FLOWERY BRANCH – The offseason officially ends for the Falcons as they start their offseason training program today.
Here are five things to know about the Falcons this week:
1. Pumping iron: The Falcons "voluntary" nine-week offseason program starts today where the players will start getting into shape for the 2016 season. During phase one, which consists of the first two weeks of the program, the players are limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only.
2. Pre-draft chat: Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn will be available on Thursday to discuss the upcoming draft, which is set for April 28-30 in Chicago.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
3. Cheer preliminary auditions: The Atlanta Falcons cheerleader preliminary auditions are set for Sunday at the Georgia Dome with registration opening at 7:45 a.m. The auditions begin at 9:30 a.m. The finals will be held on Wednesday, April 27.
4. Visiting the Falcons: Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland was set to visit the Falcons on Sunday and Monday. We have to confirm that visit went off as a planned. Here's a list of players the Falcons have had contact with leading up to the draft, according to walterfootball.com.
- Brandon Allen, QB, Arkansas
- Jack Allen, C, Michigan State
- Stephen Anderson, WR, California
- Danny Anthrop, WR, Purdue
- Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
- Sterling Bailey, DE/3-4DE, Georgia
- Alex Balducci, DT, Oregon
- Karnorris Benson, WR, Western Carolina
- Moritz Wilhelm Boehringer, WR, Germany
- Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
- Jake Brendel, C, UCLA
- Kevin Byard, S, Middle Tennessee
- De'Vondre Campbell, OLB, Minnesota
- Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
- Fahn Cooper, OT, Ole Miss
- Su'a Cravens, OLB, USC
- Joe Dahl, G/OT, Washington State
- KJ Dillon, SS, West Virginia
- Kenyan Drake, RB, Alabama
- Leonard Floyd, OLB/3-4OLB, Georgia
- Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
- Darion Griswold, TE, Arkansas State
- Javon Hargrave, DT, South Carolina State
- Joel Heath, DT, Michigan State
- Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford
- Tyrone Holmes, DE, Montana
- Austin Hooper, TE, Stanford
- Germain Ifedi, OT, Texas A&M
- Matt Ioannidis, DT, Temple
- Myles Jack, OLB, UCLA
- Jordan Jenkins, OLB/3-4OLB, Georgia
- Deion Jones, OLB, LSU
- Bronson Kaufusi, DE/3-4DE, Brigham Young
- Shaq Lawson, DE/3-4OLB, Clemson
- Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State
- Antonio Longino, ILB, Arizona State
- Lene Maiava, OT/G, Arizona
- Blake Martinez, ILB, Stanford
- Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State
- Victor Ochi, OLB, Stony Brook
- Joshua Perry, OLB, Ohio State
- Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama
- Luke Rhodes, ILB, William & Mary
- Mike Rose, DE, NC State
- Jake Rudock, QB, Michigan
- Steven Scheu, TE, Vanderbilt
- Hunter Sharp, WR, Utah State
- Justin Simmons, FS, Boston College
- Terrance Smith, OLB/ILB, Florida State
- Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana
- Lawrence Thomas, DT, Michigan State
- Destiny Vaeao, DT, Washington State
- Nick Vannett, TE, Ohio State
- Nick Vigil, ILB, Utah State
- DeAndre Washington, RB, Texas Tech
- Josh Woodrum, QB, Liberty
5. Could the Falcons select offense? The Falcons will put the final touches on their draft board this week. With the mega-trade between the Rams and Titans, the Falcons are virtually certain to have a strong defensive player available when they select with the 17th pick overall. The have heavily scouted linebackers, safeties and tight ends for the draft. They are also looking to add an interior offensive linemen. Sirius NFL radio analysts Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan, on their Moving the Chains show, had the Falcons select Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin with their first round pick.
LATEST ON THE FALCONS
Falcons set offseason training schedule
Falcons 61 draft picks under GM Thomas Dimitroff
Falcons could wear all-Red uniforms for a game next season
Touchback rule has Quinn plotting strategy
FREE AGENCY STORIES
Falcons' Dan Quinn loyal to Shanahan, staff, amid heat
Linebacker Jerrell Freeman won't be joining Falcons
Weatherspoon hopes to revive career, where it started
Falcons agree to five-year deal with center Alex Mack
Mohamed Sanu: 'I'm not trying to fill anybody's shoes'
Alabama defensive tackles (A'Shawn and Jarran) are NFL-ready
Falcons defensive line coach Bryan Cox gets into shoving match at NFL combine
Floyd, Jenkins are stellar NFL prospects
Firm helps NFL prospects prepare for newfound wealth -- 7 financial pitfalls they'll face
Ex-Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins has met with the Falcons
Clemson's Shaq Lawson interviewed with the Falcons
Nkemdiche has uphill battle to improve NFL draft status
Nkemdiche would love to play for the Falcons
14 questions with Georgia Tech standout Adam Gotsis
Falcons checking out interior linemen at the combine
18 questions with Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff
Quinn still evaluating the roster -- Nothing new on Roddy White
7 players the Falcons are watching at the combine
13 questions with Falcons coach Dan Quinn
5 questions with Duke punter Will Monday (Flowery Branch High)
26 State prospects hope to make impact at NFL combine
Synthetic turf chosen for Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Dimitroff, Quinn have activated the '100-day' plan
Stay or go: Pick Falcons' offense
Falcons owner Arthur Blank vows to fight cancer, move on Super Bowl bid
Falcons released safety William Moore, linebacker Justin Durant
About the Author
