Falcons GM's Bold Claim: 'We're Not Rebuilding - Win Now!'
"Rebuild''? Who needs to rebuild?
Critics of the Atlanta Falcons assume that is the path, especially given the club's 4-12 record a year ago. But the new bosses of the Falcons believe this roster doesn't have to be managed that way.
And, according to new GM Terry Fontenot, that's not the way he and new head coach Arthur Smith are built, either.
“We understand the team was 4-12 last year, hadn’t won in the last three years… Some people outside looking in would say, ‘hey, you should strip it down and completely go through a whole rebuild.’
But ...
"If you know much about myself and where I’m from or much about Arthur Smith and his mindset, rebuilding doesn’t make any sense.” Terry Fontenot told Robert Mays on The Athletic Football Show podcast.
This viewpoint, driven in part by the Fontenot/Smith belief in QB Matt Ryan as the continued centerpiece of the roster (a thought that of course also fueled Atlanta's decision to select tight end Kyle Pitts at No. 4 in the recent NFL Draft rather than select a QB of the future), is shared by Smith.
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The coach (hat-tip SportsTalkATL) recently said almost the same exact thing about his 2021 Falcons.
"They hired the wrong guys if they thought we were going to lower expectations, take our time, and rebuild,” Smith said. “That’s just not who we are. The expectation is to win now, build for the future, have plans.''
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