Atlanta Falcons: Armstrong to stay, will Manuel leave?

The Atlanta Falcons will keep Keith Armstrong away from the New York Jets, but will Marquand Manuel leave for a better gig with the Jacksonville Jaguars?

It seems that the Atlanta Falcons are wanting to do the right thing by keeping continuity within their coaching staff heading into 2016. Owner Arthur Blank and head coach Dan Quinn seem reluctant to part ways with any member of Quinn’s staff.

However, two coaches on the staff, special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong and defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel, were the two that seemed the most likely to leave Flowery Branch, on their own accord of course. Armstrong played collegiately with New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles at Temple University in the late 1980s. Atlanta has previously denied Bowles’ request to interview him in 2015.

Kimberley A. Martin of NewsDay.com says that Atlanta again will prevent New York from interviewing Keith Armstrong, citing that he still has two more years on his contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Bowles fired special teams coordinator Bobby April last week and getting Armstrong would have stood as a slam-dunk hire fire for the New York Jets organization.

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Keeping Armstrong in Flowery Branch for the ninth straight season is a huge get for the Atlanta Falcons. Armstrong has been one of the best special teams coordinators in the NFL for the last two decades. If there is a special teams coordinator out there that can effectively transition to head coach like Dave Wannstedt and John Harbaugh did, it’s Keith Armstrong. He interviewed for the head coaching job of the Atlanta Falcons last year that ultimately went to Dan Quinn. His head coaching opportunity will come one day.

While Armstrong will now certainly stay with the Atlanta Falcons, defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel will interview for the defensive coordinator job with the Jacksonville Jaguars, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

#Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel set to interview for #Jaguars defensive coordinator job, source said. Rising star (and #LOB coach)
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2016

Manuel is a rising star in the coaching world. He spent 2012-14 with the Seattle Seahawks as a part of Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn’s defenses. Manuel is solidifying a reputation as a great developer of talent in the defensive backfield. He spent eight years playing defensive back in the NFL for six teams from 2002-09, including the Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks.

Manuel will interview for the defensive coordinator gig with the Jaguars on Tuesday and he could reunite with his former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley should he get the job in Jacksonville. Losing Manuel would stand as a tough blow for the Atlanta Falcons, as the growth in the secondary this season is largely attributed to Marquand Manuel’s hands-on approach to coaching and his great working relationship with defensive passing game coordinator/assistant head coach Raheem Morris.

Bradley’s Jaguars have finished in third place in the AFC South three straight seasons. While their offense is vastly improved thanks to young players like quarterback Blake Bortles and wide receiver Allen Robinson, the Jaguars need help in coaching on the defensive end, hence the firing of former defensive coordinator Bob Babich. Cleaning up on the defensive side of the ball could turn Jacksonville into a playoff team in a year or so, especially given how weak the AFC South is annually.

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Manuel’s familiarity with Bradley’s defensive scheme and being a fellow former defensive back could help him land his first defensive coordinator job in the NFL. It’s an ideal fit for him, but Atlanta’s defensive backfield is only good, not great. I would like to see Manuel and Morris work together at least one more year before seeing either of them walking for better coaching opportunities than what they currently have with the Atlanta Falcons.

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