The Falcons have parted ways with wide receiver coach Dave Brock, The Athletic's Josh Kendall first reported. Brock has been in Atlanta for five seasons. Last season was Brock's second as the wide receivers coach.
Brock began in Atlanta as an offensive assistant before being promoted to running backs coach in 2019. He took over as the wide receivers coach midway through the same season when Dan Quinn moved Raheem Morris (who was the wide receivers coach at the time) to the defensive side of the ball for the final eight weeks of the season.
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During the 2020 season, Brock oversaw single-season career-highs for both Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage. Along with second team AP All-Pro honors, Ridley eclipsed 100 receiving yards in eight games in 2020. It was the most in the NFL and third-most in a single season in franchise history. Meanwhile, Gage also set single-season career-highs for receptions (72), receiving yards (786) and receiving touchdowns (4).
Falcons wide receivers hit a rough patch in 2021, though. After trading Julio Jones in the offseason, Ridley became WR1. However, Ridley only played in five games for the Falcons in 2021 as he dealt with a personal matter. Gage had a slow start as he dealt with a nagging high ankle sprain early in the year. He got back on track about halfway through the season, though, and ended 2021 with four touchdowns and 770 receiving yards on 66 receptions. Tight end Kyle Pitts and running back/receiver hybrid Cordarrelle Patterson made up the other chunk of the Falcons receiving yards in 2021.
In regards to how the receiver room will look in Atlanta in 2022, that remains to be seen. There is nothing new to report regarding Ridley's future with the organization and Gage is a free agent this offseason. Fellow receivers Tajae Sharpe and Christian Blake are also free agents. Meanwhile, Olamide Zaccheaus is a restricted free agent. Rookie Frank Darby is the only wide receiver who's future feels a bit more secure in Atlanta at the present moment.
Regardless of how these narratives shake out, it would seem obvious the Falcons have to work to build their wide receiver room back up through both the 2022 Draft and free agency. They'll have to hit the market for a wide receiver coach first.
Per Kendall's report, assistant offensive line coach Chandler Henley will also leave the Falcons to become an offensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins. Henley spent one season with the Falcons after three with the Tennessee Titans as a quality control coach.
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