Falcons owner Arthur Blank said that he had not lost any faith in General Manager Thomas Dimitroff or head coach Dan Quinn as the team’s 7-9 season wound down, but anyone who pays attention to the NFL that votes of confidence come with expiration dates attached to them.
Another down year in 2019 might bring about the expiration date in Atlanta and Dimitroff said on Friday that he and Quinn are well aware of the stakes. During an appearance on 680 The Fan, Dimitroff said the two men know this is an “extremely important year” for their futures in the organization.
“We know it,” Dimitroff said. “We’ve talked about it at length. Our football players on the team right now, the talent that we do have know it. And we’re not focused on anything past this season. This is the season we are 100 percent focused on -- and that’s what we need and what I need, and what Dan needs going into the offseason.”
The first steps toward building next season’s team have come on the coaching staff. The team dispatched all three of their coordinators and shuffled people between jobs on Quinn’s staff as a prelude to the player moves that will come over the next few months.