Bill Belichick to Atlanta? Breaking Down Pros and Cons of a Potential Move

For years, it seemed impossible to imagine Bill Belichick coaching any team other than the New England Patriots. But, it seems like that could be changing this year. The legendary coach parted ways with his old employer and is on the market for a new job, with the Atlanta Falcons looking like the leader in the clubhouse.

Despite all of the 28-3 jokes and the fact that the Falcons haven't been a powerhouse as of late, the NFC club seems to be making a legitimate push for Belichick. Atlanta's brass has met with the hoodie-wearing head coach for one interview and a second is on the cards, which suggests the process is moving along.

Of course, nothing's official until there's a signature on the dotted line and, even then, Belichick did resign after a day in charge of the New York Jets, after all. But with all of that being said, it doesn't seem unreasonable to consider how the living National Football League (NFL) legend would fit with Atlanta.

So, let's assess the potential pros and cons of a Belichick-Falcons partnership.

Pro: Existing Offensive Talent

When you think of Belichick's time in New England, plenty of offensive players spring to mind. Tom Brady is the biggest name, but Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Wes Welker and others also made key contributions. There was also a revolving cast of running backs (fantasy owners will remember struggling to discern who would get the carries) and some cameo appearances from the likes of Randy Moss, Antonio Brown and Chad Ochocinco.

In recent years, the Pats' offense fell off. Brady may have been irreplaceable, but Belichick struggled to identify a genuine successor. The unit also lacked overall talent, and that was reflected in the scoring stats.

In Atlanta, there are some intriguing pieces for the head coach to work with, like Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. Having them already on the roster is a plus, given Belichick's issues on the general manager side of things.

Will there need to be reinforcements? Of course, but having those building blocks in place provides something of a head start.

Con: No Established Quarterback

Remember how we just noted that Belichick never nailed down a successor for Brady? Well, he'd be staring down a different version of that same challenge in Atlanta.

Last year, the Falcons were torpedoed by its lack of a genuine franchise quarterback. Desmond Ridder didn't look like the answer under center, and Taylor Heinicke probably isn't going to lead a team to the promised land.

That means Belichick will have to play a role in finding a replacement. Even if the coach doesn't have full personnel control, he'll be involved in the process, even if that just means developing the player who arrives.

Based on the non-Brady history, that might not be a recipe for success.

Pro: A Defensive Foundation

While he's forever attached to a legendary quarterback, Belichick is a defensive guy. And on that side of the ball, he'll also have some pieces to work with.

At the end of the regular season, Atlanta ranked 11th in total defense, eighth in passing defense and 20th in rushing defense. Safety Jessie Bates III lived up to his massive contract, pulling in a career-high six interceptions, while Arnold Ebiketie more than doubled his sack numbers during his second professional campaign. There are also some young players, like Kaden Elliss and Zach Harrison, in the mix.

While there were some ugly performances along the way, the unit also made some impressive stands. In Week 16, Atlanta held the Indianapolis Colts to 10 points and left head coach Shane Steichen largely at a loss.

"Great question. If I had an answer for you, I'd give you a perfect answer," the Colts coach said when asked about his offense's struggles. "Credit to the Falcons. They did a good job up front with their defensive line in some of the things they were doing."

Again, it's not like Atlanta is sending the 1985 Bears defense onto the field each week. But if you believe Belichick is still an elite coach, there's a foundation there for him to build upon.

Con: An Iffy Defensive Foundation

The Falcons defense, however, also had some bad moments. For every strong outing against the Colts, there were 28 points allowed against the Titans or 31 to the Minnesota Vikings, who were led by a quarterback yet to learn the team's playbook or his teammates' names.

The final two weeks of the season were especially bad. With a trip to the postseason still on the table, Atlanta surrendered 37 points to the Bears in Week 17 and 48 points to the Saints in Week 18. Could you argue that now-former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith had lost the locker room by that point? Maybe, but it's still a bad look to capitulate like that, especially when a path to the playoffs still exists.

Again, this depends on how you feel about Belichick's coaching abilities after some tough years in New England. If you're skeptical, this defense won't be good enough to carry him.

Pro: The Falcons' Owner and GM

While Belichick is connected to Brady, he's also had a productive partnership with Patriots owner Robert Kraft. And while taking a new job will mean establishing a relationship with a new boss, Atlanta's Arthur Blank has received at least one good review.

"In my mind, there's no question that Arthur Blank – I think, still one of the best owners in the league – having all the experience he has and what he gives to the team financially, what he gives to the head coach and provides, that is a big, big deal," former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said on Up & Adams. "A lot of people think, 'Wow, would he really gel with Bill, with all of Bill's strong opinions about how he wants to come in?' 100 percent they will."

Dimitroff also spent time in the Patriots organization, and drew upon what he know of Belichick.

"I have no inside information–I want to be very clear about that. What I do know is I've worked for both of them," he added. "I know both men have unbelievable knowledge and insight from where they're coming, one from the head coach position, one from an owner's position."

But that wouldn't be the only personnel change. Belichick would also be working with general manager Terry Fontenot. Having someone else involved in the personnel decisions could help take some of the weight off the head coach's shoulders; as we've previously discussed, he did struggle to keep the Patriots' offensive cupboard well stocked.

Con: A GM With an Inconsistent Track Record

From the outside, it's easy to think that Belichick would benefit from working with a general manager. In reality, though, we'd have to see how that relationship would work. Would the coach have no say? Would he have input with Fontenot getting the ultimate call? Maybe ownership would weigh in as a tie-breaking third vote?

That may sound like little more than hypothetical, but plenty of teams have been undone when the coaching staff and the front office fail to get on the same page.

It's also fair to question Fontenot's chops. Pro Football Focus (PFF) placed him in the third tier of general managers in November 2023, which was labeled "questionable process, varying results."

"Atlanta has allocated a lot of draft capital and money to non-premium positions, making it harder to get out of the middle of the pack going forward as they build around top-five contracts at guard and safety," PFF's Brad Spielberger wrote. "The Falcons have little talent to speak of at edge rusher and are without a long-term answer at quarterback despite drafting in the top eight for three straight years."

Once again, things boil down to how you feel about Belichick at this point in his career. Do you believe his coaching credentials can get the best out of an imperfect roster? Or do you point to his recent years in New England as proof that he can't overcome a lack of top-tier talent?

Pro: Landing in a Weak Division

While there's room to argue about what defines a successful season, Belichick and the Falcons will want to push into the postseason picture. Predicting the future in pro sports can be a fool's errand, but the NFC South looks wide open.

This year, Tampa Bay won the division with a 9-8 record; Atlanta, for all their struggles, stayed alive until Week 18. And Belichick will theoretically make them better.

Is a trip to the Super Bowl on the cards? Probably not. But with a few improvements, a playoff berth isn't out of the question. At that point, anything can happen in single-elimination games.

So, is Belichick the right man to lead the Atlanta Falcons forward? That's the million-dollar question for Blank and company to work out.

Correction 01/19/24 1:35 p.m.: This article was corrected to reflect the fact that Belichick's second interview with the Falcons is upcoming.