Cousins, rookies and injuries: 5 takeaways as Falcons wrap minicamp

The reality is that Cousins doesn’t have any options. The Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers, meaning the one franchise with a gaping hole at the position is no longer in need. Perhaps an injury occurs or a team is dissatisfied with its situation during training camp, but that’s not guaranteed. There’s a very real scenario where Cousins, in his age 37 season, is stuck behind Michael Penix Jr.

“Michael is going to do great; he’s going to have a great career,” Cousins said of Penix. “He’s off to a great start. He has all the tangibles and intangibles you need to be successful. I’m just here to support him as he needs it. But I also don’t need to be in his ear so much that I’m another voice. I just want to be as supportive as I can, and he knows that.”

Almost all players on hand

Otherwise, the Falcons had nearly perfect attendance, the exception being new defensive lineman Morgan Fox (excused for personal reasons).

“I’m excited about where we are in the offseason,” coach Raheem Morris said. When it comes to this time of the year, no holdouts or unexpected absences are welcomed news.

High hopes remain for the offense

There’s hope the Falcons will have an elite offense — not a good or great one, but a unit that ranks among the NFL’s creme de la creme. Penix’s development is paramount to that aspiration, and the skill players around him can accelerate his growth. Here’s how Penix spoke glowingly about running back Bijan Robinson, who has the ceiling of an All-Pro in 2025.

“It’s crazy. I don’t even know how to explain it,” Penix said. “If he touched the ball every play and the defense knew every play, he’d still make big-time plays. He’s just that guy. He’s that guy when you go to a little-league game, there’s one kid who stands out who never gets tackled. He scores every time he touches the ball. That’s him in the NFL, so think about that. He does unreal stuff I’ve never even seen. He’s a special player, and as many times as we can get the ball in his hands, we’re going to do it.”

As for towering receiver Drake London, Penix assured he won’t be underrated after next season. “I ain’t going to talk too much; it’ll show,” Penix said. It’s the portion of the calendar for hype, but London, still just 23, has the makings of a top 10 receiver.

A couple of injuries, including Kyle Pitts

Tight end Kyle Pitts is sidelined still by a foot injury. It’s a pivotal year for the highest drafted tight end in history, because he’s playing on an expiring contract. It seems like it would be an upset if he extended here, though never rule anything out (including a trade before the season, as reports have indicated that’s a possible outcome). Pitts has underwhelmed since his rookie season and has only 10 career touchdowns despite his size of 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds and his athletic ability.

“Kyle is a big-time matchup problem,” Morris said. But much of that is theoretical rather than practical. This is the most important season of Pitts’ career.

“He’s become more of a complete tight end, so to speak,” Morris said. “It’s just that it’s always hard to accomplish the goals that everybody else wants for him. Some of that pressure that lives in his chest is really accumulated by himself and us. And by ‘us’ I mean the media, given how high he was drafted and projected.

“We’re very critical of a guy who had about 700 yards receiving and however many receptions because of the spot he got drafted in. And rightfully so. That’s some of the pressure we all put on ourselves. But we’re pleased with what he can do when he gets back and pleased on working with him throughout the process.”

Tackle Kaleb McGary has been limited by an undisclosed injury, which Morris described as “extreme caution,” as he has with Pitts’ ailment. “We feel really good about where he is and where we’re going,” Morris added. That’s crucial, as McGary will be protecting the left-handed Penix’s blindside. He’s scheduled for free agency next spring, so another career-best season would be ideal for all parties.

Youth focal point still for defense

Morris has expressed belief continuously that the team’s defensive rookies will be immediate contributors. That’s a given for the first-round edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., who will have every opportunity to turn around this moribund pass rush. And while this period of the offseason is more about education, it’s evident both players live up to their lofty athletic billings.

Morris said of Walker: “When you drafted him, you talked about his versatility, his ability to rush. There’s no secret we were in the mode of finding pass rush for our team, different versions of it. Just so happened we got a Georgia Bulldog to come in here and help us do those things.

“He’s shown us exactly what he showed us on his college tape. The human, the character, the person, the player, the all-in mentality; he has those captain-like traits. When you first meet him, you get that feel from him. He’ll be one of those guys that you can tell is going to lead us in the future.”

Morris reiterated the team’s intention to rely on Walker, Pearce and rookie defensive backs Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. This is an important time for them to learn and begin to understand their places in Jeff Ulbrich’s defense.

“You have the intentionality of playing these guys for a bunch of different reasons,” Morris said. “They’re really good players. They’re really sharp. They’re really detailed. We’ll get into the categories of who’s starting, who’s doing these things. But I think the most important thing is how are they contributing, what their role is going to be, and have a real clear-cut role for those guys. And let them go out there and earn it — you never want to give anybody anything in our profession — and getting those guys on the grass and letting them stack these blocks as we go.”