Falcons poach Saints’ Nielsen to run defense

LAS VEGAS — The Atlanta Falcons employed Ryan Nielsen as defensive coordinator Friday, taking him from their largest rival after he spent final season because the co-defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.

The 43-year-old Nielsen spent the previous six seasons with the Saints, the place he was the defensive position coach all six years whereas including the assistant head coach title in 2021 and co-defensive coordinator final season.

Since 2017, the Saints have recorded 281 sacks — second-most within the NFL over that span — and have completed within the prime 4 in run protection in 4 of the previous 5 seasons.

The Falcons on Friday additionally let go of three defensive coaches — line coach Gary Emanuel, outdoors linebackers coach Ted Monachino and secondary coach Jon Hoke.

Nielsen shouldn’t be in Las Vegas with the Falcons workers presently, as Atlanta is teaching within the East-West Shrine Bowl. Linebackers coach Frank Bush is the defensive coordinator for Atlanta on the East-West recreation.

The Falcons wanted a brand new defensive coordinator after Dean Pees, the oldest coordinator within the NFL final season at age 73, determined to retire for the third time in his profession to spend extra time together with his household, amongst different issues.

Pees constructed a basis for Atlanta’s protection, each within the fashion they need to run and the tradition they wanted to permeate all through the roster.

“It was a unique system from what that they had,” Pees mentioned. “So that you needed to get them to purchase in.”

The Falcons additionally had a younger protection and turned over all however two starters from the 2020 group — defensive sort out Grady Jarrett and cornerback A.J. Terrell — by the center of final season. Whereas Atlanta completed No. 23 in factors allowed and No. 27 in yards allowed in 2022, there was progress towards the tip of the 12 months.

The Falcons allowed greater than 19 factors as soon as of their final six video games and over 350 yards in a single recreation over the second half of the season (351 towards Pittsburgh) after permitting over 350 yards in six of Atlanta’s first eight video games.

After the season, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith mentioned the franchise wished to talk with a large number of potential candidates earlier than making a choice, but in addition wished to concentrate on flexibility with whomever he introduced in.

“When you find yourself constructing that hybrid mannequin, you are not searching for an overhaul,” Smith mentioned. “We have been constructing one thing right here.”

He did not restrict his search, having interviewed candidates with prior defensive coordinator expertise, prior head teaching expertise and people who haven’t been a full-time solo defensive coordinators.

When Smith employed Pees, he wished an skilled playcaller who additionally may function a mentor for a first-time head coach to lean on. In Pees, Smith had that.

The place they’re now, Smith mentioned, is totally different than two seasons in the past. By the tip of 2022, the Falcons had solely 5 defensive gamers left on the roster from the earlier regime — Jarrett, Terrell, linebacker Mykal Walker, cornerback Isaiah Oliver and security Jaylinn Hawkins. Oliver is a free agent this offseason and each Walker and Hawkins are within the last years of their contracts.

Smith in contrast what he hoped Atlanta may do to the Baltimore Ravens, who’ve had a number of defensive coordinators through the years and have made alterations to their scheme, however to not the kind of gamers they appeared for or the imaginative and prescient that they had for the overarching plan of the protection.

“The way in which we have constructed,” Smith mentioned. “That will not change.”

Whereas with the Saints, Nielsen helped oversee the emergence of stalwart defensive finish Cameron Jordan, who was named a first-team All-Professional in 2017 and second group in 2018 and 2019.

Jordan, for his half, took to Twitter to want Nielsen farewell and to laud his power in “creating (a) move rush and emphasizing approach on run and hole integrity.”

Nielsen grew up in Southern California after which went to varsity at USC as a defensive sort out after which turned a volunteer assistant coach.

He spent the primary 15 years of his teaching profession in school, working with the defensive position at each cease together with being a defensive coordinator at Central Connecticut State in 2008 and 2009 and the co-defensive coordinator at Northern Illinois in 2012.