Three prospective head coach hires the Falcons should stay away from

It is impossible to overestimate the impact Ryan Nielsen has had on this defense in the Falcons’ inaugural season. You must also note, though, that the Falcons only needed one stop to win against the Bucs, Cardinals, and Vikings, and this team was unable to achieve it. Yes, in all three games, Arthur Smith’s offense had unfairly put the defense under duress. You still need to figure out a means to halt the game in at least one or two of those games, though.

In order to maintain his position and demonstrate that this defense is headed in the correct way, Nielsen has done more than enough. However, the Falcons should not think about employing their coordinator if they decide to cut company with Arthur Smith. You are splitting up with Smith because there is just not enough experience, and you are also frustrated by his failures during key occasions this year. It really doesn’t make sense to hire the coordinator in charge of three of those incidents; instead, they should continue with Arthur and hire an OC.

Without a doubt, Atlanta should retain their defensive coordinator if Smith manages to keep his position or if Nielsen is retained by the new head coach. However, the coordinator hasn’t done enough to warrant a discussion with the head coach just yet.