By this time next week, the Atlanta Falcons will have a new head coach. But even in Dan Quinn's official absence, we are assembling a damn fine coaching staff. One question mark that remains: who will be the running back coach in 2015?
Gerald Brown has manned the post for the past seven seasons, overseeing some very good rushing campaigns. But gone are Michael Turner glory days; what the Falcons had in 2014 was a running back corps comprised of role players. Brown recently interviewed for the running backs coach job in Oakland, but per Vaughn McClure, he may be here to stay.
Falcons RBs coach Gerald Brown interviewed with the Raiders but won't end up in Oak. Wouldn't be surprised if he's back with the Falcons.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) January 28, 2015
I'll be honest, it's hard to evaluate Brown fairly at this point. The Falcons' offensive line in 2014, while adequate, didn't blow anyone away. Then there's the lack of a true feature back. Andrew Hirsh did a fantastic review of the Falcons' running game this season, if you haven't read it. In short, Brown isn't playing with a full deck.
This is probably just another "I'll trust Quinn's judgment" scenario. If Brown does stick around, he'd fellow Mike Smith era holdovers Bryan Cox (DL), Keith Armstrong (ST), Wade Harman (formerly Asst. OL and now TE), and Terry Robiskie (WR).
Your thoughts?