Kevin Stefanski on Falcons rookie minicamp: ‘Goal is to learn our system’
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski opened his remarks at Friday’s rookie minicamp by saying his thoughts were with A.J. and Avieon Terrell’s family after their aunt Giselle Perry was killed in a car crash Thursday.
The brothers had shared tributes to their “loving and caring” aunt on Instagram.
“They put out their statements, and I want to respect their privacy, but they know that myself and this entire organization is with them through all this,” he said.
Here’s what else we learned from his remarks:
The Falcons were set for three practices over the course of three days, including two walk-throughs Friday and Saturday. The focus will be more on 7-on-7 periods. “Get some meaningful snaps for all these players, but we won’t lose sight of the individual periods that are so important,” he said. “We’ll talk about the fundamentals and the techniques, then have a couple of 7-on-7 periods and special teams.”
The rookies’ mission this weekend: “Your goal is to learn our system — our systems, when you include special teams — get to know your teammates and coaches, and everything else will take care of itself.”
Rookies Avieon Terrell and defensive tackle Anterio Thompson (No. 208 overall) are at the facility but won’t participate in drills this weekend.
Stefanski expressed an openness to starting rookies: “Everybody has the opportunity to earn a starting role.” He noted that every team is reliant on rookies in the modern NFL. Asked specifically about starting Terrell, the coach stressed the same point — he’ll have the chance to become a starter.
Zachariah Branch, the team’s third-round choice from Georgia, profiles as a slot receiver because of his size. Stefanski said he believes he has inside-outside versatility, and he’s eager to see Branch expand beyond the role he served in Athens.
“We’re excited because we know what he’s capable of, but also you can push and see what other things (rookies) are capable of doing,” he said. “That can come over the course of time, it might not just be this weekend.”
There will be ample opportunity for Branch. The Falcons receiver group is one of the weakest in the league on paper. And the team will need immediate impact from Branch, who should be an explosive weapon underneath for whoever starts at quarterback, either Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
