Atlanta Falcons Needs? Well, They Need a Lot

In the ATL, Arthur Blank is looking for his third coach since 2004.

The past two coaches have been a bust.

Okay, I'll give Jim Mora Jr. credit where it is deserved—he took Atlanta to the NFC championship in his first season, and got stomped by the Philidelphia Eagles, who lost in the Super Bowl to the Patriots that year.

Mora Jr. replaced a coach that couldnt buy a win, and after his first year, Michael Vick showed improvement in his passing ability, but still was much too inconsistent.

Mora Jr. was fired after his third season. In that three-year span, he tried to develop  Vick into a double threat, relying on his arm as much as his legs.

After Mora Jr. failed to bring the Falcons to glory, Blank hired Bobby Petrino.

Mora Jr. was a players coach, while Petrino was an x's and o's type of coach.

Since the Falcons couldnt win under Mora Jr., Blank hired Petrino, in the hope that he could develop his multi-million dollar investment known as Vick into a better passer. Petrino had been known for his ability to light up the score board and spread out defenses.

Before the start of last season Atlanta traded Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans—one of the dumbest trades in Falcons history. So with only Vick to train, Petrino looked forward to the next season.

In the first round of the 2007 NFL draft, the Falcons took Jamal Anderson, a defensive end out of Arkansas expected to put up great numbers—but who wound up being a huge bust.

Fast forward to summer. Vick was suspected of dog fighting—which later is proven—before the season starts. By the end of the preseason, the Falcons were looking desperatly for a new quarterback to guide them.

Over the course of the season the Falcons started many quarterbacks, but only one showed he could hold down the fort untill the real deal showed up in Atlanta—Chris Redman, a Louisville quarterback who Petrino developed.

With three games left, Petrino abandoned the Falcons, and took the head coaching job at Arkansas after Houston Nutt left for Ole Miss.

So the questions remain: Who is going to lead the team next season, and who is the quarterback of the future—now that Schuab is proving that he shouldnt have been traded to Houston, and Vick is showing why he should have been traded to jail.

I say the Falcons should go after Bill Cowher. Atlanta needs a hard-nosed, but fun coach to help guide the team back and make smart draft decisions. (Bill drafted Pro-Bowl quarterback Ben Rothlisberger.)

As for the quarterback, why not go after Donavonn McNabb? He has been trashed by Philly fans for too long. And McNabb would be another big mobile quarterback for Cowher—like Rothlisberger.

With Cowher comes an improvement in defense and the run game. Atlanta's run game  showed signs of improvement this season, but the defense played poorly almost all year. Anderson had no sacks all year, but started most of the season.

The Falcons could take McFadden in the first round, a quarterback in the second round, then try to get McNabb from Philly in a trade.

Arthur Blank needs tons of help in Atlanta—and Cowher can lead his team in the right direction.