Thanks to Jason for breaking this last night.
So who is Bob Bratkowski? He was the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator for the last decade, overseeing an offense that was alternately explosive and useless. In 2010, the season that sealed his fate, a noodle-armed and grumpy Carson Palmer and a 20th in the NFL yardage ranking leaned heavily on the useless side.
It's an interesting hire based on the Bengals' offensive output recently, but it's actually a nice fit. Bratkowski's presided over offenses both bold and conservative in his tenure, and in Matt Ryan he's got a talented young quarterback to work with. It helps that Matt Ryan is further along the development curve, so Bratkowski won't be asked to build him up.
With his experience, Bratkowski should do just fine with the Falcons. He's also a potential option as offensive coordinator if a team does end up stealing Mike Mularkey away down the line, so that's a plus. I like the hire, and it's fortunate for the Falcons that somebody with at least some history of success was actually available.
Welcome aboard, Bob.