Mike Smith Rumors: Latest Buzz, Speculation Surrounding Former Falcons Coach

Mike Smith spent the past seven seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. After some initial success, a combination of playoff failures and recent struggles led to his downfall and sent him back onto the open market. 

It sounds like he won't remain there for too long, though. His name is already being bantered about as a potential defensive coordinator for a couple of teams. That includes the Oakland Raiders, according to Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times:

If his hiring is indeed linked to the arrival of Jack Del Rio, it could happen very soon. Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported the former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach may be announced as the Raiders' choice as early as Wednesday:

Alex Marvez of Fox Sports believes it would be a good match:

Another option should that situation not play out as expected would be the New York Giants. Dan Graziano of ESPN listed Smith as one of the top options to fill the team's vacant defensive coordinator spot after the exit of Perry Fewell.

Smith finished his run with the Falcons at 20 games over .500 (66-46). Atlanta went just 1-4 in the postseason during that span, however, and it faded over the past two years, with a combined 10-22 mark.

Before taking that job, Smith served as the defensive coordinator for the Jaguars under Del Rio for five years, starting in 2003. His defense never ranked worse than 12th in yards allowed over that span and three times finished inside the league's top six.

It's a strong track record that should ensure he doesn't remain a coaching free agent for long. The only question is whether that means joining the Raiders, the Giants or another team.