Five quick takes from Falcons president Matt Ryan’s news conference

Here are five quick takes from what Ryan had to say.

1. Coach and general manager interviews: Ryan has conducted all six of the coach interviews after signing his contract with the team Saturday morning.

The team hasn’t begun the interviews for general manager, but the expectation is to have the processes run concurrently and possibly to hire both roles around the same time.

It’s unclear how long the process could take, but the first rounds of interviews have moved swiftly in the past week.

2. On winning: The Falcons have missed the playoffs for the past eight seasons, and finishing in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South, but losing all the tiebreakers, showed progress, but not enough for Raheem Morris to continue as head coach.

The current roster does have some key pieces, and the team doesn’t have as far to go to get back in contention as some other franchises around the NFL.

“I believe there’s a lot of young, talented players on the defensive side of the ball. (Offensive) linemen who are really solid, some of whom I played with, which is kind of crazy,” Ryan said. “We have a special running in Bijan (Robinson) and what he can do as a player. Talented pieces on the outside.

“I also recognize it’s hard. It’s difficult to win in this league, and it takes everyone coming together and pulling their weight. I’m excited about what’s here. There are a lot of strong pieces, and I’m confident in the players we have in our building.”

Ryan guided the Falcons to two NFC championship games and Super Bowl 51.

“My mission since I was drafted has never changed. To do whatever I can to win championships.”

3. On quarterback Michael Penix Jr.: As a former quarterback, Ryan has some expertise at that role, which could come in handy with aiding the development of Penix.

Ryan said he wouldn’t try to encroach on the process and would be there if needed.

“I’m not hired to come in and be the quarterbacks coach, but I love Mike, and I’ve gotten to know him in the last couple of years in Atlanta,” Ryan said. “Anything he needs from me, I’m a part of this organization, and I’m happy to help in any way I can.

“If asked and if the relationship with that department is right, I’m happy to help in any way we can. We want what’s best for our players. Everybody here is supporting the players on the field.”

4. On his network: In his three seasons as an analyst for CBS Sports, Ryan had the opportunity to work with some NFL luminaries and get their perspectives on the game.

That included former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, who had some influence in their front office, as well. With his relative inexperience in an executive role, Ryan sees an opportunity to lean on what he’s learned from those colleagues in his network and using that to his advantage.

“I’ve got a lot to learn, there’s no doubt about that. But in preparing for this, I talked to a lot of people around the league who have moved on as players,” Ryan said. “I talked to a lot of guys from around the league who have made similar types of transitions and picked their brains on what that might look like and what it means for them and some of the struggles and pitfalls and some things not on their radar that should have been.

“Some of those relationships that I have from around the league, whether it be execs, coaches, owners or GMs, I’m going to lean on those. I feel like I have really strong relationships both inside and outside the building that are going to help me in this role.”

5. What he’s looking for in the coach and general manager:

As a former quarterback, Ryan has a unique perspective on what things make a successful coach, and he said he’ll pull from his experiences to find the right fit.

“There are certain things from my perspective as a player that you look for, character being one of those. Emotional stability. It’s hard and it’s a difficult job to do, and there are lots of highs and lows,” Ryan said. “Some of the best guys that I was around in those position were very stable emotionally, and that’s certainly one thing I’ll be looking for.

“There’s got to be a level of presence you have to have as a coach and the ability to command respect of your players. It doesn’t mean you have to be the most vocal or the best interview or the best in a press conference; it just means you’ve to be able to connect with players you have. I view it from the lens of what I always wanted and what I needed from coaches, and some of the best that I was around.”

The process for interviewing head coaches is a little further along because of availability of candidates who are working with teams still in the playoffs, but the candidates for general manager will be more available, and that process could speed up in the next week or two.

“You’re looking for two people that don’t see the game as polar opposites. It’s difficult if you have a different view on how to best to move forward,” Ryan said. “We’re looking for people who are aligned in that vision and that work well together — that doesn’t mean best friends.

“You’ve got to have a professional and really strong working relationship, and sometimes that comes with seeing things a little differently, but the best of the best find a way to get to common ground.”