Chris Morgan not retained by Falcons, Durde going to Cowboys

Down in the trenches: Offensive line coach Chris Morgan gets in some work with guard James Carpenter during Wednesday's minicamp practice in Flowery Branch. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com).

Down in the trenches: Offensive line coach Chris Morgan gets in some work with guard James Carpenter during Wednesday's minicamp practice in Flowery Branch. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com).

Offensive line coach Chris Morgan, one of the original members of Dan Quinn’s coaching staff, was not retained by the new coaching staff, and outside linebackers coach Aden Durde is headed to the Cowboys for a reunion with Quinn, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution learned Wednesday.

Assistants Mayur Chaudhari (assistant special teams), Greg Knapp (quarterbacks), Dirk Koetter (offensive coordinator) Tosh Lupoi (defensive line/run-game coordinator) and Chad Walker (safeties) also weren’t retained.

Morgan was named the offensive line coach of the year by Pro Football Focus in 2015 and was a part of the Falcons’ record-breaking offense in 2016.

However, the unit started to slide backward after the retirements of guards Chris Chester and then Andy Levitre. Also, the quick descent by right tackle Ryan Schraeder did not help.

The rebuilt offensive line, which included two first-round picks in the 2019 draft, didn’t come together quickly. The offensive line has given up 41, 48 and 42 sacks over the past three seasons.

Durde’s introduction to the Falcons came in 2016, when Quinn granted him a spot with the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship, thanks to a reference from former defensive pass-game coordinator Jerome Henderson. Henderson knew Durde from his stint with the Cowboys.

Durde joined the Falcons in 2018 as a defensive quality-control coach. He was the team’s outside linebackers coach last season and helped with the development of Foye Oluokun.

Falcons’ 2021 draft position

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

2. New York Jets

3. Miami Dolphins (via Houston)

4. Falcons

5. Cincinnati Bengals

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