The Falcons officially began their season under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan on Monday. On Tuesday, Sean Weatherspoon shared some of his initial takeaways from the longtime NFL coordinator.
Weatherspoon said the defense had their first meeting on Tuesday and while it will be a while before they come back together, they didn't waste any time setting their expectations for the 2012 season.
"Basically what (the meeting) was about was the vision we see for our defense and talking about the cornerstrones and what we want our defense to look like," Weatherspoon said. "I think it's going to be a pretty fun year under coach Nolan."
Nolan brings 14 years of NFL defensive coordinator experience to the Falcons. He's employed a variety of schemes during his time in the league and is regarded as one of the most versatile and intelligent defensive minds in the game.
Weatherspoon said he initially met with Nolan a few weeks back and enjoyed putting a face with the name he'd heard so much about. He got a glimpse of the new coordinator's mentality and personality Tuesday during their defensive meeting and also while the coordinator stuck his head in during individual position group meetings.
Nolan's defenses are known for their aggressive nature and the linebacker said that attitude jumped out early on. It's an attitude he identifies with and is excited about.
"Based on today in our meeting, I like his intensity," Weatherspoon said. "We break every meeting with 'Ready, Break!' That's something that's new. You can sense that he's intense based on that alone."
