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Why?

Because if he doesn't - and the vibe we're getting is that Carroll is just flirting with Arthur Blank and won't take the plunge - then there's a good chance the Giants will lose defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

There are indications that Eagles general manager is the leading contender to land the GM job in Atlanta if Carroll doesn't come aboard as coach and director of football operations. Heckert is known to favor Spagnuolo, who worked as the Eagles' linebackers coach before joining the Giants this season.

The Falcons were denied permission by the Giants to speak with Spagnuolo this week, but it's believed Spagnuolo will be interested in at least an interview with Atlanta once the Giants' playoff run is over.

Of course, Spagnuolo may look at the chaos going on in Atlanta right now and ultimately be skittish about working for the organization. And the Giants will certainly make it worth Spagnuolo's while to stay at least another season.

Either way, Giants fans ought to watch the Carroll situation closely.

The Falcons have interviewed or plan to interview just about any warm body out there who might be qualified to take over as general manager or head coach.

But there's one wild card that could end the whole search within a matter of days. Yes, USC coach Pete Carroll is very much in the mix as the next football czar in Atlanta.

Why Carroll would want to leave his fiefdom in southern California to take over the reeling Falcons is beyond me. But Carroll's struggles as an NFL head coach in New York and New England have always eaten at him, and he's never quite given up the idea of returning to the NFL.

The other question is why Falcons owner Arthur Blank would want to entrust his organization to another college coach when the last college coach he hired walked out on him after 13 games. Did the Bobby Petrino fiasco not leave any negative fallout with the owner?

Pete Carroll back in the NFL. Wow.

Then again, if Carroll flirts with Blank and then gets a better deal out of it at USC, then he'll be the second high-profile football man to play the Falcons' owner for a fool. Bill Parcells did it a couple weeks ago to get a better deal in Miami. Is Carroll doing the same thing now?

Stay tuned on this one. Should be interesting.

In the wake of the Falcons being rebuffed (code word for "used") by Bill Parcells, the team may be turning its attention to former Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer.

Nothing is imminent, but the fact that Schottenheimer is on their radar is a positive development for a franchise in desperate need of leadership.

We thought Schottenheimer would have been a solid choice in Miami to clean up that mess, but it's unlikely that Parcells will turn to the 64-year-old coach to be the Dolphins' sideline boss. Schottenheimer has shown too often in the past that he wants a strong hand in personnel matters, and it wouldn't be the right fit with Parcells calling the shots.

Bill Parcells has been targeted as the man to lead the Falcons out of the mess they face in the wake of the Michael Vick dogfighting fiasco and Bobby Petrino's resignation after just 13 games.

To which we say: Embattled team owner Arthur Blank couldn't find a better solution to all that ails his franchise.

Parcells is apparently not coming back to coach - he retired after last season in Dallas, although Tuna's many incarnations as sideline boss means you can never fully discount the possibility of another return. But if he takes the top executive job, it could offer a viable cure to the team's myriad problems.

Parcells is not only a brilliant coach, but a terrific personnel man as well. He rebuilt the Jets in 1997 and in his only year as general manager in 2000 collected four first-round picks and helped coach Herman Edwards get the team to the playoffs in three of the next four years after Parcells and Groh left the team.

Parcells re-emerged in Dallas, and the decisions he made along with Jerry Jones are a major reason why this year's team is 12-2 and headed for a potential Super Bowl run. Wade Phillips has the luxury of coaching many of the players Parcells brought to Dallas - including linebacker DeMarcus Ware, center Andre Gurode, running back Marion Barber III and defensive lineman Chris Canty.