Report: Falcons will interview Darrell Bevell, ‘favorite’ to land offensive coordinator spot

The Atlanta Falcons will be trying to find a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Steve Sarkisian, and they’ve got one interview set up already.

It’ll be Darrell Bevell first up to chat with the team for the role, and it looks like he’s the probable fit for the position.

From ESPN’s Vaughn McClure:

Former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is considered the favorite to become the Falcons’ next OC and will interview with the team later this week, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Bevell, 48, coached on the Seahawks staff with Quinn and was previously the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

Bevell is a tenured offensive coordinator with time spent in Seattle (2011-17) and Minnesota (06-10) calling plays for those offenses. He’d implement a similar scheme to what Atlanta has now, if one varied from the Shanahan playbook the team has been keen on keeping in place.

Our Adnan Ikic broke down Bevell by the numbers and found out just exactly how his career has gone thus far. That’d show you, in part, that he’s been in the playoff stage aplenty and has found success when paired with a good quarterback (Russell Wilson and late-career Brett Favre).

A few things are true: this would be a sound hire by the Falcons and would show a desire for the team to get more experienced in the booth, but it would not be an inspiring, creative hire that gets the fanbase excited. It would also likely mean a lot of the positional coaches would probably stay the same.

But the interview and likelihood positioning doesn’t necessarily mean the job is Bevell’s to take. The team has, just in the last two hours, been linked to Gary Kubiak, a natural fit for the position. If anything, hearing two names floated must mean the team is going to do its due diligence with this role. Don’t expect an immediate hire unless Bevell just blows the team away in the interview setting.

Bevell and Kubiak are the only two names we know of right now, but more could spring up in the hours and days ahead. You have to consider Bevell a likely candidate given his ties to the team, and if Schefter’s report proves true, he’s the likely guy.

This is the key hire of the offseason, and not a decision the team can afford to botch. They need to aim to get the best possible guy, as this job is probably the crown jewel of the offensive coaching cycle. Here’s hoping they take their time and find the best fit.