Bill Belichick's perfect coaching project already coming into view

On Thursday, when Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots agreed to part ways in an amicable split, a collective gasp was heard around the sports world. Despite rumors all season that he was on the hot seat, and that this could be his final season in New England, it still seemed impossible. After 24 seasons, nine Super Bowl appearances, and six championship banners hung in Gillette Stadium, the Patriots would have a new coach for the first time in a lot of young fans' lives.

The greatest coach of all time may currently be unemployed, but it won't stay that way for long. Bill has unfinished business, sitting 14 wins behind former Dolphins coach Don Shula for the all-time wins record. Though Belichick is not one to chase individual accolades, this one in particular is personal, not business.

Though many teams may come knocking, one NFL team is very interested in bringing in Belichick, and it could be the perfect situation for him to retire with more wins than any other coach. They have a history against each other, and all you have to hear is "28-3" to know I am talking about the Atlanta Falcons.

Why hiring Bill Belichick would make sense for the Falcons

Since the loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl 51, the Falcons have gone 49-66 and fired two head coaches. Arthur Smith, who was shown the door at 12:01AM on black Monday went 7-10 for three consecutive seasons, despite adding talent in every draft.

Atlanta is in desperate need of a coach who knows what he is doing. Someone with a proven track record of winning, and getting the most out of his players. Owner, Arthur Blank, has been rumored to be holding off his coaching search until he speaks with Belichick first. He is so desperate for the GOAT, that he may be willing to keep Bill as the highest-paid coach in the NFL.

Why the Falcons make sense for Belichick

Thanks to a recent history of subpar seasons, the Falcons are loaded with talent. In the last three drafts they have landed Bijan Robinson at running back (who the last coaching staff grossly underused), Drake London at receiver, and Kyle Pitts at tight end. When you consider that Josh McDaniels will likely be joining Bill, you can imagine the fun he could have with big receivers and athletic tight ends in a dome. Record-setting offense, maybe?

The defense needs work, but Bill and his son Steve (who will be the defensive coordinator) are gurus at turning any group of players into elite-level defenders. Their specialty is the defensive secondary, and they inherit A.J. Terrell with Atlanta. Bring back Jeff Okudah, and all the talent he has, and the Falcons are off and running.

Atlanta has $37 million in cap space as of right now, but moves can be upped to $50 million after they cut Tyler Heinicke and Jonnu Smith. They need some Patriots to bring the culture with them, so they use some of that to sign Kyle Dugger. Pair him with Jesse Bates, Okudah, and Terrell, and you might have the best defensive secondary in the NFL.

Atlanta has guys who can rush the passer, but maybe add another ex-Patriot in Josh Uche to guarantee opposing quarterbacks will be under fire all game, and within days of bringing in Belichick, they could have a top-10 defense, and tons of talent on offense, including a decent offensive line.

The Quarterback Situation

The wild card is going to be the most important position on the field, and the one that cost Belichick the opportunity to retire in New England: Quarterback. There are three possibilities and two that are incredibly interesting.

They have the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Based on how the chips are expected to fall, that could leave Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on the board for them. He is an amazing talent. Good arm strength, good mobility, great touch. Belichick is not looking to rebuild a franchise though. He wants to win now.

Option number two could be getting Russell Wilson. Wilson is a savvy veteran quarterback who has been to and won Super Bowls. The best part is that the Denver Broncos are paying him $40 million next year to play on another team, so whoever he signs with will get the mother of all hometown discounts. Russ with these weapons could put up some big numbers.

Russ could have a number of options, though, and that leaves the most interesting possibility for Belichick and McDaniels. The player they wanted to draft in 2021; Justin Fields. The Chicago Bears have the top overall pick for the second year in a row. They didn't use it last year on a quarterback because they wanted to see what Fields could do, and he did not win them over.

The arm talent and mobility are there, but he needs an offensive genius like Josh McDaniels to bring out his greatness. The Falcons could trade a second-round pick for Fields, and sign him to a 4year/$160 million extension beginning in 2025 when they will have $100 million in cap space.

Fields, Robinson, Allgeier, Pitts, London, an offensive line, a brutal pass rush, and a lockdown secondary. That is appealing to any coach who wants to win now, and they'd still have $20 million in cap space and the No. 8 pick to keep adding. Belichick would not only break Shula's record with this group, he could win a Super Bowl in the first two years and shut up all those "It was all Brady" detractors out there. Goodbye, New England, hello Atlanta.