#atlanta-falcons

#atlanta-falcons

New general manager Ian Cunningham is stepping into a less-than-ideal situation in Atlanta. On one hand, he has some terrific pieces on both sides of the ball, a reasonable amount of cap space, and a fanbase that knows that 2026 is not a year where we're going to place outsized expectations after eight straight losing seasons. On the other hand, it's a roster with a ton of holes, some very expensive commitments, and a thorny quarterback situation.

They sought to gain the personnel genius of the Patriots, the free agency and cap wizardry of the Saints (blech), and the defensive mastery of the Seahawks and offensive excellence of the Titans.

It's the first Offensive Player of the Year nomination for Bijan Robinson, who was also named a first-team AP All-Pro at running back and a second-team AP All-Pro as an all-purpose player. Robinson led the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 2298-a Falcons franchise record and more than the second place player in the NFL (Christian McCaffrey) by over 100.

The decision to trade for Michael Jerrell felt like throwing a water balloon on a house fire at the time, and that's essentially what it was. Jerrell was a healthy scratch nearly the entire season, minus one game against the Bills. According to PFF, he was the worst-performing Falcons offensive lineman this season, by at least 40 points. These grading systems are subjective, but that's a pretty wide margin.

Today, the team also announced that five candidates have been interviewed for the position that had been expected to go to Ryan days ago. Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner, Panthers executive vice president of operations Brandt Tilis, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, and Ryan, the current CBS analyst, were the five interviewed candidates.

Pearce has been under a microscope since April, with the initial reaction to the trade that brought him in being that the former Tennessee standout wasn't worth the price. Pearce responded by leading all rookies in sacks with 10.5 and became the first rookie since Micah Parsons to crack double digits. Pearce was also one of 15 players in the entire league to cross that mark.

The Falcons feel like they have candidates pretty well locked in for their president of football and general manager openings, given that Matt Ryan is the widely reported favorite for the former and Ian Cunningham is the sole candidate set to be interviewed for the latter. Head coach feels a bit more wide open, and the Falcons just added an intriguing candidate to the mix.

Atlanta is expected to hire Matt Ryan as its president of football operations, but the team is required to interview other candidates for the role first. That may include 49ers director, scouting and football operations Josh Williams. The Falcons have requested a meeting with Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The Falcons are the second team to show interest in the 38-year-old Williams since the regular season ended Sunday.