Falcons Will Require Massive Upgrades to Fit Dan Quinn's Defensive Scheme

Dan Quinn's eventual hire as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons is the worst-kept secret in the NFL.

Once Quinn is finally in place, he can can turn his attention toward his primary responsibility: turning around the league's worst defense. It's going to be an uphill battle for the game's top defensive coordinator. 

The Seattle Seahawks coordinator has yet to be officially named to the position, but FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported prior to the NFC Championship Game that "there seems to be a handshake agreement in place" between Quinn and the Falcons.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank took his time during his coaching search, and he'll likely land the team's top target unless a last-minute change-of-heart occurs. The organization simply has to wait until Super Bowl XLIX concludes to finally get its man. 

As such, Falcons fans will be in a unique situation when they curl up on their comfortable sofa or lounge in their favorite lazy chair or even pull themselves up to the bar to watch this year's Super Bowl. 

They now have a rooting interest in the game and can get a firsthand look at the template that will eventually define the Falcons defense. 

After all, Quinn was a primary architect for one of the greatest defenses in the history of the game, as quantified by Football Perspective's Chase Stuart.

The Seahawks defense might not be the greatest in the NFL history—although, an argument can be made in its favor—but it certainly is the best in nearly 30 years during a period where offenses are operating at peak efficiency due to NFL rule changes. 

What the Seahawks built, though, is difficult to duplicate, even if the mastermind behind it is taking over a franchise. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars, for example, aren't a defensive juggernaut two years into Gus Bradley's tenure.

Bradley was Pete Carroll's original defensive coordinator in Seattle and helped identify the proper talent to build the team's historic defense. Yet Bradley hasn't been able to replicate his previous success in Jacksonville. 

Year	Total Defense	Run Defense	Pass defense	Scoring defense
2013	27th	29th	25th	28th
2014	26th	27th	22nd	26th

An old football cliche states, "It's not the X's and O's; it's the Jimmys and the Joes."

The personnel required to play at the level of the Seahawks on defense isn't easily attainable. 

Jacksonville acquired former Seahawks such as Chris Clemons and Red Bryant to help expedite the transition. Those moves were met with minimal success. 

The Falcons will face a similar situation. 

It starts with a makeover along Atlanta's defensive front. 

Under the direction of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, the team slowly transitioned to a three-man front. Paul Soliai and Tyson Jackson were acquired in free agency last year to add size and toughness to a porous run defense. They were only marginally effective. And they don't necessarily translate to Quinn's system. 

There are four key areas the Falcons will absolutely need to address in order to build the type of defense Quinn prefers. 

Before those positions are divulged, Atlanta does have some pieces in place that can make the transition. 

The Falcons don't have a cornerback at the same level of Richard Sherman—only one or two teams can even make that claim—but Desmond Trufant is a budding star. 

As Seattle's left cornerback, Sherman dominates the game unlike any other with his combination of size, athleticism, physicality and confidence. 

"Most cornerbacks don’t push receivers to their limits with effective press technique; only a handful of cornerbacks outside Seattle are capable of it—guys like the Patriots’ Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner," Sherman wrote in an essay for Sports Illustrated. 

ESPN Stats & Info detailed exactly how dominant Sherman has been over the last four years: 

"

Over the past 4 seasons (incl. playoffs), Richard Sherman has 26 interceptions, 10 more than anyone else in that span pic.twitter.com/EpOYq4ECsp

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 28, 2015"

Trufant has that type of potential. He's nowhere near as physical at the line of scrimmage right now, but he already developed into one of the league's best at driving on passes and making a play on the football. 

Quinn will ask Trufant to shut down one side of the field—most likely the left side—and the third-year pro will have to prove he's up to the task. 

Along with Trufant, Quinn should cobble together three starters along his four-man front among the rabble already on the Falcons roster. 

Players like Jackson or Ra'Shede Hageman have the size and athleticism to potentially serve as the team's base end. For years, Bryant was a massive 323-pound defensive end in Seattle before he signed with the Jaguars. These bigger ends will often be asked to cover two gaps and allow Quinn's defense to set the edge consistently to one side. 

Whereas inside, Soliai is best suited as a 1-technique over the center. And Jonathan Babineaux can be a disruptive 3-technique. Corey Peters could do the same if he's re-signed by the team. 

Since the system requires its down linemen to manufacture pressure instead of blitzing, the aforementioned veterans could be replaced sooner rather than later.  

At strong safety, veteran William Moore (6'0", 221) isn't quite as big as Kam Chancellor (6'3", 232), but he can prove to be a similar physical presence. Moore is at his best when he's asked to play in the box and provide help against the run. Since Quinn prefers Cover 3 or man press schemes, Moore will get to do what he does best. 

The major concerns begin at the "Leo" position and continue to permeate throughout the second level of defense due to a lack of athleticism among the linebackers. Plus, the Falcons don't have the caliber of player to properly man the right cornerback or free safety positions. 

The Leo—often referred to as a rush end in most defensive schemes—is the team's top pass-rusher and provides flexibility within the system. 

During the initial defensive series against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game, as pictured below, the Leo lined up wide of Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga to get a better pass-rushing angle, while the base end is shaded to the inside of the left tackle.  

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

The Leo's role can vary.

Whoever is playing the position will be asked to line up wide or in a two-point stance. He can be moved around. Whatever the case, the Falcons' biggest need entering the offseason is to find a top-notch edge-rusher, whether it's to fill this particular role or not. 

Jonathan Massaquoi can give the team quality reps when he's in the game, but the organization will be frantically searching for a massive upgrade at the position. It's unlikely that Kroy Biermann or Osi Umenyiora will return to the team with free agency looming. 

Quinn is already familiar with Florida's Dante Fowler Jr., who is projected as a potential top-10 selection. 

As the Gators defensive coordinator, Quinn recruited Fowler to "The Swamp." He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter that he followed his career after leaving: 

"

Dante Fowler Jr. did a great job. In fact, I know him and his family well.

He was one that we thought would develop into a pass rusher. His first year there, he played right away as a true freshmen, which as you guys know just from being down there, it is not the easiest thing to do in that conference [SEC] playing as a true freshmen.

"

At linebacker, Paul Worrilow might be a tackling machine, but he's not the best overall athlete. The Falcons were already desperately thin at the position last season, but they could lose another potential starter in Sean Weatherspoon to free agency. 

However, this is a position where the Falcons could poach a player from the Seahawks. 

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller suggests that Atlanta target last year's Super Bowl MVP: 

Seattle cornerback Byron Maxwell could be another free-agent priority. 

Maxwell proved more than capable of replacing Brandon Browner at right cornerback, and he'll be looking for his first big payday during free agency. With quarterback Russell Wilson's contract yet to be settled, the Falcons could swipe away the perfect bookend to Trufant. 

Finally, a free safety who can erase mistakes is required for the defense to work properly.

Earl Thomas is the top player at his position. In Atlanta, starter Dwight Lowery is a free agent, and neither Kemal Ishmael nor Dezmen Southward present the type of range required to properly play free safety in the scheme. With limited options, this could be another highly valued piece of the puzzle potentially obtained during April's NFL draft.  

All of these changes are being considered days before Quinn officially accepts the job—if he accepts the job. 

As most teams already formulate their offseason plans, these types of projections are necessary for the Falcons to remain ahead of the curve. 

Under Quinn's direction, the Falcons will feature an aggressive yet simple defense that will play strong fundamental football. That doesn't mean improvement will occur overnight, though. It will be a process that will start as soon as Quinn is officially hired.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFC South for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.