'What It Means to Be a Falcon': Describing Atlanta's 'Very Strong Culture'
Upon taking their jobs in Jan. 2021, Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith were well aware that they had to rebuild nearly the entire roster.
But the biggest challenge the duo faced was building the intangible factors - the "makeup" of how they wanted their team to look ... and perhaps lost in a pair of 7-10 seasons is that this "challenge" has been achieved.
Or at least that's what Fontenot, 42, believes, citing his team's day-to-day competitiveness and no-quit attitude displayed dating back to the spring.
"I think what's really important, one thing that we have here is a very strong culture," Fontenot said. "On Sundays, you look at the way every game, the way the guys fought and competed for the entire game, but it's the same thing and it's a credit to coach (Smith), the staff, the players and the leadership that we have a really strong culture and a strong foundation here. The way they attack everything; the meetings, the practices, the weight room, everything."
Smith added that his latest team embodied "what it means to be a Falcon," a noteworthy compliment that illustrates his belief in the strides that have been made in building a culture.
The development of this foundation has been rapid but underlies the idea that Smith and Fontenot had from the start - bring in tone-setting veterans to set the groundwork and show young players how to "be a Falcon."
But what exactly does it mean to be a Falcon under the new regime? Fontenot detailed the basis of the identity that he and Smith have established.
"It's every day, every year competing and doing the very best you can, and how you do anything is how you do everything - that's the approach," Fontenot said. "And I think it's the way we handle adversity, the heart of it is our coaching staff and our players, the leadership in the locker room, but it starts with them. Regardless of what happened in the game, we have a tough loss, they're ready to roll on Monday.
"Whether it's on the practice field, in the weight room, in the meeting rooms, everything they're doing, they're ready to go."
In essence, it's a shared characteristic that permeates throughout the organization, including but not limited to resilience, fight and attention to detail.
The Falcons played in 13 one-score games this past season, one shy of tying an NFL record, and largely avoided the one-sided affairs present so often in Smith's first year. Atlanta's point differential improved from -146 to -21, a sign of clear progress even if the win column and draft position (the same as a season ago) doesn't reflect it.
And perhaps that was the biggest challenge for Smith and Fontenot - finding ways to make progress and add building blocks while not sacrificing the culture that was being built.
Now, while the duo feels as if that challenge has been successfully completed, Fontenot stressed that they'll continue to "prioritize" character and culture in every move they make.
"It's going to always start with the makeup," said Fontenot. "It's going to start with the character - personal character, football character. What's their fit? What's our trust level with them in the building, outside the building? It's always going to start with their character.
"And that's the same outside the building. We have to be smart about that; we can't bring players in that are going to take away from that."
This is particularly relevant for the Falcons ahead of a crucial offseason in which Smith and Fontenot will have the most resources available to them during their tenure. Currently projected to have over $80 million in cap space, Atlanta's prepared to go big-name hunting in free agency while holding a top-10 pick in its back pocket.
While no decision maker would ever reveal exactly who or what they're looking for, Fontenot painted a pretty clear picture of the type of personality he's looking for - and he feels as if he has a good idea of the specific fit ... because what's already inside the locker room is genuine.
"The enthusiasm, if you go out to the field to see the way the guys fly around in practice, all the way the last game of the season," Fontenot began. "The enthusiasm they're playing with, the way they're competing - it's real. The positivity, the optimism, and the way the guys compete and work hard; that's what the culture is. It really is. It's about getting better."
Fielding more players aged 26 or younger than anybody else in the league, the Falcons have a natural aurora of youthful energy, or "enthusiasm," as Fontenot phrased it.
But the idea of competitiveness fostering strong work habits and player development is the big hitter, especially for such a young team.
Several of Atlanta's best players are still on their rookie contract, from two All-Pro's in cornerback A.J. Terrell and right guard Chris Lindstrom to a pair of record-setting rookies in running back Tyler Allgeier and receiver Drake London. There's also Kyle Pitts, who went to the Pro Bowl last season after logging the second-most receiving yards ever by a rookie tight end, in addition to a handful of other key contributors.
Smith and Fontenot inherited the first two but hand-picked the last three, including nabbing Allgeier in the fifth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
If the Falcons are going to take the next step as a franchise and get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, they'll be reliant on these young pieces to keep improving, much like Terrell and Lindstrom have.
Encouragingly, Fontenot truly believes that his inexperienced but competitive bunch has the intangible qualities to do exactly that - in part because it's simply how they're wired but also that they'll have like-minded players right behind them pushing for more.
"You talk about draft picks and free agents, it doesn't matter how you got here," Fontenot said. "When the guys are in the building, the best guys on a weekly basis are going to play and we're going to find the best players to put on the field. So, I would say the culture is about continued development, continued competition, and it's just a real positive group that they all know we're setting the right foundation and they know the direction we're moving in."
While some may see a franchise that's "stuck" after consecutive 7-10 seasons which resulted in holding the No. 8 overall pick, Smith, Fontenot and the rest of the organization view it differently.
Just look in the details, they'll argue - the foundation and off-field culture has been established and the on-field competitiveness was far more consistent in year two.
Now, the "next phase" is in session ... and the regime is focused on adding persistent, competitive and enthusiastic players that flat-out refuse to give in.
Because that's simply what it means to be a Falcon.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
Get your HOTlanta Falcons game tickets from SI Tickets ... here!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Falcons? Click Here.
Follow Falcon Report on Twitter.
Want even more Atlanta Falcons news? Check out the Si.com team page here
