came in San Francisco.
- Staying with the Colts, they are hiring former Jaguars QBs coach Scott Milanovich to replace Marcus Brady in that position, Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Milanovich was Jacksonville’s QBs coach from 2017-19. Otherwise, he has spent his career in the CFL, having coached the Toronto Argonauts and, in 2020, the Edmonton Eskimos. The Colts promoted Brady to OC last week.
- Longtime NFL wideout Keenan McCardell will resurface in Minnesota. The Vikings are hiring McCardell as receivers coach, per Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union (on Twitter). A longtime Jaguars pass catcher who broke into the coaching ranks in 2010, McCardell served as Jacksonville’s receivers coach from 2017-20 under Doug Marrone.
- Ex-Colts DC Ted Monachino will be the Falcons‘ outside linebackers coach under Arthur Smith next season. Monachino, Indy’s DC from 2016-17, spent the past two years with the Bears. The Falcons also hired Jon Hoke to coach defensive backs. The older brother of Maryland HC Brady Hoke, Jon was the Terrapins’ defensive coordinator from 2019-20 but has coached NFL DBs for several seasons.
Titans Made Dean Pees Offer To Return
Dean Pees has pledged to join the Falcons as defensive coordinator, completing a second unretirement in the past four years. But the Titans were also interested in the veteran assistant.
After Pees committed to follow Arthur Smith to Atlanta, Mike Vrabel offered him a chance to return to Tennessee. However, the Titans sought Pees in a consultant-type role instead of a return to their DC post, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.
We first heard of a Falcons-Pees partnership over a week ago, a day after Smith’s official hire, pointing to the ex-Titans OC prioritizing his former Tennessee coworker. The Falcons announced the hire less than a week later.
The Titans turned to outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen as their de facto DC last season. Bowen was the team’s primary defensive play-caller and remains on Vrabel’s staff. Pees, 71, unretired to join Vrabel’s staff in 2018 — after leaving the Ravens — but left Tennessee after the 2019 season and did not coach this past season. The Titans gave Steelers assistant Teryl Austin a DC interview earlier this month but have not filled the position. It remains uncertain if the team will do so.
While Pees will be tasked with elevating a Falcons defense that has struggled for the better part of the past three years, the Titans will need to make some improvements as well. They slid from 16th in defensive DVOA in 2019 to 29th this past season. Opponents also converted third downs at a historically great rate (51.9%) against the Titans, after the team ranked eighth in this category in 2019.
Dirk Koetter Retires From Coaching
Dirk Koetter has retired from football. After 39 years in coaching, the former Falcons offensive coordinator announced that he will move back to Idaho instead of pursuing a new job in 2021. 
[RELATED: Falcons Hire Dave Ragone, Dean Pees]
“After 39 seasons of coaching football, it’s time to move on to the next phase of my life,” Koetter wrote on Facebook (Twitter link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.) “From 1982 at Highland High through the 2020 season with the Atlanta Falcons it’s been nothing but football year round with not nearly enough time for anything else, especially family,”
Koetter served as the Falcons’ OC from 2012-14, then took on the same job in Tampa Bay. When the Bucs fired Lovie Smith in 2016, Koetter was promoted to head coach. After going 9-7 in his first HC year, Koetter’s Bucs posted back-to-back 5-11 campaigns. He returned to Atlanta in 2019 to serve as Dan Quinn‘s offensive coordinator and stayed on after his fall firing. However, new head coach Arthur Smith has hired his own OC in Dave Ragone.
Coaching Notes: Rams, WFT, Jets, Falcons, Broncos, Steelers
The Rams have found their new special teams coordinator, as the team announced that they’ve hired Joe DeCamillis. The veteran coach will be replacing John Bonamego, who’s transitioning to a senior coaching assistant role.
DeCamillis brings 32 years of NFL coaching experience, including the past four years as the Jaguars special teams coordinator. During his stint in Jacksonville, the team traditionally ranked top-10 in many special teams categories, and in 2019, DeCamillis helped guide punter Logan Cooke and kicker Josh Lambo to becoming the first teammates to lead the NFL in net punting average and field goal percentage.
Prior to working with the Jaguars, the 55-year-old spent time as special teams coordinator with the Broncos, Bears, and Cowboys, and he also spent time on the Falcons and Giants coaching staffs.
