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The Atlanta Falcons will not fire general manager Thomas Dimitroff, according to Buck Lanford of FOX 5 Atlanta. The franchise parted ways with head coach Mike Smith this morning, but Dimitroff will still have a chance to prove himself going forward.
Keeping Dimitroff is an interesting move for the Falcons. If you look at Twitter, you'll see the reception isn't positive. There are plenty of fans, writers and analysts who believe Dimitroff should get the ax as well.
Why should the Falcons keep him? NFL Network's Albert Breer commented on the situation.
Reason for Dimitroff staying? The Atlanta coaching job is probably the most attractive on the market, which has something to do with the GM.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 29, 2014
He makes a good point. While Dimitroff is chastised for his mistakes, he has created a winning atmosphere in Atlanta. The past two years have been rough, but the Falcons are still one of the top landing spots for a potential head coach.
While it's not yet clear what this means, Breer also reported that there could be a change to the organizational structure, which may involve Rich McKay being more involved or Dimitroff ceding some influence:
Officially now, GM Thomas Dimitroff is safe, but Falcons owner Arthur Blank plans on shaking up the organizational structure, per source.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 29, 2014
A few things working in Dimitroff's favor:
- A franchise quarterback
- A good amount of cap space for next year
- The past two drafts appear to have upside