Atlanta’s attempt to bring in an offensive “genius” from the college ranks did not prove to be very successful this past season. As a result, they went another direction. Today, the Falcons introduced Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator, Mike Smith, as their new head coach. Mike Smith will bring more intensity and discipline to a team that has dealt with their fair share of off-the-field and on-the-field problems in the past year. The Falcons had a decent defense this past season, and I would expect them to be even better under Smith next season. Warrick Dunn and Jurious Norwood will also reap the benefits from their new head coach, as Smith plans to build a team that focuses on running the ball on offense and stopping the run on defense. Byron Leftwich is another player that is probably happy about Smith’s arrival. They spent four years together in Jacksonville, and I don’t think anyone will be surprised if Leftwich goes into next season as Atlanta’s starting quarterback. Overall, I would say this is a good hire for the Falcons, but Smith will need to find another running back to help Norwood after Dunn retires, and an answer at the quarterback position. Even with a decent offensive line and some promising young talent at the receiver position, don’t expect much out of Atlanta’s offense next season. Smith may prove to be a great coach, but he has a lot of work to do in Atlanta. For more news on the hiring of Mike Smith, click on the link below:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Auq3KLsopwOCY7pGe5Bsa285nYcB?slug=ap-falcons-coach&prov=ap&type=lgns