Mike Smith, Thomas Dimitroff, Rich McKay get extensions
Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff reacts after the Falcons missed a field goal late in the game against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Saints defeated the Falcons 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off of an incredibly disappointing 2013 campaign, but more of the fault for the Falcons huge digression goes to big injuries than to any poor work done by the coaching staff or front office. With a strong offseason, the Falcons figure to be a contender again in 2014, and it’s always great to see just how stable and prudent of an organization the Falcons are. Very few fans have made drastic comments against either head coach Mike Smith or GM Thomas Dimitroff, and, more importantly, the organization has only backed them up to the fullest in comments.
Now, the Falcons are announcing that three of the most important members of their organization will receive contract extension, as CEO Rich McKay, Dimitroff, and Smith are all signing extensions, with McKay’s being the most significant. He is getting four more years to his deal, meaning that his contract won’t run out until 2019. The team’s president, McKay has been with the Falcons organization for an incredibly long time, and he won’t be leaving any time soon.
The one-year extensions to Dimitroff and Smith aren’t significant, but they are notable enough votes of confidence and further show Arthur Blank’s commitment to consistency. There’s no doubt in my mind that Dimitroff is one of the best and brightest GMs in the NFL, and Smith is also a more than capable head coach in this league. Both have won several accolades in their careers, and they form one of the most successful GM-HC tandems in the NFL.
At the end of the day, though, the Dimitroff and Smith extensions are just to make sure that 2014 isn’t an undeserved lame-duck year for either. Both guys, especially Dimitroff, are safe in Atlanta, but Blank and the Falcons are making sure that there’s a safeguard in case they have another poor year.