Arthur Smith fired: 5 replacements Falcons should hire in a hurry

1. Falcons can trade for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick

Expect the Bill Belichick speculation to reach a fevered pitch now that the season has ended. There is natural trepidation about investing in the 71-year-old based on how the last few years in New England turned out. On the other hand, he is within striking distance of the all-time wins record and he will go down as one of, if not the best head coach in NFL history. The Falcons would, frankly, have to feel honored for Belichick to even consider Atlanta.

That said, the latest intel from CBS Sports' Josina Anderson is that Belichick will have interested suitors in the NFC South. Well, as of now, it's either the Falcons or the 2-15 Panthers. New Orleans and Tampa Bay don't seem particularly inclined to fire their head coaches in light of Sunday's outcomes. The Falcons can at least offer Belichick an intriguing combination of talent on both ends.

In order to acquire the greatest head coach of a generation, the Falcons would have to trade multiple quality assets while potentially signing over control of the front office. Belichick expressed a willingness to step down from the GM role in New England, but he also told reporters he is "under contract" with the Patriots. Unless Atlanta can interest both Belichick and the Pats, there won't be any traction here.

Belichick has often seemed out of touch since Tom Brady's exit, in part due to his ghastly personnel choices as New England's head of football operations. Even so, his reputation is airtight and it's hard to argue with signing a six-time Super Bowl winning coach. Belichick would add a level of respectability to the Falcons' operation that hasn't existed in a while.