Report: Falcons fire wide receiver coach Dave Brock; offensive line assistant leaves for new job

The Falcons are expected to have a lot of turnover on its roster this offseason. Thanks to some recent departures, forced or otherwise, the Falcons will have some turnover on its coaching staff too. Arthur Smith will need to make his first coach replacements of his short head coaching career.

The offensive staff will have new faces soon, after the Falcons let go of its wide receiver coach, and an assistant heads to the U, per Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. There was a great point by Will McFadden which is worth mentioning, which also includes some thought into future roster moves.

Dave Brock may have gotten the Marquand Manuel treatment, getting fired after his only talented players can’t suit up for the Falcons. Brock still had two years as wide receivers coach, with some notable performances by Calvin Ridley in 2020 and Russell Gage in 2021. However, Brock was still steering the ship while Julio Jones forced his way out, and Ridley’s future with the team looks cloudy even assuming Ridley returns to football.

The loss of Brock makes Gage’s return to Atlanta seem cloudier than Ridley’s. While we do not know much about why Brock was let go, the Falcons bringing back Gage at market rate to work with a new position coach seems less likely. Additionally, a new coach will probably push for familiar players. Gage’s connection with the current staff, and his fit in the offensive scheme, raises more questions than anything else.

Chandler Henley, an offensive line assistant, leaves Atlanta for the Miami Dolphins. Henley most notably coached Jaeden Graham at Yale. With his leaving, and Graham’s injury, Jaeden Graham could be on the outs in Atlanta too.