Bonamego, 57, joined the Rams last February. He spent the 2019 season as special teams coordinator of the Lions, and he was Central Michigan’s head coach between the 2015 and 2018 seasons.
Some more coaching notes from around the league…
- Jennifer King is expected to become a full-time offensive assistant on Washington‘s coaching staff, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). This makes King “the first full-time Black female coach in NFL history,” per The Athletic. The Guilford College product spent the 2020 season as a full-year coaching intern on Ron Rivera‘s staff.
- It’s looking like new Jets head coach Robert Saleh has finalized his offensive coaching staff. We previously heard about the hirings of Mike LaFleur as offensive coordinator, Greg Knapp as quarterbacks coach, John Benton as offensive line coach, and Rob Calabrese as passing game specialist. ESPN’s Rich Cimini passed along a few names we can add to the list, including wide receivers coach Miles Austin, running backs coach Taylor Embree, and tight ends coach Ron Middleton. As Cimini notes, the staff doesn’t feature a whole lot of experience, with Calabrese, Embree, and Austin serving as first-time NFL positional coaches.
- The Falcons are expected to hire Charles London as their new quarterbacks coach, reports NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). It’s a bit of an interesting hire, as London has spent the last nine years serving as a running backs coach with the Texans, Bears, and Penn State. However, the 45-year-old does have experience as an offensive assistant/quality control coach with the Titans and Bears.
- Mike Klis of 9News in Denver tweets that Broncos running backs coach Curtis Modkins has drawn interest “from around the league as offensive coordinator.” The 50-year-old has consistently served as an NFL running backs coach since the 2008 season, spending time with the Chiefs, Cardinals, Bills, Lions, 49ers, and Bears.
- Mike Tomlin interviewed Hank Fraley for the Steelers OL coach gig, reports Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette (via Twitter). Fraley actually started his NFL career in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers signed him as an undrafted free agent back in 2000. Following a playing career that saw him appear in 142 games (mostly with the Eagles and Browns), Fraley has served as a coach at both the collegiate and professional level, including a recent stint as the Lions offensive line coach.
Falcons Hire Dean Pees, Dave Ragone
Previously rumored Falcons plans came to fruition Thursday. Arthur Smith will bring Dave Ragone aboard as his offensive coordinator, and the first-year Falcons coach has a big role planned for the recently retired Dean Pees.
The former Titans defensive coordinator will again come out of retirement, committing to become the Falcons’ DC. The Falcons are also hiring Marquice Williams as their special teams coordinator.
While Pees and Smith served as Titans coordinators together in 2019, this will be Ragone’s first run as OC. Working as Bears QBs coach for the past five years, this will represent a move up for the ex-quarterback — the first known target for this post.
Ragone, 41, will not, however, have an immediate path to a play-calling role. Smith’s play-calling chops helped him draw interest from all seven head coach-seeking teams this year, and he confirmed he will call plays in Atlanta.
For Pees, this marks unretirement No. 2. Mentioned early as a likely to join Atlanta’s staff, Pees will skip any advisory or consulting roles and jump back into the play-calling fire.
Pees left his post as Ravens DC after the 2017 season but re-emerged as the Titans’ defensive boss ahead of the ’18 campaign. Pees, 71, stuck to retirement for a season this time around — which coincided with a Titans defensive regression — but will return to lead a fourth team’s defense. Pees served as Patriots defensive coordinator from 2006-09 and led the Ravens’ defense for six seasons beginning with their Super Bowl-winning 2012 slate. Of Pees’ 12 defenses, only one has ranked outside the top 12 in points allowed.
Williams has worked as assistant special teams coach with the Chargers and Lions, working in that capacity with Detroit for the past two seasons.
Falcons, O-Line Coach To Part Ways
- Another of Quinn’s Cowboys staffers became known Wednesday. The Cowboys hired Aden Durde as defensive line coach. Durde will follow Quinn from Atlanta, where he was most recently the Falcons’ outside linebackers coach. Durde, who spent time with the Cowboys as part of the Minority Fellowship Program from 2014-15, will join Joe Whitt Jr. in following Quinn from Atlanta to Dallas.
- Arthur Smith‘s first Falcons staff will not include offensive line coach Chris Morgan, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). Morgan worked with the Falcons for six years, initially serving under OC Kyle Shanahan. Given that offensive scheme’s presence in a few NFL cities, Morgan profiles as an interesting coaching free agent.