The news that the Falcons will have a second interview with coach Bill Belichick obscured the news that, for the first interview, Belichick met alone with owner Arthur Blank. It shouldn’t have.
The fact that Blank and Belichick had a one-on-one meeting suggests that: (1) Belichick asked for it; and (2) Blank agreed to it.
The fact that Belichick will meet with the Falcons again implies that Blank also is ready to agree to whatever else Belichick wants. Such as, potentially, Belichick’s own personnel department (coincidentally, Scott Pioli has worked for the Falcons in the past) and no interference whatsoever from CEO Rich McKay.
Although Belichick to Atlanta is not done yet, there’s buzz around the league that it’s moving in that direction. As one league source explained it, Belichick is believed to be done with “big-market media,” making him more inclined to go to a place like Atlanta than Dallas or Philadelphia.
As to the Cowboys and the Eagles, there’s also a belief in some league circles that both team expressed interest in Belichick, that Belichick didn’t reciprocate, and that those teams then decided to stick with their current coaches.
Still, it could be harder to win in Atlanta than in Dallas or Philly. While the division is weaker, the Falcons don’t have a clear answer at quarterback. They do, however, have plenty of skilled offensive players. (Maybe Belichick will run the single wing.)
The bottom line is that steam is building for Belichick to the Falcons. The one-on-one meeting with ownership becomes a key to Belichick telling Blank what it’s going to take from a structural standpoint to land the greatest coach in NFL history. The second interview becomes the message that Blank is fine with whatever terms Belichick articulated in the first meeting.
The question, if the deal gets done, becomes whether Belichick will have the “checks and balances” that Patriots owner Robert Kraft made clear last week had evaporated with the Patriots. Will Belichick once again be the emperor of football operations? If Blank is willing to let Belichick have that power, why wouldn’t Belichick take it?
