This afternoon, the Falcons will announce their new head coach and general manager in two separate press conferences. Since they both just accepted the positions, the press conferences did not have too much content on staffing or coaching decisions. They are simply not that far in the process of knowing exactly what they plan to do in free agencies, the draft, and so on. However, the two still provided enough small nuggets that the Falcons fans would find interesting, and I feel most would like what they had to say.
Head coach Arthur Blank kicked off the press conference for Arthur Smith, saying he was his best choice from the start of the process. The former Titans offensive coordinator has received rave reviews from everyone Blank spoke to, including Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, who worked with Smith from 2007-2008, when he was a defensive quality control coach. Blank also said that Smith and Fontenot benefited from each other during the interview process, stating that Fontenot had already done his research and started reaching out to potential coaches.
That says a lot about Fontenot, and from the way he handled the press conference, this is exactly what I would have expected. William McFadden puts it perfectly in this tweet about Fontenot’s first actions as acting general manager.
Terry Fontenot is currently playing a perfect match in his first press conference as the Falcons GM. Dude looks like a superstar hire on his first day. (Obviously, his work is far more important than a press conference.)
– William McFadden (@willmcfadden) 19 January 2021
Fontenot was so good today, and Falcons fans should be very happy to have him as their next general manager. From his opening, when he paid tribute to the late Vaughn Mcclure, to his preparation and bubbly personality throughout; he could not have made a more perfect impression in his first appearance as a falcon.
Fontenot’s most important statement was about the concept and its approach. He says he is a strictly best player available and calls the amazing Ozzie Newsome approach – the longtime Ravens general manager. This is especially interesting as the Falcons currently have the fourth overall pick and are likely to pick up one of the fantastic prospects for the quarter. However, if he is looking for the best player available, Penei Sewell or even Devonta Smith / Ja’Marr Chase could be in the map.
Back at Smith, he sounded exactly like you would expect a head coach to sound, proclaiming corporeality, toughness and accountability. I’m not going to put too much weight on these words because I’ve heard it all from Dan Quinn, but his already budding relationship with Fontenot is promising. The two are very excited to work with each other.
Terry Fontenot: “I could not be more excited to work with Arthur Smith.”
– William McFadden (@willmcfadden) 19 January 2021
Like Fontenot, Smith was unwilling to comment on any staffing or coaching decisions – no matter how hard the media stabbed him – but he did confirm that he would name the offense, something we expected. Fontenot also said he believes it is important for the team to have a ‘unique voice’ during the season – the head coach.
Finally, Blank confirmed that Smith and Fontenot will report to Rich McKay. However, both said they saw McKay as someone they could rely on based on his experience, which reflected what they said during the press conference – the Hawks are a world-class organization from top to bottom – and therefore White could hire both his first choices.