Falcons secondary play will require heart, mind and fists

The Falcons’ secondary plans to be ready to rumble under new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

“We are just slowly building it,” Falcons safety Jessie Bates III said. “The heart. He talks about the heart, the mind and the fists. We can’t really do the fist right now and be physical.

“We can show each that we are connected with each other in this room. Show our heart for each other and then our minds by understanding what the play calls are. Understanding, what can come off different plays.”

The defensive backs, with the rest of the team, are set to report for training camp Wednesday, and when the pads go on, they plan to be physical.

“The fists will come,” Bates promised. “We are going to be on fire. It’s going to be exciting.”

The fists are a metaphor for being physical.

Bates and cornerback A.J. Terrell are the anchors in the secondary.

“I love the defense,” Terrell said. “I love what Brick is bringing to the team. We are just playing fast. Everybody is in unison. Everybody can use each other for help. I know what the (defensive) line is doing. The (defensive) line knows what we are doing. I know what the backers are doing. Everybody is tight knit in this system, and it’s player led.”

Starting right cornerback Mike Hughes received a two-year, $18 million deal to re-sign after a solid season.

The Falcons drafted safety Xavier Watts in the third round (96th overall) of this year’s NFL draft out of Notre Dame and nickel back Billy Bowman in the fourth round (118th) out of Oklahoma. They have a chance to compete for open spots.

“Those guys are going to be great for our room,” Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray said. “We are trying to create more competition. Get our current players, playing better at a high level. Guess what, if that happens, they are going to make us better.”

Watts, 6-foot and 200 pounds, had a fine college career for the Fighting Irish, which included 13 interceptions.

“All he does is makes plays,” Gray said. “Solid guy.”

The Falcons did not re-sign Justin Simmons, who started opposite of Bates last season. Also, they let former second-round draft pick Richie Grant leave in free agency. He signed a modest one-year, $1.5 million deal with the 49ers.

“You have a complete guy,” Gray said of Watts. “When you look at him ... he had 13 interceptions in two years. He’s doing something right at a solid and high level.”

Watts is considered a unique safety with ball skills, versatility and instincts, according to Mike Rutenberg, the Falcons’ defensive pass-game coordinator.

Bowman, who’s 5-10 and 192 pounds, played safety in college. He’ll have to beat out Clark Phillips III and Dee Alford for the nickel back spot.

“They are going to play a lot of snaps,” Bates said of Watts and Bowman. “A lot of important snaps. We are not just going to baby them into it. (They have to) pick it up now. I have no doubt, they’ll have a lot of success this year.”

Bates spent a lot of time with Watts over the offseason in the organized team activities and the mandatory minicamp.

“I get to work with ‘X’ everyday. ... It comes easy for him, but it has to translate to the field,” Bates said. “We have to teach ‘X’ how to practice like a pro. He’s already a pro mentally. … I think he’s going to be a great player. I’m excited to lead him.”

The Falcons plan to improve their coverage and get more turnovers. The Falcons had only 12 interceptions, which ranked 17th in the league last season. The defense gave up 224.5 yards passing per game, which ranked 22nd in the league.

“My goal is to be the best on this team,” Bates said. “All of the All-Pro, Pro Bowl and all that stuff will come when we win. I truly believe that. That’s not a focus of mine. … I think the team goal means a little bit more at this point.”

Opposing quarterbacks had a 105.8 passer rating when throwing at Hughes, who gave up three touchdowns and missed seven tackles.

“I know I can play a lot better,” Hughes said. “I think I had a decent year. I want to build off of it. I want to get my hands on more balls, get some actual interceptions and help create turnovers. That would help bring us some wins.”

Hughes, a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2018, started a career-high 15 games last season.

“We are a lot younger,” Hughes said. “I see a lot of guys are hungry. We’ve got a lot to prove.”