FLOWERY BRANCH – With the Falcons set to report for training on July 30, it's time to start the countdown to training camp.
Each morning leading up to the start of training camp, we’ll take a look at one of the position groups.
We’ll start out by looking at the wide receivers today. The group has been the strength of the team led by Julio Jones, Roddy White and Harry Douglas. But Douglas was released in a salary cap move this offseason and he was quickly signed by Tennessee.
The Falcons have an opening for the third wide receiver spot. They signed Leonard Hankerson and drafted Justin Hardy to compete for that opening. The Falcons also have special teams stalwarts in Devin Hester and Eric Weems.
Speedsters Freddie Martino and Bernard Reedy return after getting some seasoning on the practice squad last season and shouldn't be quickly dismissed.
Here's a look at the group:
Marquez Clark, Central Oklahoma, 5-11, 190: Earned All-America honors in 2013 after setting school records with 82 receptions and 1,348 receiving yards. He earned Southwest Junior College Football Conference Player of the Year honors and was a first-team All-America selection as a sophomore at Navarro Junior College before transferring to UCO. Clark is a native of Texarkana, Texas and attended Liberty-Eylau High School.
Leonard Hankerson, Miami, 6-2, 211: Hankerson, 26, was signed to a one-year contract in free agency after playing four seasons in Washington, where he caught a career-high 57 passes in 2012 under new Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. He will compete to earn the top spot behind former Pro Bowl wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White. Hankerson, who was slowed by a hip injury as a rookie in 2011, battled to come back from knee surgery last season.
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Justin Hardy, East Carolina, 5-11, 192: He set the record for most career receptions in FBS history last season. Hardy played in 63 games for the Pirates and finished his career with 387 catches for 4,541 yards and 35 touchdowns. He broke the record against Tulane last season in a 34-6 victory. He moved past the previous record of 349 set by Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles in 2011. Hardy had only a Division II scholarship offer in high school before ending up at East Carolina as a preferred walk-on. He signed with Fayetteville State, but was given a release to walk-on at ECU. He spent his first season on the scout team before earning a scholarship a year later and quickly earning a lead role in the pass-heavy offense.
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Devin Hester, Miami, 5-11, 190: He caught 38 passes for 504 yards and two touchdowns last season. He remains one of the top returners in the league.
Julio Jones, Alabama, 6-3, 220: Set to enter the final year of his rookie contract and make $10.176 million. He was dazzling last season as he caught 104 passes for 1,593 yards (15.3 per catch) and six touchdowns. The team wants to lock Jones down for the future, but have not started contract talks yet.
Freddie Martino, North Greenville, 6-0, 195: He spent the first five weeks of the season on the Falcons practice squad. He played in one game before being released and re-signed to the practice squad. Martino was a four-year starter for the Crusaders where he caught 296 passes for 3,766 yards, and 26 touchdowns was promoted to the active roster.
Carlton Mitchell, South Florida, 6-3, 215: He was originally selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round (177th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft out of South Florida. Mitchell played in 16 games for the Browns and made three catches for 31 yards last season. He knows the offense after playing under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan last season.
Bernard Reedy, Toledo, 5-9, 175: He was signed by the Falcons as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Toledo on May 12, 2014. He had 195 receptions for 2,743 yards with 23 touchdowns in four seasons for the Rockets. He was one of the star of the 2014 offseason. He's extremely fast and was kept around on the practice squad.
Eric Weems, Bethune-Cookman, 5-9, 195: He caught 10 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns last seasons. He main contributions were on the special teams units. He signed a two-year contract in March. Weems, who went to the Pro Bowl as a special teams player after the 2010 season, led the team in special teams' tackles with 13.
Roddy White, Alabama-Birmingham, 6-0, 211:
A four-time Pro Bowler and holder of all of the team’s key
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
receiving records, is not worried about his role being diminished in the new offense. White, 33, a first-round pick in 2005, has 765 receptions for 10,357 yards and 62 touchdowns, all team records. Last season, White had 125 targets and made 80 catches for 921 yards and seven touchdowns.
Nick Williams, Connecticut, 5-10, 184: Originally signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2013 NFL draft. He played in five games as a receiver and returner during his rookie campaign in 2013. Williams played in 42 games at Connecticut where he caught 43 passes for 588 yards and two touchdowns. He set a school record for career kickoff return yards (2,045) and ranks second in yards per return (25.9). Additionally, Williams is the only player in UConn history with at least two kickoff returns and two punt returns for touchdowns in a career.
TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE: The Falcons will hold their training camp at the team's headquarters for the 11th consecutive year and will have select practices open to the public from July 31 – August 19.
On Friday, August 7, the Falcons will hold their “Friday Night Lights” controlled scrimmage at Buford High School.
