Falcons GM Terry Fontenot 'Very Excited' About New Coach Ryan Nielsen
Terry Fontenot spent nearly two decades with the rival New Orleans Saints before becoming the Atlanta Falcons' general manager in 2021.
During part of his tenure, he collaborated alongside new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who has been a defensive assistant for the team since 2017.
“Obviously I spent time with him in New Orleans, and we have some coaches (who were) with him in college," Fontenot said. "And so we know the person he is and the man he is, and I'm very excited to have him here. He has a very clear vision of what we have here, how to continue to develop the players here and how to continue to add competition. Very excited about Ryan.”
Nielsen, 43, specializes with the defensive line, but his vision for the defense as a whole was a big part of why Fontenot and the front office agreed to bring him aboard over the other candidates.
The Falcons have struggled on the defensive line in recent years, specifically in the pass rushing department. Atlanta ranked dead last in the league in sacks in 2021 and 31st this past season.
“He has a plan for the whole defense and whether we're talking about the back end, the interior, the edge, everything, like he has a clear plan for how we want to continue to build a team," Fontenot said about Nielsen. "But we're going to always prioritize the front. I mean, we just talked about the trenches, that's where games are won and lost.”
Prioritizing the trenches is smart, and Nielsen is arguably the best guy to help boost the front line. Nielsen has worked directly with developing defensive linemen, most notably Cameron Jordan and Trey Hendrickson, both of whom have made multiple Pro Bowls.
If that's the potential the Falcons could reach, Fontenot's excitement is validated.
Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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