Falcons hire Raheem Morris?
- Thread starter 18IsTheMan
- Start date
I don’t follow the NFL terribly closely, but he was their coach once, and they opted not to keep him, right? Now they’re going to hire him back? When they had a six time Super Bowl winning coach waiting in the wings?Sadly, you're missing nothing. This is just what we do.
Morris was really young when he got the Bucs job (Only 33 years old) and they did go 10-6 in his second year there. He was the interim coach for the Falcons after Dan Quinn got fired. He went 4-7 in that stint. He has been a very good defensive coordinator in the league and does have a Super Bowl on his resume with the Rams. Glad to see him get another shot.
The question is how much personnel decision making authority does Belichick want vs what teams will give?
I would not hire him, since his QB wont be Brady.
Hmmm, ok. Just doesn’t seem like the most qualified to me, but I hate the Falcons anyway so it’s fine by me.
Yes, Belicheck is more qualified, but Morris is definitely qualified to be an NFL Head Coach. Probably should have got a shot two years ago after the Rams won the Super Bowl. There have been a lot of coaches hired with a thinner resume than Morris. It's like saying Lane Kiffin didn't deserve another shot after it didn't work out with the Raiders.
I guess it kind of makes sense for him to prove if he’s ready to coach or not since the Falcons aren’t really a major franchise.
Morris was allowed to draft a QB in Tampa and took Josh Freeman who he coached at K-State way too early in the draft. Freeman was a huge bust.
Not sure how Morris will do this time around. No doubt he was a cheap hire in Tampa and was never going to be around for long. The 10-6 year was a surprise for sure. To me this feels a bit like another financial hire with low expectations.
Id say the Panthers got a better coach today than the Falcons did. Canales made Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield look like decent NFL QB’s the past 2 seasons. Smart hire for them to have him help out Bryce Young.
Not sure how Morris will do this time around. No doubt he was a cheap hire in Tampa and was never going to be around for long. The 10-6 year was a surprise for sure. To me this feels a bit like another financial hire with low expectations.
Id say the Panthers got a better coach today than the Falcons did. Canales made Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield look like decent NFL QB’s the past 2 seasons. Smart hire for them to have him help out Bryce Young.
One thing’s for sure. The NFL is such a fraternity. One a you’re in, you’re in. Doesn’t matter if you’re particularly good or not.
I think a lot of this is due to the fact it’s a lot different in the NFL as a coach. So much depends on where the franchise is at (trying to win or rebuilding), how much control the coach has, how well the GM did. Many of these guys were promising coaches, like Morris, who probably should’ve gotten a job a little later when he was ready…but what 33 year old is going to turn down the Bucs job. At the time, the Bucs were dominating the NFC South year after year. But they dumped Gruden and hired cheap, and decided to stop spending $$. His failure there certainly wasn’t all on him as the Glazers and GM deserve much of the blame. And sure, he got to draft his QB from K-State, but it was odd that a defensive coach, with no coordinator experience, would be given the freedom to draft his own QB. It was all dysfunctional.
But yes, they do seem to get recycled. I don’t think the college jobs are going to be quite as appealing as before under the current state. Wonder if that’ll put more coaches in the NFL market over time?
I’d say they’re about even. Morris did a helluva job running the Rams D and got a Super Bowl ring though. Canales has Geno and Baker.
This is so true. It seems every NFL head coach gets another bite at the apple - sometimes right after they get fired! The list is endless. It's almost like Ray Tanner is making all the hires. Not good enough at the Panthers? Come on up to Washington, Ron Rivera - you'll do fine here. And how many jobs did Wade Phillips have before owners realized he was a buffoon?
It really is funny because Dan Quinn, the head coach that was fired when Morris became interim, was also interviewing for all these openings.
It is bizarre to me. I guess they just value NFL experience over results. Never has made sense to me.
Hires like that show why they aren't a premier franchise.
Suppose it's a vicious cycle. They're not a premiere franchise b/c they make hires like that and they make hires like that b/c they aren't a premiere franchise.
Nah, this is just lazy NFL retread hiring. Just watch, Arthur Smith will be interviewing places next year.
