ATLANTA -- Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank did the expected Monday when he fired head coach Mike Smith with one year left on Smith's contract. It was the right move for a team needing a new sense of direction.

Although the players appreciated Smith, he probably wasn't as tough on them as he needed to be, particularly the star players. And he wasn't what you would call a great game manager. Blank simply wanted wins, and the Falcons posted two consecutive losing seasons under Smith after going 13-3 and making it to the NFC Championship Game in 2012. The Falcons finished 6-10 this season and got blown out by Carolina 34-3 in the season finale to decide the NFC South title.

Blank said in statement that he wants to move swiftly. Folks already started attaching Rex Ryan's name to the mix after Ryan was let go by the New York Jets on Monday. Ryan definitely has the rugged personality you want in a head coach. But will that translate into wins?

Word around coaching circles is Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has a serious chance to be in the mix. He would be a great candidate at any destination. But Dimitroff also has a tie to Josh McDaniels, so expect the offensive mind from the Patriots to be in the mix as well.