The Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as their new coach, the club announced on Saturday night. Stefanski, 43, had his second interview with the Falcons on Saturday at the team's facility in Georgia. The former Cleveland Browns coach is a two-time former NFL Coach of the Year. The Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris on Jan. 4 following back-to-back 8-9 seasons. Atlanta has not made the playoffs in eight seasons, the second-longest drought in the NFL.
It's essentially a gig that offers one opportunity, and GMs must make the most of it because the odds of getting a second shot are low. Typically, former GMs go back to being assistant GMs, scouting directors, or other mid-level scouts. The Falcons have themselves recruited quite a few former GMs over the past decade, including Scott Pioli, Ryan Pace, Phil Emery, and Ruston Webster, to bolster their front office.
So now we have another candidate in the mix in the form of Josh Williams, a longtime scout with the San Francisco 49ers who has spent the past two seasons as their director of scouting and football operations; he's spent 14 years with the 49ers overall and began his career in the organization when Jim Harbaugh was running the show.
Jones was bound to have more big-play opportunities after squaring off with Richard Sherman in the previous matchup. Facing a Packers defense filled with question marks raised increased anticipation for what the 2016 first-team All-Pro can do against them.