I almost think they aren't hiring guys based on their ceiling, but their floors. Do the Falcons think they'll win a Super Bowl with Morris? Of course not. Chances are they think he'll be as good as Smith, but hope he wins a few more games. But they have to make a change to show the fanbase that 7 wins isn't "good enough." What they can't afford though is to win 2 games in a year like the Panthers did and have no one show up. I don't see Morris being that bad.
Fact is though, NFL teams will make money regardless of how many wins they have and even if no one shows up. But the fans in the seats are where they have a chance to make more money over their guaranteed profits. So they'll make safe coaching changes to appease the fanbase because every dollar spent in the stadium is 100% profit in the owner's pockets.
The appeal of NFL football is totally lost on me. The players don't care unless they are in the playoffs, their primary goal in every game is to not get hurt. Winning or losing is very much secondary to them unless the game is a playoff game. How or why NFL fans feel any attachment or loyalty to the team is a mystery to me. The players aren't from the city, they have no real contact with anyone who lives in the city and the team is subject to move at any time.
Yep! This is exactly what I've been saying. The owners couldn't care less. They're making BILLIONS off of these teams. As long as their HCs aren't wrapped up in hookers and blow they're good. Just keep us out of trouble, don't screw it up for ME.
You hit the nail on the head here. Dan Snyder purchased the Redskins for $800 million in 1999. They went 164-220-2 and 2-6 in the post-season under his ownership. They were widely regarded as the worst-run franchise in the NFL. He sold the team for $6.05 billion last year.
Firing Quinn is puzzling to me since we still have not hired a coach better than him. Without a QB the Falcons are not real appealing to top coaches. That may be the main reason Morris was hired.
I think you're right. Bite the bullet, go empty the clip to move up to #1 to get Caleb Williams. Either Morris will work or he'll be fired in 2 years. Then you'll be able to sell a franchise QB to his potential replacement.
Morris is a qualified head coach and likely deserving of a second shot.
That said, it's an extremely underwhelming hire for the Falcons. It's not an exciting hire at all, it's not a hire that gets fans back on board the bandwagon.
Ultimately though, the main problem with the Falcons isn't coaching (even though that was a problem with Arthur Smith). It's the lack of a quarterback. Without a quarterback, you can't win. Desmond Ridder singlehandedly threw away multiple games this past season or it's Atlanta in the playoffs instead of Tampa Bay.
That said, it's an extremely underwhelming hire for the Falcons. It's not an exciting hire at all, it's not a hire that gets fans back on board the bandwagon.
Ultimately though, the main problem with the Falcons isn't coaching (even though that was a problem with Arthur Smith). It's the lack of a quarterback. Without a quarterback, you can't win. Desmond Ridder singlehandedly threw away multiple games this past season or it's Atlanta in the playoffs instead of Tampa Bay.
Desmond effing Ridder. My goodness.
But this is the organization that valued Billy Jo Tolliver over Favre, and traded Favre to GB for a first round pick they ended up wasting on RB Tony Smith.
Just look at the past few drafts.
Bijan Robinson is a great player, but this team could have used a really good tackle or pass rusher. Atlanta already had Allgeier to the run the ball.
Kyle Pitts is a great player, but drafting a tight end at #4 overall with all the real holes in the roster?
Being a Falcons fan is not fun lol
.....and this doesn't happen on what level of football? People's jealously over the paycheck in professional sports blinds them to what is really going on in other levels of the game. There is basically no difference in college and professional right now. Further, you get kids that pack it in high school or transfer to the next school smoking when their team doesn't win.
You are right, but Belichick would have been a lazy, retread hire too. What has he done since Brady left? Nothing and it was getting embarrassingly worse in New England. I think Blank was probably thinking that he should have hired Morris two years ago, but he went with the so-called Offensive Coordinator hire and it didn't work.
Belichick sounds like such an exciting name to desperate fanbases, but he'll be an unmitigated disaster if anyone gives him another chance.
And'I'll say of all the retread candidates, Morris seems like he might have the best chance of success.
I agree about Belichick. The simple fact is he’s never accomplished much of anything without Brady as his quarterback.
36 and 44 at Cleveland and 29-38 after Brady left, so yes, it understandable why people are not rushing out to hire him.
I feel like the Giants, after next year will be a fit for him, but again he wont have one of the all time greats in LT at his disposal like when he was DC there.
Last edited: