'Young McVay': Could Falcons' Zac Robinson Become Next Elite Offensive Play-Caller?
A new era has begun for the Atlanta Falcons as they officially introduced their new coach, Raheem Morris, with his introductory press conference on Monday. As you'd expect, the new era will bring changes, specifically to the coaching staff.
One of those was the hiring of offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. The 37-year-old who followed Morris to Atlanta from the Los Angeles Rams comes without any prior coordinating experience, yet despite that, he will be in charge of getting the most out of an offense that, in the opinion of many, has the talent to be successful.
But why Robinson? Typically, coaches will opt to bring in an experienced coordinator to oversee the side of the ball for which they don't have the expertise.
"I was around the young Kyle Shanahan, and I saw him develop," Morris said. "I saw Sean McVay when he was really young, and I saw him develop. Start naming names - Mike McDaniel, Steve Sarkisian ... I see him in the same light."
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay (left) and now Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson (right).
USA Today Network
It is high praise for Robinson to be compared to two of the best offensive play-callers in the league today, Rams McVay and 49ers' Shanahan. As Morris noted, he worked with each of them.
His first stint in Atlanta, under then-coach Dan Quinn, saw him spend two years (2015-16) working alongside Shanahan, who served as the offensive coordinator before getting his current job with the Niners.
Then, fast forward a few years, Morris worked under McVay as his defensive coordinator for three seasons in Los Angeles.
If that isn't a strong enough endorsement, then the fact that Morris has entrusted Robinson with arguably the most important position on his coaching staff should show how highly thought of the 37-year-old is.
