Dan Quinn is officially the man in charge for the Atlanta Falcons. Owner Arthur Blank introduced the former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator on Tuesday after the two sides agreed on a five-year contract Monday morning. Now the work begins for Quinn as the head coach has several roster moves that need to made heading into free agency and the NFL Draft. With connections throughout the league, who could the head coach target in 2015?
Quinn announced during his press conference that he will have full control over the 53-man roster. The head coach will work in tandem with general manager Thomas Dimitroff, but ultimately he will pick who comes and who goes for the Falcons. With key players like Steven Jackson, Eric Weems, Sean Weatherspoon, Kroy Biermann and Robert McClain all working off expired contracts, the Falcons are expected to make a big run in free agency this offseason while aiming to get some big names to help turn the franchise around.
After a long-term contract is handed to Julio Jones, the work begins to make key replacements. A pass rusher and lead linebacker will be a priority for the team. Weatherspoon and Biermann could return if they take less money. After that, Brian Orakpo, Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Houston could all be veteran free agent targets for the team. Most NFL mock drafts have the Falcons eyeing Dante Fowler Jr as a potential first-round pick. Quinn could also use his connections to pull Malcolm Smith away from the Seahawks.
Quinn will also need to make a decision on Jackson. The veteran runner originally signed a two-year contract with Atlanta and never lived up to the deal as injuries killed his potential with the team. With Jacquizz Rodgers and Antone Smith heading into free agency, the Falcons need running back help and bad. Cutting Jackson saves 3.75 million in cap space the team could use to target players like CJ Spiller, Mark Ingram or Frank Gore for help at the position.
The Falcons also need to add an elite tight end. Atlanta benefitted from Tony Gonzalez for years, but after he retired, the team struggled to replace his consistency. Levine Toilolo did the best he could but the second-year pro was simply not enough. The Falcons could eye players like Jordan Cameron who has ties with Kyle Shanahan or Julius Thomas of the Broncos. Help in the secondary and offensive line will also be key moves for Quinn as he gets ready to evaluate all areas of the roster.