FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — After two seasons, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith are set to move the franchise into the “next phase” of their rebuilding plan.
The Falcons completed a 7-10 season with a 30-17 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday. Former defensive coordinator Dean Pees retired Monday.
The biggest issue facing the Falcons is making a decision on whether quarterback Desmond Ridder did enough in a four-game audition to be chosen the quarterback of the future.
“We’re still early in the offseason, but we were certainly encouraged by (the) progress that he made,” Smith said. “But there is a lot of work ahead of us before we’re ready to declare anything like that right now.”
After 13 games, Ridder took over for Marcus Mariota. He went 2-2 over four starts. Mariota, who left the team after his demotion, was at the team’s facilities for his exit interview and physical Monday. Smith said no decision has been made about his future.
The Falcons finished the season ranked third in rushing and 31st in passing. The issue will be if Ridder can be the trigger man to improve the passing attack.
Or will the Falcons, who have the eighth overall pick in the draft, elect to draft another quarterback.
“We were very encouraged,” Smith said. “There are a lot of things that could change. It’s healthy to take a step back. ... It doesn’t make any sense two days after the season ended to make any declaration about the roster or this guy’s future.”
Fontenot noted that the front office already has started meeting over the college prospects and the pro players, who could be available through free agency.
“We’re right in the heart of everything,” Fontenot said. “The scouting department does a really good job. We’ve already had some college meetings in December. The pro staff has been in meetings for the last couple of weeks. We’re right in the heart of that.”
Before they move on to free agency and the draft, the Falcons will put the 2022 season under the microscope.
“Now, as we wrap up the season, the first thing that we do is that we look in the mirror,” Fontenot said. “We’re going to look at every aspect of the program and assess every detail. Take a deep dive into things that went well, the things we need to build on and where are the areas where we need to improve. We’ll take our time and first self-scout and self-assess. Then we’ll move forward.”
The Falcons played a 3-4 defense under Pees, but the door is open for a change.
“We’ll miss Dean,” said Smith, who coaxed him out of retirement. “I’m glad he got to talk to everybody on Monday. That was important.”
Smith plans to take his time with the search.
“We’ve cast a really wide net,” Smith said. “We’re going to take our time. Certainly, there are things, there’s familiarity with certain (people associated with) schemes that you want to talk to. We are not going to be close-minded about anything.”
The hiring rules the NFL has adopted has slowed the process.
“I like the setup now where you don’t feel rushed,” Smith said. “We’ll be very mindful of that. I want to talk to a lot of people. I already have talked to a few so far. We’ll take our time.”
The Falcons will have a busy offseason with almost $70 million to spend in free agency.
In addition to making a decision on Ridder, the Falcons must decide what to do with linebacker Rashaan Evans, right tackle Kaleb McGary, outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus and cornerback Casey Hayward.
Evans led the defense with 159 tackles. He played last season on a one-year, $1.75 million contract.
Smith and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford’s messages started to resonate with McGary halfway through the 2021 season.
After not getting his fifth-year option picked up over the past offseason, McGary came to training camp in the best shape of his career. He also was healthy for the first time to start the season.
He was a big part of the Falcons’ success in rushing for 159.9 yards per game.
Carter played all 17 games for the Falcons.
He finished with 58 tackles, four sacks, an interception, six tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits and a fumble recovery. Carter returned an interception and blocked a punt for touchdowns.
Carter had a strong season. He improved his missed-tackle percentage dramatically. He missed 13.8% of his tackles with the Giants in 2021, according to Pro Football Reference.
The Falcons value Zaccheaus’ professionalism and versatility.
Hayward, who had right shoulder surgery, wants to return. He will turn 34 in September.
“We had a plan in Year 1,” Fontenot said. “We (came) into Year 2 with a much different team, much younger team. A different core on this team. ... Now, the phase that we are in, it’s going to be a different offseason.”
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