FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith continued to reshape his defensive staff by hiring Jerry Gray as the a sistant head coach for defense on Tuesday.Gray, 60, brings 26 years of NFL Blake Bell Jersey coaching experience to Atlanta, including eight as a defensive coordinator and 16 as a defensive backs coach. In those 24 years as a coordinator or defensive backs coach, his defenses have ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense 10 times Shane Buechele Jersey and in pa sing defense 13 times.The addition of Gray, who had been Green Bays defensive backs coach and pa sing game coordinator, forms a reunion with Smith. The two worked together as a sistants on Washingtons Jerick McKinnon Jersey staff in 2007-08 and on Tenne sees staff from 2011-13, when Gray was the Titans defensive coordinator.Gray also is a former defensive coordinator with Buffalo (2001-05).The hiring of Gray comes after the Falcons hired Ryan Nielsen as defensive coordinator on Friday. Nielsen had been the New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator.When hiring Nielsen, Creed Humphrey Jersey the Falcons announced three defensive a sistants will not return next season: defensive line coach Gary Emanuel, outside linebackers coach Ted Byron Pringle Jersey Monachino and secondary coach Jon Hoke.The Packers finished in the top 10 in pa sing defense in each of Grays three seasons on the staff. The Packers ranked sixth in pa sing defense in 2022.___AP NFL: hub/nfl and AP_NFL in this topic