Five things to know about new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen

As of now, you likely already know the Falcons parted ways with defensive line coach Gary Emanuel, outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino and secondary coach Jon Hoke.

These moves usher out the bulk of the defensive staff under Dean Pees and ushers in a new chapter of defensive coaching in Atlanta. Who backfills these positions will be something to keep an eye on, and with the Falcons coaching staff heading to Las Vegas to coach in the East-West Shrine Bowl next week, the Falcons could move quickly to find their new coaches, particularly if Nielsen has a few coaches already in mind.

The only position coach rollover from Pees’ staff to Nielsen’s (at this point) is inside linebackers coach Frank Bush, who took over the defensive play calling for Atlanta when Pees was taken to the hospital in New Orleans after a collision with a player during pregame warmups.

This new look for the defensive staff could also usher in a more traditional usage of a four-down front under Nielsen. His defensive lines in New Orleans were notorious run-stoppers in this 4-3 look throughout his years with the organization.

The Falcons will have opportunities to build up this defense in free agency and the draft to fit what Nielsen is hoping to establish in Atlanta. Though it should be noted that the Falcons have been consistently building a hybrid defense for the last two years. Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot said earlier in January that a new defensive coordinator wouldn’t change that hybrid model too much.

“You can say that you’re 3-4, but you’ve got to think of how many different front variations there are. A lot of the game you’re playing spread out in 11, whether you’re a true 4-3 or 3-4, you’re playing a lot of four down fronts,” Smith said. “So, whether you have the hybrid guys that we do or outside linebackers that are essentially defensive ends in four down fronts, that kind of gets overstated sometimes. Structurally, it’s really about being flexible … when you are building that hybrid model you’re not looking for an overhaul, we’ve been building something here.”

Fontenot added his two cents: “It’s not like we’re bringing in a new visionary of the defense and he’s going to have a whole different (scheme). Arthur really knows what he’s looking for and he’ll be strategic in that. When we signed and when we drafted players, we weren’t prisoners of the moment… we’re drafting players who can be multiple and that fit what we’re…