"Dan was one of the main reasons I wanted to come here," Shanahan said. "I was very impressed with Dan and really just how loyal he was to me. He told me a long time ago that he wanted me as a coordinator and for a guy to do that, who I had never met in person before, who I hadn't spent a lot of time with, it made me feel extremely loyal to him. I think he's a very honest person. I think you got a special guy."

3. Coaching Julio: Having coached Pro Bowl wide reciever Andre Johnson during his time with the Houston Texans (2006-09), Shanahan compared Johnson's skills with that of his new Pro Bowl wide receiver, Julio Jones.

"There are lots of different ways to be good as a receiver, but Andre and Julio are two guys who are as explosive as anybody," Shanahan said. "The way they come off the ball and the way they can eat up a cushion and scare a defensive back every single play by just the power and stuff they can come off the ball with, the physicalness they play with, running through the ball, it's very exciting."

4. A Defensive Philosophy: Following Shanahan's media session, new Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith addressed the media, first by sharing the connection he's had with Quinn, dating back to their time together with the San Francisco 49ers. Later, when asked about his philosophy on defense, Smith made his point very clear.

"It's not my philosophy; it's our philosophy," Smith said. "What we're looking for first is guys who come out and have fun. We're looking to play fast, fundamentally sound and able to attack. We want to make a system that players can play fast and hard, trying to create turnovers in terms of our aggressive style of play."

5. Time for Pressure: Like Falcons owner and chairman Arthur Blank, the team's fan base has been waiting for a defense that puts relentless pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Smith conveyed the same desires, wanting to make other teams' quarterbacks as uncomfortable as possible.