Here’s what Falcons coach Dan Quinn had to say after Sunday’s practice:
On how Alex Gray has done early on in camp:
"Alex Gray is off to a good start. He's got good speed. He's got length as a 6'5 guy for a tight end. The contact part we were anxious to see. He has had that in rugby, so the transition from rugby to football I would say may be easier in some respects than basketball or another sport. We are excited to see where he can go. He's a bright guy. He's a good competitor, and he's making improvement each day."
On the emphasis being on the ball:
"We never want that to leave our thoughts. One of our training camp objectives is to have the best turnover ratio in ball. We know that's a hell of a challenge. It's not just the offense taking care of it. It's not just the defense going after it. It's them training one another to make sure it's in our thoughts at all times. Good news is it's now the players going after it and talking about it in practice. Once that happens where the players are the ones leading the charge, which I love, that's when some of the really good results take place."
On what he has seen from Demontae Kazee so far:
"With Kazee, that was one of the things we admired about his game out of San Diego State. He played corner in college so now he's making the transition to play free safety. We like doing that with guys who are tough, who are good tacklers, but maybe aren't as long all the time. He's a fantastic model and a guy who has made that transition. Not only is Ricardo Allen such a good teammate to bring him along, but he also can talk about some of the nuances along the way in that transition from corner to safety. We're encouraged and we're anxious to see what he can do on special teams. We feel like that's a role for him as well."
On Vic Beasley's growth from last season to this season:
"With Beasley, there's oftentimes a big jump for a player from year one to year two. I think there's another one that takes place from year two to year three. You have to go through some experiences to understand 'How do I deal with this situation?', 'How does this technique work or not work?', and the call of the defense. 'What can I do in this call?' or 'What can't I do in that call?'. When you get to that spot and now you really start learning the smaller nuances of it. That's a lot of the smaller conversations that we have. For the early player, I really emphasize the stance and some of the basic fundamentals. As you get further along, we try to find new levels that you can go to. He's off to a good start so far."
On Jerry Glanville's defenses and his relationship with him:
"I had a good conversation with him about it. He said, 'I'd probably blitz a little more than you do coach'. Different styles and how to best feature the players in that time when you have guys that can man-to-man cover, play in that style, and play aggressively. That's a good style. That crew certainly embodied that. I think the toughness of that era and especially that defense sticks out to me."
On Mohamed Sanu's role as a deep ball threat this season:
"Oftentimes players at the same position will coach each other. In other words, put another set of eyes on them. I'm trying to really work this route today. While Raheem Morris may look at the whole picture, one of Sanu's teammates in drill work or as the next play goes and they can talk about that. 'Man, you really stuck your foot in the ground and went'. That's what we try to emphasize where you can watch the mentoring as it goes back and forth with one another. They have to know what you're specifically looking to improve upon and I'd imagine that was something Mohamed wanted Julio Jones included on. It's a good group of wide receivers. They're battling for it. All of them do have certain things to go on. Just like their strengths, you've got to train their weaknesses as well."
On whether it's tough to maintain his positive demeanor after a tough day or loss:
"Yeah, I think I am positive. I am demanding of them, the staff, and myself too. I definitely share disappointment when that happens or share in how much fun it is when we have a red zone period like we did today where it's competing and battling for it. Those are the moments that I try to really stay in and not look too far down the line or too far back. I really stay in those and enjoy those times. Once the problem comes up, it's 'Alright how are we going to solve this.' Then I go on to the next thing so I don't try to look too far back or look too far ahead, but I enjoy what I'm doing and spending time with the guys."
On whether a present-focused mindset was important for him in the offseason:
"Not for me more than others. It's just building the connection stronger amongst teammates. Now that you've been through a couple of years together and a number of them have been, you can see why their bond is so strong for one another. There were some examples of that yesterday between Deion Jones and Keanu Neal. They shared with the team just how strong it is and that's the connection we're looking for."
On Austin Hooper's development at the tight end position:
"We think there is a significant jump that can take place from year one to year two. We think there is another one that can take place from year two to year three. Hooper has made that transition this offseason. He's put in a great offseason. Coming back into camp, there are certain routes he wants to work on and certain things in the run game. We are trying to challenge him in those ways to say this is part of your game. Let's work like crazy at it and we're encouraged by where he's headed. He has great guys to go against and battle each day in practice. That's really the only way he's going to get better. We can talk about it here and set some goals, but you've got to put the work in and he's done that."
On whether he is happy with what he's seeing from players in the trenches:
"I was happy on the first day and looking back can we play really tough and be physical at the line of scrimmage with the run game and pass protection. Offensively, it's all 11 the way we come off the ball. That's the intent we're looking for so I'm always trying to keep that in mind. Defensive line-wise, it's all about penetration. When you can get that, that's when the disruption happens. If you can penetrate along the front, especially in the run game say about eight out of ten times, something good is going to happen for you if you can play that aggressive style. That's the constant battle back and forth that can now take place with the addition of pads into our game."
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