Raheem Morris makes a pretty bold claim about the Falcons

Raheem Morris takes over a much more enviable situation than Arthur Smith found himself in three years ago.

When Smith took over, Matt Ryan was in the twilight years of his career, but the roster was bloated with overpriced contracts of aging veterans. Eventually, Terry Fontenot and Smith elected to rid their cap sheet of those contracts, taking on a record amount of dead money.

Finally, in 2023, the Falcons were in healthy standing with the salary cap and were able to participate in free agency for the first time in years, bringing in marquee free agents on the defensive side of the ball.

For the first time in Arthur Smith’s tenure, there were legitimate expectations for the Falcons. Unfortunately for him, Smith elected to put his trust in Desmond Ridder, effectively hitching his wagon to a third-round pick. It went about as poorly as anyone could’ve expected.

Now, Morris takes over a good, not great roster of a team that has an owner and fan base desperate to win. Arthur Blank didn’t fire Arthur Smith to be patient with Raheem Morris.

The new Falcons head coach takes over a roster with a solid foundation on both sides of the ball. There are some needs that must be addressed, but it doesn’t matter who is coaching if the quarterback position isn’t addressed properly. It was the single biggest factor in Atlanta’s shortcomings last year, and Morris will eventually suffer the same fate as Arthur Smith if he doesn’t do something differently. Thankfully, it’s clear that he understands the situation.

“This team is ready to win. And you know, let’s not kid it. We’re a quarterback away. I don’t think that’s a secret,” Morris told All Facts No Brakes hosts on Fox Sports.

It’s refreshing to hear a head coach say it how it is and not give the standard PR answer that so many have before. This isn’t anything new, though.

Morris said earlier in the week that if the quarterback play was better last year, he probably wouldn’t be standing at the NFL Combine answering questions as the Falcons head coach.

It isn’t a secret. It’s nice to see Raheem Morris acknowledge reality. The Falcons won’t get anywhere they want to go without better quarterback play.