The Falcons‘ hiring of Raheem Morris was met with universal praise by fans and peers alike.
Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and other coaches proclaimed their faith in Morris as a head coach. Fans who weren’t already in support of Morris quickly changed their tone following his introductory press conference.
His enthusiasm, confidence, and transparency radiated throughout Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was one of the attractive aspects of his candidacy, along with his heralded ability to lead men.
However, I’d argue the most intriguing attribute Morris brought to the table as a head coach was being able to leverage his relationships with players and coaches to build out an All-Star staff and sway big names in free agency, one of which has already come to fruition.
Free agency isn’t for another month, but Morris added the hottest offensive coordinator candidate of the hiring cycle to his staff in Atlanta. Zac Robinson will call plays for the Falcons after half of a dozen teams with vacancies pursued him.
It is a home run of a hire at this point. Time will tell, though, because he has never called plays, and neither has the Falcons new defensive coordinator, Jimmy Lake.
Raheem Morris and Lake have an extensive relationship, dating back to their days in Tampa Bay. It’s a new challenge for Lake and Robinson, but that hasn’t swayed the Falcons head coach’s confidence in them.
“That wasn’t a concern because of the knowledge base that they’ve got,” Morris said. “I’ve got full confidence in both of those guys having the ability to do it.”
Instead of calling plays on the defensive side of the ball, Morris intends to be involved in all areas. It’s a role that many — Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, etc. — successful head coaches have assumed.
—
Photographer: Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.