What Atlanta Falcons' Front-Office Restructuring Means for Team's Future

After back-to-back disappointing seasons that culminated in a humiliating blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers in a winner-takes-the-NFC South Week 17 game, there are big changes afoot in Hotlanta as 2015 dawns.

Head coach Mike Smith has already been shown the door. There were rumors that general manager Thomas Dimitroff wouldn't be far behind.

Well, Dimitroff kept his job (sort of), but the changes sweeping across the Atlanta Falcons hit the front office on Wednesday.

As the NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano reports, assistant general manager Scott Pioli has received a promotion of sorts, while Dimitroff has apparently been stripped of at least some of his duties:

Team owner Arthur Blank released a statement, via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post:

"

After reviewing all of our options – internally and externally – I have no reservations that this is the best approach to setting up our player personnel groups for future success. It maximizes the talents of Scott, allows for more time and focus on all areas of our football operations groups managed by Thomas, and is in line with other player personnel groups in the league.

While this decision was not tied to the head coach search currently underway, we also believe that independent thinking and collaboration will contribute to taking us to the next level in our league. Therefore, our new head coach and Thomas will report separately to me.

"

Dimitroff also tried to put a positive spin on the news:

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Scott is a trusted partner who has proven himself, time and again, during his 23-year NFL career. His thumbprint can be found on a number of Pro Bowl players during his NFL career, and he was a key contributor to the remarkable Super Bowl success of the Patriots during his tenure there. We look forward, and I do personally, to the many contributions he will make to our pro, college scouting and NFL Draft efforts going forward.

"

I say tried to spin it, because while Dimitroff can use any color of paint he wishes, this wasn't a banner day for him career-wise.

Of course, in that regard, Dimitroff has no one to blame but himself. Since taking over the GM job in Atlanta back in 2008, Dimitroff has had success with his early draft picks. First-rounders such as linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, wide receiver Julio Jones and cornerback Desmond Trufant have all become big contributors for the team.

And Dimitroff at least deserves an "incomplete" on 2014 first-rounder Jake Matthews. Yes, Matthews struggled mightily for most of his first NFL season, but that's hardly a rarity at the offensive tackle position.

However, Dimitroff has failed in recent years to successfully address glaring deficiencies on both the offensive and defensive lines. That includes over $37 million over the past two seasons to sign defensive linemen Tyson Jackson and Osi Umenyiora, who combined to post a whopping 2.5 sacks in 2014.

The question now becomes whether Pioli will do any better.

Pioli developed a reputation as one of the best personnel men in the business during his time with the New England Patriots from 2000-2008. In fact, Gary Myers of the New York Daily News recently gave Pioli much of the credit for the Patriots' dynasty of the past 15 years:

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Pioli had a big say in drafting Tom Brady and so many of the other Patriots, before he was hired to be the GM of the Chiefs in 2009. He made good personnel decisions for Kansas City, but was given too much power by owner Clark Hunt and his overbearing management style didn’t work. Like so many of Belichick’s protégés, he tried to be too much like Belichick. It only works for one guy.

"

Myers is right that Pioli made some solid draft picks while with the Chiefs, including outside linebacker (and 2014 NFL sack king) Justin Houston in 2011. However, Pioli also whiffed badly on others, including making Tyson Jackson (there's that name again) the third overall pick in 2009.

Then there's the matter of the trade and $63 million contract that brought quarterback Matt Cassel to Kansas City.

Um...oops.

As Mike Garafolo of USA Today reported back when the Chiefs fired Pioli back in 2012, it wasn't just those missteps that cost Pioli his job:

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Pioli tried taking the Patriots model to Kansas City, but the results were less than flattering off the field as well, with widespread reports and rumblings he created an uncomfortable working environment.

"

And that's where the skies really darken inside the Georgia Dome.

(Note to self: Work on metaphors this weekend.)

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Falcons are set to implement a rather interesting power structure in 2015:

In short, the Falcons will have one GM (who isn't) making personnel decisions after going just a bit Napoleon the last time he was in charge and another GM who isn't (because he was just demoted) handling the cap whom I'm sure is absolutely fine with how this played out.

If Pioli's Mercedes gets keyed in the parking lot this week—just saying is all.

And there is still a yet-to-be-named head coach who answers directly to ownership.

Four men. Four personalities. And the very real possibility of two (or even three) camps pulling in opposite directions. Sure, in theory Pioli reports to Dimitroff, but if the two butt heads on a decision, I'd put the over/under on how long it would take Pioli to go directly to Blank at about 11 seconds.

In other words, this is a mess just waiting to happen.

Now, this may all be much ado about nothing. At least, that's what Bleacher Report Atlanta Falcons Featured Columnist Scott Carasik believes after speaking with a source:

However, this is also a move that smells a bit of panic on Blank's part, especially with a head coach not yet in place. In his zeal to return the Falcons, who, only a few years ago, were one win away from a trip to the Super Bowl, to prominence in the NFC South, Blank is throwing cooks into the kitchen with little regard for how the interpersonal dynamics will play out.

And you know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen.

Gary Davenport is an NFL Analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPManor.