NFL rumors: Falcons double dip on a second big fish, but could it backfire?

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank knows that his team is at risk of toiling in the doldrums if they don't make some major changes this offseason, so the man in charge is driving hard at the most ambitious upgrades possible, specifically to fill his most important need: The person in charge of his actual team on the field.

Bill Belichick has risen to the fore as the No. 1 dream target for the Falcons head coaching vacancy, and, on paper, there isn't a bigger name Atlanta could hire or a more accomplished NFL coach they could snag than the GOAT himself.

However, the Falcons are apparently not satisfied with just Belichick as their blockbuster head coaching target, because The Athletic's Jeff Howe and Josh Kendall report the Falcons have an interview scheduled (subscription required) with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh next week, meaning Blank is going after another strong personality at the helm.

Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh would want to run the entire organization

While it's great to see the Falcons are taking the head coaching position as seriously as possible, by going after both Belichick and Harbaugh, Atlanta risks losing both of them. These are two coaches you have to give the keys to the kingdom to. They don't take anything halfway, because they command respect and the ability to run the organization in their image and in line with their values.

So trying to court both could be a risk in the sense that the Falcons are scrambling to make concessions to either one, and then they end up with neither because they are splitting time trying to hire Belichick and Harbaugh.

The Falcons have to pick one of these two strong, commanding coaches based on which one makes the most sense for their goals. Because of his track record of NFL success and fewer high-profile dust-ups, Belichick seems to be the safer option of the two, though Harbaugh, of course, was quite successful in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in his own right.