Atlanta Falcons' Terry Fontenot, 'Special' Coach Raheem Morris Build Roster Makeover

The relationship between Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot is critical. So far, it's off to a prosperous start.

Feb 5, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Raheem Morris address the media after being introduced as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Raheem Morris went down one step at a time, his left arm down, hand intertwined with that of his youngest son, Jalen.

It's 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 26, and the Morris's are on the hunt for a Madden event - a moment of quality time between father and son.

Raheem, sporting the same bright yellow polo he wore earlier that morning at his media availability, opens the door for Jalen, and the two disappear into the Da Vinci Lawn on the backside of the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando.

No cameras. No microphones. Just real personality.

Feb 5, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Raheem Morris address the media after being introduced as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot, who's worked with Morris for two months, has already seen this side of Morris. He's also seen the professional side during free agency and, of course, the head coaching interview process.

And for Fontenot, who kept his job despite Atlanta firing head coach Arthur Smith after the season, Morris has only provided further conviction since taking over the role in late January.

"Step one coming out of season - hire the right head coach, hire the right leader of men - and, man, I'm very excited about that. I know we did that with Raheem," Fontenot said March 26 at the annual owners meetings. "He's special, and you all know it.

"But the more and more, everything we go through, he just keeps showing you why he is who he is."

Morris and Fontenot have emphasized collaboration since they became coworkers. At Morris' introductory press conference Feb. 5, the phrase was said 22 times, 15 of which came via Morris.

It's not just hearsay - it's real.

When Morris was in the process of moving his family to Atlanta, he'd call or FaceTime Fontenot frequently, sometimes as early as 5 a.m. Their families recently went on vacation together.

But perhaps nothing shows collaboration quite like the journey the Falcons embraced while flipping the roster after Morris's arrival.

The new coaching staff, most of which had its first day on Feb. 13, spent the first week evaluating the roster. Then, the assistant coaches sat down with Fontenot and the rest of the personnel staff to decipher the profiles and prototypes needed to fit Atlanta's new era.

That process, Fontenot said, is tedious.

"You start off and there's a one sheeter where it says all the traits they're looking for, and then you have clear examples of those players," Fontenot said. "And then we watch film, with examples of, 'This is what we're looking for, for every single coach.'

"And we showed some film of our guys - 'This is what we like, and this is what we don't like.'"

The Falcons went through their entire roster before evaluating free agency, then went back into the same room for a similar discussion centered around traits to help identify potential targets.

The frequency of these discussions helped the front office recognize the players who made sense schematically - teams can bring in good players, but if the scheme doesn't fit, they likely won't be able to maximize the signing.

Atlanta's free agency was offense-heavy, headlined by quarterback Kirk Cousins and receiver Darnell Mooney. More moves remain, with most coming in the 2024 NFL Draft - but for now, Fontenot can appreciate the work that's been done to align several new faces into a collective identity.

"There's a profile and a prototype of what we're looking for," Fontenot said. "So doing that, in such a condensed time, they hit the ground running. 'This is what we see on our roster, these are our needs, this is the profile of what we're looking for.'

"And then when we jumped right into free agency, it was a really smooth process."

Fontenot believes Morris deserves considerable credit for the transition and resulting successful free agency period.

Why?

The same leadership he portrayed with Jalen in the Ritz-Carlton emerged during the process, inhibiting the collaboration of staff members such as offensive, defensive and special teams coordinators Zac Robinson, Jimmy Lake and Marquice Williams with assistant general manager Kyle Smith and director of player personnel Ryan Pace.

"The communication has been outstanding," Fontenot said. "Raheem, the way he communicates, the constant communication - it starts with him, and then it filters down to Zac, Jimmy, Marquice and the whole coaching staff. Those guys are constantly talking to Kyle and Ryan and the whole staff.

"We're working together, so when we bring players in, we feel really good about that clear vision, that clear fit for what they are. That's been a seamless process."

But for Morris, the respect and impact is a two-way street.

From the moment he was introduced, Morris has praised the talent Fontenot's compiled since becoming general manager in Jan. 2021.

Perhaps the final piece missing between the Falcons and being a true playoff contender was Cousins - and apart from identifying him as a fit and leading the initial negotiation process, Fontenot served as a persuasive recruiter for the 35-year-old signal caller.

"Terry's done a good job of selling our team," Morris said. "You talk about Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, our offensive line and what they've done with Chris Lindstrom and those guys up front. They've really done a nice job of selling protection. They've done a nice job of having playmakers here.

"They really sold it for us, when you talk about doing those things, the vision that they have and the ability to put those guys in those spots."

Atlanta's decision makers believe the organization is ready to end a six-year playoff drought. The talent is present. So is the opportunity with a lackluster NFC South.

And perhaps most importantly, the relationship between the Falcons' top two decision makers is as strong - and collaborative - as ever.