Reports: Falcons have known they were firing head coach and general manager for weeks

"Apparently, I needn't have worried that the Falcons were going to let the last few weeks of the season influence whether they kept Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot. Per NFL insiders Ollie Connolly and Josina Anderson, who in my experience has been pretty accurate in their reporting, Atlanta has "had feelers" out to potential candidates for weeks now and were going to fire both Morris and Fontenot regardless of the season's end result."

"Per Connolly, Arthur Blank was unhappy about the structure sold to him during the team's pursuit of Bill Belichick, with the team ultimately keeping Fontenot and hiring Morris instead of Belichick. It's hard for me to argue that Belichick would have been any better-the fiasco of a first year in college at North Carolina suggests it would have been interesting but not particularly fruitful-but Blank made his decision with the hope that it would lead to wins right away."

"Further, Connolly suggests that sources he's spoken with indicate the Falcons have a preferred head coaching candidate in mind already, even though they'll go through an array of interviews. The team will certainly check all the necessary boxes in their search and could always pivot, much like they did the last time out, and will not do anything that might run afoul of the league's Rooney rules."

Atlanta had feelers out to candidates for weeks and planned to fire Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot regardless of the season's end. Arthur Blank was unhappy about the organizational structure sold during the pursuit of Bill Belichick, with the team keeping Fontenot and hiring Morris instead. Blank expected immediate wins but did not get them. Sources indicate the Falcons already have a preferred head coaching candidate while still planning interviews. The team intends to meet procedural requirements and comply with the Rooney Rule. Conflicting insider reports reflect tight control of the team's internal plans. The firings align with past decisive leadership changes.

Read at The Falcoholic