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Former NFL scout and current personnel man for the Montreal Alouettes Russell Lande tweeted a rumor on Thursday that the relationship between the Atlanta Falcons head coach and personnel department is apparently off to a rocky start.
Heard surprising rumor that Falcons HC D. Quinn is leaning towards bringing in his own personnel man after season. Odd timing to hear this!
— Russell Lande (@RUSSLANDE) September 10, 2015
That is indeed an odd time to hear this, especially if Quinn was giving this trial run a chance. But does "personnel man" mean the team's current general manager, Thomas Dimitroff? We put our best investigator on the case.
@FalconsM5 - Not sure if he wants new GM or just another voice in front office, but that is rumor I heard. Definitely think timing is odd.
— Russell Lande (@RUSSLANDE) September 10, 2015
However, two additional reporters indicate the expectation is Dimitroff may be gone after this year.
@PriscoCBS @russlande so they clear out TD and Pioli ? I thought only TD was in real danger.
— Jason Cole (@JasonColeBR) September 10, 2015
We should clarify that Lande mentioned rumor in both of his tweets, and it is unclear if anyone is on the hot seat.
Why this rumor does not make sense
If true, perhaps Quinn just wants to add another player evaluator to the mix. By most accounts, the Falcons have done an impressive job in this year's draft and free agency. At the same time, Lande's prior Falcons rumors have proven to be a bit uneven.
And as Lande mentioned, this is an odd time for these rumors to start.
Why this rumor makes sense
Dan Quinn became Atlanta's head coach under odd circumstances: the current general manager was not necessarily guaranteed to keep his job. The belief is that Quinn was given the power to get rid of plenty of the current scouting and personnel department, and year one would be a trial run.
With many in the media apparently believe that Thomas Dimitroff is on his way out, and rumors circulating early, perhaps the trial run is already struggling.
Who could be added
Quinn likely knows personnel men from multiple teams in college and the NFL, so if he decides to make an addition, it is hard to predict where he would look to for a new evaluator. We will likely have to wait a few more months before we get any clarity on this situation.