Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who’s contract was set to expire, had agreed to a two-year contract extension, according to his agent Bob LaMonte.
“All three of our coordinators are under contract for next season,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said on Monday. “They are very good football coaches and I’m glad that we have them under contract and will have the opportunity to work with them in the 2014 season.”
However, offensive line coaches Paul Dunn and Pat Hill and defensive line coach Ray Hamilton were fired.
“We didn’t win the line of scrimmage in most football games,” Smith said.
The Falcons attempted to replace three starters along the offensive line and misread the readiness of the replacements, including Peter Konz, Garrett Reynolds and Lamar Holmes.
The Falcons gave up 44 sacks, which ranked 10th in the league, and 100 quarterback hits, which ranked fifth.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons didn’t stop the run and rarely mounted much of a pass rush. They gave up 135.8 yards rushing per game, which was second highest in the league, and recorded just 32 sacks, which ranked 29th in the league.
Hamilton had been with Smith since he arrived in Atlanta in 2008 and had previously coached with him in Jacksonville. Dunn has also been with Smith since he came to the Falcons.
Hill, the former head coach at Fresno State, joined the staff after the 2011 season.
The news of Nolan’s return was well-received by players.
“That is awesome,” linebacker Paul Worrilow said. “He’s a fantastic coach. It’s been a joy to play for him this year. We have a lot of good schemes.”
Defensive end/linebacker Kroy Biermann, who’s recovering from Achilles surgery, was elated.
“I love Coach Nolan,” Biermann said. “He’s an amazing coach with a great scheme.”
Just completing a first-to-last place season, the Falcons were sub-par on defense as Nolan was forced to play with several rookies.
The Falcons allowed 379.4 yards per game — ranked 27th in the league — and gave up 27.7 points per game (26th).
The defensive unit missed tackles and had a meek pass rush, a lethal combination that led to a host of big plays. The Falcons gave six rushes for 40 yards or more, which ranked second in the league, and gave up 14 rushes for 20 yards or more, which ranked seventh.
They also allowed 17 pass plays of 40 yards or more, the most in the league. They yielded 52 pass plays for 20 yards or more, which ranked 15th.
Contract corner: Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the team would like to negotiate deals with defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux and wide receiver Roddy White.
Babineaux is set to become a free agent and White could receive a contract extension that could lower his salary cap number for the upcoming season.
Injury update: Biermann, who suffered a ruptured Achilles in the second game of the season, said his rehab is ahead of schedule. The recovery time is expected to be eight months and Biermann could be back by April.
“I feel like I’m on track or maybe a little bit ahead of schedule,” Biermann said. “I feel great and I’ve got faith in everybody here with where we are going and what we are doing. Everything feels good.”
Biermann has spoken with defensive tackle Corey Peters, who ruptured his Achilles last week against San Francisco. He’s also consulted with former Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes, who recovered from the surgery and made the Pro Bowl this season.
“He’s a rare breed,” Biermann said of Grimes. “He’s kind of a freakish athlete. I’m excited to see where I’ll be this time next year compare to where he’s at. We had the same surgeon and same rehab guys. So it will be interesting to see.”
Worrilow to rest: Worrilow, the undrafted free agent from Delaware who lead the Falcons in tackles, is looking forward to returning to Delaware to visit with his parents for about a month.
“As soon as that’s over, I’m moving back down here and will start to self-scout myself and just really try to see what I can do a lot better,” Worrilow said.
