Ex-Falcons OC Dave Ragone Completes Interview With NFC South Rival

Dave Ragone headed to the west coast and the Los Angeles Rams after the Atlanta Falcons fired Arthur Smith and the rest of the coaching staff last year. But after one season with the Rams, Ragone could be back in the NFC South for the 2025 season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced on Jan. 28 that they completed a virtual interview with Ragone for their offensive coordinator opening.

We've completed a virtual interview with Rams’ quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone for our OC position.
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 28, 2025

Falcons fans are likely to jeer the Buccaneers for considering Ragone for their offensive coordinator role. In three years with Ragone as their coordinator from 2021-23, Atlanta never finished better than 17th in yards or 15th in points.

But with the Falcons, Ragone never had a quarterback as good as Baker Mayfield. Ragone worked with Matt Ryan during his second-to-last NFL season. Then in 2022 and 2023, the Falcons started Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke behind center.

The Falcons were third in rushing yards and fourth in yards per carry during 2022. But they were 31st in passing yards the same season. The Falcons then dropped to ninth in rushing and 17th in rushing yards per carry despite having Bijan Robinson in 2023.

In 2024, Ragone coached Matthew Stafford and the Rams quarterbacks. Stafford threw 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions while averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. The Rams were also 10th in passing yards and 16th in passing touchdowns while throwing the seventh-fewest amount of interceptions.

The Buccaneers have an opening at offensive coordinator after Liam Coen left to become the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach last week. Coen's departure created a stir around the league, as he left Tampa Bay after agreeing to stay with the Buccaneers and become the highest-paid offensive coordinator in NFL history.

Coen didn't leave on the best of terms, but whoever becomes the next Tampa Bay offensive coordinator still has big shoes to fill. The Buccaneers were third in offensive yards, fourth in points scored, fourth in rushing and 10th in passing last season.

The good news for Ragone and the other coordinator candidates for Tampa Bay is Mayfield is very familiar with changing offensive systems. Mayfield has worked with eight different offensive coordinators since 2018.

Before joining Smith's coaching staff in Atlanta, Ragone was the Chicago Bears passing game coordinator in 2020. He coached in Chicago under head coach John Fox as the team's quarterbacks coach and remained on staff in 2018 with new head coach Matt Nagy.

Ragone, who began his NFL coaching career in 2011, has also been an assistant for the Tennessee Titans and then Washington Redskins.

The Buccaneers have also interviewed two other Rams assistants, offensive assistant/pass game specialist Nate Scheelhaase and tight ends coach/pass game coordinator Nick Caley for their offensive coordinator opening. Tampa Bay interviewed Los Angeles Chargers pass game coordinator Marcus Brady and Minnesota Vikings assistant offensive coordinator/assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski as well.