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Falcons owner Arthur Blank spoke with the media during Super Bowl week, and Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a good breakdown of Blank's comments regarding the recent restructuring of Atlanta's front office on MyAJC.com.
The information released by the organization about the restructuring raised a lot of questions. Was this shift a demotion of sorts for general manager Thomas Dimitroff? Was this an indication of Blank's waning confidence in Dimitroff? Do these changes suggest an increase in power for assistant general manager Scott Pioli? Where does Dan Quinn fit into all of this? Who has the final say on the roster?
If you're hoping for concrete answers to these questions, you're going to be disappointed.
Blank said that Thomas Dimitroff is the general manager, and in that context, his job has not changed. He is still the general manager, and the organizational structure underneath him has changed.
Blank did confirm that Pioli will take charge of the draft and free agency, but denied that this move stripped power from Dimitroff, saying that the Falcons organization isn't focused on individual power. Blank said Dimitroff will be heavily involved in the draft and free agency process although Pioli is taking the lead in those areas. Blank did not specify who will have the final say on which players the team will draft and which free agents they will sign.
Blank was also noncommittal regarding who will have the final say on the 53-man roster. It's possible that Dan Quinn will be in a position to heavily influence the final roster decisions, and it's also possible that more clarity on these issues will come during the press conference announcing Quinn as Atlanta's new head coach.
Blank referred several times to "the process" when pressed for answers about who will have the final say on player personnel decisions, making it sound like it could be a collective effort between Dimitroff, Pioli and Quinn.
Take the time to read through Schultz's take on this situation, and share your thoughts in the comments.