Clash of the Titans: Atlanta Falcons Feature Six Former Tennessee Players

The Titans are taking over.

When the Atlanta Falcons hired Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith ahead of the 2021 season to become the latest head coach, they knew he would bring some of his style from Tennessee along with him to Atlanta.

However, they might not have guessed that he'd bring six of his former players with him.

With the signing of wide receiver Cameron Batson on Wednesday, there are now six former Titans that have signed with the Falcons this offseason. The other five are quarterback Marcus Mariota, running back Jeremy McNichols, tight end Anthony Firkser, linebacker Rashaan Evans and long snapper Beau Brinkley (currently on injured reserve).

All of those players apart from Mariota played for the Titans back in 2021. 

Before arriving in Atlanta, Smith spent a decade as an assistant in Nashville, working his way up from quality control coach all the way to offensive coordinator.

Seeing all of these former Titans want to come to Atlanta is a sign of how strong Smith builds relationships with players. It also shows what kind of team Smith is trying to build.

And if you're looking at a team to try and mimic in order to exit your own rebuild phase, the Titans are a good choice.

The Titans were the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season and are built by the running game. By swapping out Matt Ryan for Mariota and adding a number of running backs to the backfield, Smith is carving out the team in his image, one that succeeded mightily in Tennessee.

Obviously, there are differences. The Titans have Derrick Henry and the Falcons do not, but the Falcons should be about building a winning culture at this stage in their evolution. And all signs point to positive vibes in Atlanta.


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.