FLOWERY BRANCH — When the highly regarded Anthony Robinson left the Falcons to become Tennessee’s assistant general manager in May 2023, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot didn’t immediately replace him.
Robinson had been the team’s director of college scouting. His role, for the interim, was absorbed by assistant general manager Kyle Smith.
More than a year after Robinson left, the Falcons recently made several front office moves that they hope will help to stabilize things for the future.
“We knew right away that the answers were in the building because we have a really strong scouting staff,” Fontenot told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday. “It was about taking our time and making sure we go about that the right way.”
Tokunbo Abanikanda, who started as an area scout, was named the director of scouting to replace Robinson.
Ryan Pace, a former general manager of the Bears, who worked with Fontenot with the Saints, was named the vice president of football operations/player personnel. Pace joined the organization in 2022 as a senior personnel executive after serving as general manager of the Bears from 2015-21.
In other promotions, Michael Ross was promoted to assistant director of college scouting and will assist Abanikanda.
“Kyle Smith still runs the scouting department,” Fontenot said. “Nothing has changed in regards to that. What we love about Kyle and the way we operate right now, the way we’re aggressive in what we do. In the scouting department, we want people in every area who are obsessed with their jobs and are extremely passionate about everything that they do.”
Smith sets the tone for the scouting department.
“Whether we’re adding the players like Justin Simmons and (Matthew) Judon at this point in the offseason, heading into the season, but also we added four practice-squad players, that truly we believe are active-roster caliber players,” Fontenot said. “So, the mindset to turnover over every stone and be aggressive and be obsessed with the process. Kyle really sets the tone.”
Abanikanda, who is from Marietta and played at Osborne High and Southern Mississippi, has been with the Falcons since 2012 and most recently was a national scout.
“He’s been a guy that I’ve been able to work very closely with, whether it’s been with receivers or it’s been defensive backs or whatever the case may be – or just a normal argument in the lunchroom, in the coffee room, whatever,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “I’ve got so much respect for him and what he’s been able to do in his profession.”
Abanikanda has a sterling reputation around the league, and if the Falcons are successful, he likely will be an NFL general manager candidate in the future.
“He’s an independent thinker, yet he’s also a good teammate, and he’s also going to handle things the right way,” Fontenot said. “He’s special. We saw it early on. That’s why we promoted him to national scout. ... He’s one of those guys who will continue to grow. There will be no ceiling for Tumbo.
Morris worked with Abanikanda during his previous stint with the Falcons from 2015-20.
“Him moving up and being elevated is something that I look at, and I glow,” Morris said.
Pace, 47, like Fontenot, rose up the ranks with the Saints and was one of general manager Mickey Loomis’ key staff members. He was with the Saints from 2001-14 before he landed the Bears’ job.
“Having the ability to be around Ryan Pace, you see that he’s a natural leader, which made him a GM in the first place,” Morris said. “You see some of the things that he’s been able to do for our department. Being able to come here after being fired – like I was at one point – and being able to elevate himself here within his profession and within this organization.”
Pace is widely respected for his work with the Saints and for some of the breakthroughs he had with the Bears, which included two trips to the playoffs and winning the 2018 NFC North title. He had the big Khalil Mack trade with the Raiders and was in charge when the Bears traded up to draft Mitchell Trubisky second overall over Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.
“I think it’s high regard for all of those guys,” Morris said of Abanikanda and Pace. “The same thing goes for Kyle Smith and being able to allow some of those things to be pushed off to Ryan because it takes egoless people to be able to go out there and form winning cultures and winning organizations.”
Morris believes both had that “egoless” persona of successful teams.
“I’ve watched these guys do that firsthand in my couple of months here, and it’s been awesome,” Morris said.
Ross will assist Abanikanda in the college department.
“He is convicted, and he’s very confident,” Fontenot said. “But that confidence comes from the work that he puts into his work. He’s organized and detailed.”
The Falcons are looking for answers from their scouting executives.
“We know when we ask a question about a player, Ross is going to have strong, convicted opinion,” Fontenot said. “There are not many times that Rossy is going to say, ‘I’m struggling with this.’ Or, ‘I’m in pickle here.’ He goes through that process.”
The Falcons had some challenging issues when Fontenot took over as general manager. Quarterback Matt Ryan was aging, and the salary cap was in a bad place. After one year with Ryan, they lost the Watson derby (which may turn out to be a good thing). They essentially played two seasons without a top-notch NFL-caliber quarterback.
Fontenot’s work has been lauded around the league as the Falcons appear set to return to respectability.
“I have read (team owner) Arthur Blank’s books,” said Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon, who got his start with Falcons. “It’s a testament to how he’s run his businesses and why he’s successful, why the organization has been successful all the way down to them having Terry in there now.”
The Falcons stayed with Fontenot after coach Arthur Smith was replaced. They are banking on Fontenot and Morris working in a collaborative way to turn the franchise around.
“Terry was a guy I came up with on the pro side,” Carthon said. “Terry and I go way back. He fits what Arthur Blank wants. He fits that Falcons culture.”
Abanikanda made a lasting impression on Fontenot during their first Zoom meeting less than 24 hours after Fontenot was hired.
Instead of pandering to Fontenot, Abanikanda asked tough questions. He wanted to know details about the systems they might be converting to. Translating the grades with the draft only a few months away would be difficult.
Abanikanda was not trying to impress his new boss. He was more concerned about whether he could effectively do his job. He’s considered a high-level communicator who can gather information on prospects and present that information to the group.
“(Abanikanda) asked some pointed and really tough questions,” Fontenot said. “All Tumbo was worried about was getting himself prepared, getting ready for the all-star games and getting into the February meetings.....He wanted information that could help him be the very best area scout... It was really cool.”
Pace will serve as a conduit between the front office and the coaches. He’s a part of the player-performance committee, which consists of heads of each department. The goal is to have every one on the same page.
Pace also will have certain departments within the player-performance area report to him.
Also, Hakeem Smith was promoted to pro scout, Stephanie Gutierrez to senior director of football systems, Danny Leskin to manager of football data science and Nathan Ellis to scouting coordinator.
The Falcons also hired Harrison Ritcher as a national scout and Cami Pasqualoni and Kevin Weisman as scouting assistants.
Ritcher, who was with the Commanders for six seasons, is the son of 16-year NFL veteran Jim Ritcher, who played for the Bills and Falcons.
Pasqualoni is the daughter of former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni.
