The Braves have returned to the free agent market shortly after signing Jurickson Profar. As reported by Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Atlanta is among the teams showing interest in right-handed reliever Ryne Stanek.

The 33-year-old had unsuccessful stints with the Mets and Mariners during the 2024 season. After 55.1 innings pitched, the veteran’s ERA and FIP were 4.88 and 4.14, respectively. Stanek’s 27.8% strikeout rate was the only positive aspect of his season the previous year.

But he was one of the most dependable bullpen arms only a few years ago. He pitched 173.2 innings for the Astros between 2021 and 2023, earning a 2.90 ERA. With his fastball often in the high 90s, he still has the stuff, and the Braves can see that a new perspective will help him return to the kind of play we seen in Houston.

The addition of Profar satisfied the Braves’ single greatest need, but now they desperately need to strengthen their bullpen. It is heartbreaking to lose Joe Jimenez and A.J. Minter. It is necessary to replace those two high-leverage arms in some way. Stanek hasn’t exactly been like that lately, but maybe Alex Anthopoulos sees something in the hard-throwing reliever that Seattle and New York didn’t.

Rivals of the Falcons division are still losing the hiring cycle.

The NFL has never looked up to the Falcons as a model of success. In Atlanta, the adage “never throw stones from a glass house” is accurate, but I can’t help but chuckle at the suffering occurring in the NFC South.

The Saints, who are looking for a new head coach, were the first. Although Ben Johnson, the hiring cycle’s consensus top candidate, was never within New Orleans’ grasp, many thought they had a great chance of acquiring Aaron Glenn, the second-best candidate.

To their organization’s defense, Glenn spent five years as Sean Payton’s coach in New Orleans in addition to playing for the Saints. He was offered the chance to take over, but he declined. He also didn’t pass for a high-level position. He was mistaken for the Jets, an NFL team that has been derided for almost ten years.

Glenn choose New York over New Orleans, and the Jets are a dumpster fire, but they’re not the only division foe losing this hiring cycle.

After winning the division for the fourth straight season, the Buccaneers are not looking to hire a head coach, but they did lose a key member of their staff in one of the most humiliating ways imaginable.

Jeremy Fowler claims that Liam Coen, the former offensive coordinator for the Bucs, has verbally agreed to take over as head coach of Jacksonville. Coen significantly enhanced Tampa’s offense in 2024 after taking over as head coach of the Panthers from Dave Canales previous summer.

Last season, the Buccaneers’ offense averaged 20.5 points and 313 yards per game. This year, those numbers jumped to 29.5 points and 400 yards per game. Additionally, they were the only team in the NFL to rank in the top five for both passing and rushing yards, while Baker Mayfield’s 106.8 passer rating set a franchise record.

Tampa Bay ranked among the league’s top five in total offense (399.6 yards per game), scoring (29.5 PPG), passing, rushing, third-down conversions (a league-best 50.9%), and red zone efficiency (66.7%). These impressive numbers highlight the effectiveness of the offense, making Coen a highly sought-after coach.

Bucs supporters are more aware than most that losing a coordinator is tough, but from the Falcons’ point of view, it’s hilarious how they handled it. Michael DeRocco, a Jaguars beat reporter, has provided the following summary:

The ruling concluded a two-day ordeal in which Coen withdrew from consideration for the Jaguars position, then accepted a contract extension with the Buccaneers that would have made him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL, only to have his mind altered when Jacksonville contacted him to ask him to change his mind following its Wednesday afternoon split with general manager Trent Baalke.

On Thursday afternoon, Coen drove to Jacksonville to meet with interim general manager Ethan Waugh and owner Shad Khan. According to a source who spoke to Laine, Coen did not talk to anyone else in the Bucs’ front office after contacting Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles on Thursday night to express his fresh interest in the Jaguars position.

The Saints will always be the Falcons’ fiercest opponent, but the Bucs have been the division’s best, so it’s encouraging to watch them struggle.