The Falcons are set to hold 11 open practices for the fans, so the public can begin watching the Falcons, including two joint practices with the Titans.
Last season, the Falcons did not have any open practices at their facilities, as renovations were underway.
Here are some interesting items to know about Falcons training camp:
Capacity has been reached for the first three practices Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Open practices also will be held July 29 and 31, and Aug. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13. The first nine practices will start at 9:30 a.m. The two practices with the Titans will start at 9:40 a.m. on Aug. 12 and 13.
Fans must register to get free tickets for Falcons open practices. Also, fans can review important entry information, parking and guidelines for attending.
Gates open: The gates will open at 8:30 a.m. each day.
Daily updates: Fans can opt in to Falcons SMS by texting “JOIN” to 61484 to receive alerts directly to your phone, and follow @AtlantaFalcons on X for updates. Please note, practice times are subject to change. If practice needs to move indoors because of inclement weather or extreme heat, practice will become closed to the public.
Eats: Food and beverages are available for purchase.
Hydrate: It gets hot up on that hill. Hydrate with water. Leave your brown liquor at home.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Hot seat
Jeff Ulbrich: Ulbrich, who was with the Falcons from 2015 to 2020, will be on the hot seat to quickly fix a retooled defense.
As soon as Jimmy Lake was fired, attention shifted to Ulbrich, who finished his tenure with the New York Jets as their interim head coach. About the only question was if he’d go to San Francisco. When Robert Saleh, former Jets head coach, took the 49ers’ defensive coordinator post, Ulbrich was headed to the Falcons.
There was a lot of interest in the job, as Steve Wilks, Matt Eberflus, Lou Anarumo, Grady Brown, Don “Wink” Martindale and Derrick Ansley interviewed for the position. Was Ulbrich the best candidate for the job or just connected to Morris from the previous regime?
Eberflus (Cowboys), Anarumo (Colts), Wilks (Jets) all landed defensive coordinator spots with other teams. Brown went to the Saints as their cornerback coach.
Martindale landed at Michigan as its new defensive coordinator. Ansley stayed with the Packers as their defensive pass-game coordinator.
The Falcons gave Ulbrich veteran outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, defensive tackle Morgan Fox and linebacker Divine Deablo in free agency. In the draft, the Falcons added four more players, including outside linebackers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. and safeties Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr.
We’ll get to see if Ulbrich can blend all of the new pieces along with safety Jessie Bates III, cornerback A.J. Terrell, tackle David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss into a fierce unit.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
X-factor
Michael Penix Jr. Expectations are high for the Falcons new quarterback. Columnist Michael Cunningham laid out what’s all at stake.
No longer the backup, Penix opens training camp as QB1.
Penix had a busy offseason as held a youth camp and had a street named after him in his hometown.
Mailbag
Question: Will they let Watts start alongside Bates? I know he is a rookie, but he won’t learn sitting …
Any thoughts?
— Joe St. Louis Jr.
Answer: Yes, I think so. They have Jordan Fuller, a veteran if Watts picks things up slowly. Jessie Bates likes him.
Fantasy world
When is your draft? How many leagues will you join?
Is Bijan Robinson a good No. 1 overall pick? When do you take Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase? How long do you wait for Brock Bowers?
What Las Vegas is saying
Viva Las Vegas!
We’re not advocating on how to spend your cash, but the 7.5 over/under on wins for (BetMGM.com) the Falcons seems low. Nick Hennion of BetMGM is advising to take the under. Vic Tafur of The Athletic also went with the under.
If both are correct, that would mean eight consecutive losing seasons for the Dirty Birds.
The over/under for Bijan Robinson’s rushing yards (1,150.5) and touchdowns (10.5) appears enticing.
He rushed for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.
BTW, the Falcons are 66-to-1 to win the Super Bowl by betonline.ag.
Next game up
The Falcons will open the exhibition season when they host the Detroit Lions at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Jerseygate?
Are you all cool with Jalon Walker wearing No. 11? Is it disrespectful to the great Julio Jones?
We’ll check in with Julio. In the meantime shoot us an email at dledbetter@ajc.com and let us know how you feel.
Quote of the Day
“Me and him, just giving each other so many tips. Just feeding of the knowledge from each other on the field. We worked for a whole month. I got to see how he worked. He got to see how I worked. We got to put in together. It was really cool.”
— Falcons running back Bijan Robinson on working out for a month with 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Training camp preview
You’ve been busy following the Braves, Dream, Atlanta United and the smooth moves of the Hawks, but now you have to get ready for the best season of all.
NFL football in the No. 1 sport across the nation.
Here’s the position-by-position preview that will help you get ready for training camp:
- Quarterbacks: Michael Penix Jr. ready to take the reins
- Running backs: With Robinson and Allgeier, do Falcons have one of league’s best backfields?
- Offensive line: Chris Lindstrom heads up rugged O-line, a strength of the team
- Wide receivers/tight ends: Falcons hoping to unlock the various skills of Kyle Pitts
- Defensive line: Falcons D-line plans to throw haymakers ‘like Mike Tyson’
- Inside/outside linebackers: Can rookies Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr. improve Falcons’ dormant pass rush?
- Secondary: Falcons secondary play will require heart, mind and fists
- Special teams: Falcons’ Koo faces competition after 2024 regression
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