Falcons reportedly very interested in John Harbaugh

Two years ago, Arthur Blank was very interested in hiring Bill Belichick. He was his top target, but the people around him in the front office were able to convince him to pivot elsewhere out of fear for their own job security.

Harbaugh is a similar type of candidate — a Super Bowl-winning head coach with a long track record of building a culture of winning — but he comes with far less baggage than Belichick, who prefers to rule over an organization with an iron fist. Harbaugh, on the other hand, has a reputation for being far more collaborative and willing to listen to others’ opinions.

Arthur Blank will likely have Harbaugh at the very top of his list, and after missing out on Belichick, it’s reasonable to expect the Falcons to make a very aggressive push. They should have a decent chance of landing him too. Of all the current head-coaching openings — outside of the Ravens, of course — Atlanta’s situation is among the best, featuring proven talent on both sides of the ball and a division that is very winnable.