Here’s the training camp schedule:
Friday, July 31 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Saturday, August 1 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Sunday, August 2 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Monday, August 3 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Tuesday, August 4 – Players’ Day Off (No Media Availability)
Wednesday, August 5 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Thursday, August 6 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Friday, August 7 – “Friday Night Lights” (Buford High School – open to the public)
Saturday, August 8 – Players’ Day Off (No Media Availability)
Sunday, August 9 – Practice 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (open to the public)
Monday, August 10 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Tuesday, August 11 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Wednesday, August 12 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Thursday, August 13 – Practice 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (open to the public)
Friday, August 14 – Falcons vs. Tennessee Titans, Georgia Dome, 7:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, August 15 – Players’ Day Off (No Media Availability)
Sunday, August 16 – Walkthrough (closed to the public)
Monday, August 17 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Tuesday, August 18 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Wednesday, August 19 – Practice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
TRANSACTIONS: Here's a list of the Falcons transactions since Quinn was hired on Feb. 2.:
06/18/2015 -- Signed WR Carlton Mitchell; Waived WR Shane Wynn
06/15/2015 -- Released OT Sam Baker
06/02/2015 -- Signed LB Boris Anyama
05/30/2015 -- Signed G Chris Chester; Waived LB Derrick Malone Jr.
05/29/2015 -- Waived LB Prince Shembo
05/14/2015 -- Signed T Tyler Polumbus
05/13/2015 -- Waived OT Cody Clay
05/11/2015 -- Signed DE Sam Meredith
05/10/2015 -- Signed T Matt Huffer and DB Jonathon Mincy; waived DT Chris Brown, CB Jordan Ozerities, and WR Joshua Stangby
05/06/2015 -- Agreed to terms with North Texas LB Derek Akunne, Tarleton State DT Chris Brown, Central Oklahoma WR Marquez Clark, Azusa Pacific University OL Cody Clay, Louisville S Terell Floyd, Northern Arizona TE Beau Gardner, Wisconsin DT Warren Herring, Fort Valley State CB Mike Lee, Cincinnati T Eric Lefeld, Oregon LB Derrick Malone, Houston DT Joey Mbu, Central Florida CB Jordan Ozerities, Florida Atlantic S Damian Parms, Ottawa University WR Joshua Stangby, Auburn S Robenson Therezie, New Mexico State C Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, Oregon State RB Terron Ward, Texas Christian CB Kevin White, and Indiana WR Shane Wynn.
05/04/2015 -- Signed FB Collin Mooney
05/03/2015 -- Waived TE Kyle Miller
05/02/2015 -- Selected ECU WR Justin Hardy with the No. 107 overall pick; Selected Clemson DT Grady Jarrett with the No. 137 overall pick; Selected Eastern Washington OT Jake Rodgers with the No. 225 overall pick; Selected San Jose State CB Akeem King with the No. 249 overall pick
05/01/2015 -- Selected LSU CB Jalen Collins with the No. 42 overall pick; Selected Indiana RB Tevin Coleman with the No. 73 overall pick
05/01/2015 -- Waived S Brandon Bishop, OL Reid Fragel, CB Jordan Mabin, LB/DE Jacques Smith and RB Ronnie Wingo
04/30/2015 -- Drafted Clemson DE Vic Beasley Jr. with No. 8 overall selection in 2015 Draft
04/02/2015 -- Waived S Zeke Motta
03/19/2015 -- Signed TE Tony Moeaki
03/19/2015 -- Signed TE Jacob Tamme
03/18/2015 -- Re-signed DE Kroy Biermann; Signed OL Jared Smith
03/12/2015 -- Agreed to terms with LB O'Brien Schofield
03/12/2015 -- Agreed to terms with DE Adrian Clayborn and CB Phillip Adams
03/11/2015 -- Signed WR Leonard Hankerson
03/10/2015 -- Agreed to terms with LB Justin Durant, LB Brooks Reed, G Mike Person and RB Antone Smith
03/10/2015 -- Signed QB TJ Yates to contract extension
03/07/2015 -- Signed WR Eric Weems to contract extension
03/05/2015 -- Signed S Charles Godfrey to contract extension
02/27/2015 -- Waived DE Jonathan Massaquoi
02/27/2015 -- Released G Justin Blalock
02/27/2015 -- Released WR Harry Douglas
02/26/2015 -- Released RB Steven Jackson
02/25/2015 -- Signed K Matt Bryant to contract extension
02/24/2015 -- Signed DL Cliff Matthews and FB Patrick DiMarco to contract extensions; Signed free-agent WR Nick Williams
02/13/2015 --Signed LB Allen Bradford
02/02/2015 -- Hired Dan Quinn as club's 16th head coach
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