The Bow Tie Chronicles – Atlanta Falcons AJC Podcasts

Gym class and tag football is over. The Falcons will do some real hitting when they face the Detroit Lions in the exhibition season opener at 6 p.m. Friday at Ford Field. Both teams are set to play their starters. The Falcons' defensive line will get a good test against Detroit's sturdy offensive line. Also, running back D'Andre Swift will challenge the defense. Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota is set to make his return to the NFL spotlight after toiling on the bench of the Raiders the past two seasons.

Author Jason Reid stops by to discuss his book: Rise of the Black Quarterback -- What it Means for America. We discuss the role of of former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in the evolution of the position along with the importance of Randall Cunningham. Reid discuss the journey of the position starting with Fritz Pollard all the way through to current Black quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. He also explains the 12-year ban and what the rise of the Black Quarterback means for America.

Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees has 13 seasons of coordinating defenses in the NFL. He's had seven defenses finish in the top 10 of yards allowed and 10 finished in the top half of the league. He noted that the Falcons have had only one top 10 defense over the past 20 years (2017, 9th by Marquand Manuel). He wants to change that, but will need the players to take charge. He discusses changing the culture and some of the issues the Falcons face.

The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a 7-10 season, but after trading Matt Ryan and revamping several key position groups the outlook for the 2022 season is bleak. One publication picked them to win just two games and Las Vegas has set the line at 4.5 wins for the entire 17-game seasons. The Falcons reported for training camp on Tuesday and will hold their first practice on Wednesday.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith discusses the offseason and some of the keys for the defense to improve. He is looking for a couple of players to step up and help provide an interior pass rush on the defensive side of the football. The Falcons have revamped their interior linebacker position and have spent some resources at outside linebacker as they've added Lorenzo Carter, Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone this offseason. He also advises to keep an eye on linebacker Quentin Bell, outside linebacker Jordan Brailford and cornerback Dee Alford.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith helps up look at the personnel on the offensive side of the ball. He shares his philosophy on how the franchise plans to develop players along the offensive line and at the quarterback position. The Falcons have also undergone an cultural shift at the wide receiver position with a lot of big and tough-minded players, who can play inside the numbers of the field. The running back by committee appears to be much-improved.