Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff knows he's on the hot seat

Thomas Dimitroff spoke with the Talk of Fame Sports Network recently, and he shared that he understands he's still on the hot seat.

"Of course I'm on the hot seat. Every year I'm on the hot seat. I believe that 100 percent," Dimitroff said, via Talk of Fame Sports Network's Derek Burns. "I believe anyone who doesn't think they are maybe just won a Super Bowl. But I think most of us know that it's a very urgent league now."

Dimitroff was a rising star when he was hired by Arthur Blank following Atlanta's disastrous 2007 season; a season which saw briefly-tenured coach Bobby Petrino sneak out of town mid-season to accept the head coaching job at Arkansas, notifying players of his departure with typewritten notes left in lockers in the middle of the night.

In Dimitroff's first season with the team, which was also the inaugural season for coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan, the team finished 11-5 and secured a wildcard playoff bid. It was a huge turnaround for a team that desperately needed it. Between 2008 and 2012, it was difficult to argue with the Falcons' performance. The team posted five consecutive winning seasons -- finishing first in the NFC with 13-3 records in 2010 and 2012 -- and made it to the playoffs four times.

Since then, though, things haven't been nearly as impressive. The entire 2012 draft class is gone from the roster. The whole class. There have been many other reaches and misses in the draft, and several inexplicable free agency decisions. Sam Baker's contract is, and will remain, something I cannot figure out for the life of me.

And the team hasn't performed well. Three consecutive losing seasons makes a pretty clear statement.

But Dan Quinn's influence on personnel decisions can be seen in the additions to the team this offseason. They've added speed on defense, and these players are the types of guys who can effectively execute Quinn's scheme. Dimitroff also notes in the interview that an additional offseason to absorb Kyle Shanahan's offense should be beneficial to Matt Ryan et al.

You can listen to the entire interview on the Talk of Fame Sports Network site.

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