The Falcons are undergoing a total overhaul of both their offensive and defensive coaching staffs. Outside of the head coach and GM hirings—where Atlanta netted top candidates Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot, respectively—the next biggest position to watch was defensive coordinator. The team saw fairly significant defensive improvement in the second half of 2020 under Raheem Morris and Jeff Ulbrich, but the unit was still average at best overall and one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses.
To run the defense, Arthur Smith was able to coax former Titans, Ravens, and Patriots DC Dean Pees out of retirement to join the Falcons.