Cover 9@9: Falcons’ J.J. Arcega-Whiteside ‘this past year has been crazy’

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (83) catches a ball during OTAs at the Atlanta Falcons Training Camp, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (83) catches a ball during OTAs at the Atlanta Falcons Training Camp, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

1. The no-spin zone: While the Eagles and Seahawks gave up on wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, he didn’t give up on his dream to continue playing football in the NFL.

Despite the rejection of two franchises, the former standout at Stanford and second-round pick (57th overall in 2019 by Philadelphia) continued to work out and stayed to prepare for an opportunity.

Whiteside caught 16 passes for 290 yards and a touchdowns in 40 career games with the Eagles, who tried to turn him in to a tight end. He was on Seattle’s practice squad last season.

The Falcons invited Arcega-Whiteside, who had 135 catches for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns at Stanford (2015-18), to the rookie minicamp as a tryout player.

“I got the tryout call,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “I just put my best foot forward and said just do your best and whatever happens, happens. One week later, they called me back. It just like all right, pack up and go.”

Arcega-Whiteside hadn’t given up on a career in the NFL.

“It was just one of those things, where it’s like never give up,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “I was waiting for the call, and if I would have said that call is not coming, I’m going to stop working out, I’m going to stop preparing, you know, I would not have been ready when I did get the call.”

Things went well for Arcega-Whiteside at the rookie minicamp.

“I was ready for it,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “After the tryout, I was like this is definitely a place where I want to be. I was really, really glad that I got that call.”

Arcega-Whiteside was just happy to be back out on a football field.

“Man, it was unreal,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “I’d spent four or five months not hearing anything. Just waiting next to the phone. ... You get doubts sometimes. It’s like, is that phone call ever going to happen? I’m just going to keep working, but I didn’t know if that phone call was every going to come.”

2. Look back at Philadelphia: Arcega-Whiteside has no hard feelings toward the Eagles’ organization and was fine that they tried to convert him to tight end before his release.

“It was a change, and I’m always up for a challenge,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “I was excited to do whatever the team needed for me to do.”

Things did not go so well.

“We just starting seeing that it was not going to work out for me there,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “They were great communicators in terms of like, ‘Hey let’s get you somewhere else because we don’t want you just to hang around and not doing anything.’ We ended on really good terms.”

Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

3. Pit stop in Seattle: Arcega-Whiteside was on Seattle’s practice squad from Aug. 31 to Nov. 1 last season.

“You move across the country and move back to your position,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “Now, that I’m talking about it, this past year has been crazy. It’s probably been about a year (from) when I got that call from Philly about moving to tight end.”

How did he make it through the tumultuous change?

“Just keep your head down because good things are going to happen,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “Bad things are going to happen. But you keep going, keeping your head down, eventually you’re going to get what you deserve. … They definitely got some good things going on up there (in Seattle), but I’m excited to be here.”

It did cross Arcega-Whiteside’s mind that he’d have to consider a future without football.

“I’ve got my degree,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “I (made) a couple of business acquisitions, but more than anything it’s football. Every day that I wake up, it’s my family and then it’s football.”

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3B. The Bow Tie Chronicles: We’re taking an offseason break, but we’ll be back after the mandatory minicamp to help wrap up the Falcons’ offseason later this month. Thanks for listening!

4. Falcons revamping their WR group: The Falcons are revamping their wide receiver group, which is led by Drake London. Olamide Zaccheaus and Damiere Byrd left in free agency to join the Eagles and Panthers, respectively. The Falcons did not select a wide receiver in the draft.

They signed Mack Hollins and Scotty Miller in free agency, KhaDarel Hodge re-signed, and Frank Darby returns.

The Falcons also have Justin Marshall, Slade Bolden, Josh Ali, Keilahn Harris and Xavier Malone.

“He’s still a hungry guy who comes in and works every day no matter what the situation is,” Falcons wide receivers coach T.J. Yates said of Arcega-Whiteside. “Again, He’s another bigger, stronger guy. A veteran guy who’s got a lot of experience. He’s played a lot of football. So again, he’s another guy that we can add in to the mix and raise our level of competition in the room. He’s done a great job so far, coming in and being a pro.”

The players have welcomed Arcega-Whiteside, who at 6-foot-2 and 237 pounds fits the Falcons’ profile of a big rugged player.

“Any kind of questions that I have, they are more inclined to answer any kind of work that I need. They are more than happy to tell me how it gets done,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “The whole receiver group in general, it’s not a group where its like ‘oh you have to figure it out.’ It’s like we are all trying to get better together and create that core group of people that’s going to go out there and battle.”

Arcega-Whiteside, 27, is trying to be ready accept any role with the Falcons.

“Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do it,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “Special teams, blocking, tackling, catching, yards or touchdowns. Whatever they need me to do. … That’s the beauty of the OTAs. I wish I could have been here a lot earlier so I could build chemistry earlier with these guys, but I’m glad that I’m here now.

“That’s the biggest thing now, them learning how I am as a player and me learning how they are as player. Just keep improving and going forward every day.”

4B. Bergeron signed: Former Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron signed a four-year, $8.9 million deal Tuesday.

The Falcons traded up in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft to select Bergeron 38th overall. He played tackle at Syracuse, but is being converted to guard by the Falcons.

With the signing of Bergeron all of the team’s draft picks are now signed.

Bergeron has been getting used to his position switch.

“It’s definitely faster,” Bergeron said. “Everything happens, everything is on top of you. When you’re at tackle, in pass set you’ve got maybe three kicks before things start happening. At guard, everything is happening right now. Guys take one step and they are on you. You have to be faster with our hands and faster with your feet. It’s definitely an adjustment.”

Bergeron is expected to contend for the starting left guard spot that was a revolving door last season. Matt Hennessy has stepped forward as his main competitor.

5. PFF ranking trashed. The folks in our poll didn’t buy Pro Football Focus ranking the Falcons’ 26th roster in the league.

6. Mandatory minicamp. The rules for the mandatory minicamp next week include work for 10 hours a day. Physicals are scheduled for Monday, but no practice. Practices will be held June 13-15.

The rules allow two practices totaling 3.5 hours on the field per day. The second practice is limited to walk-through activities only.

Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

7. Camp Grady: Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is set to host his eighth annual “Grady Gives Weekend” from Thursday through Saturday in Buford and Rockdale County.

The golf tournament will be held to raise funds and support initiatives such as literacy awareness, anti-bullying, pediatric cancer research and young adults finding their purpose in life.

Grady Jarrett’s 8th Annual Celebrity TopGolf Tournament will be held from 6-9 p.m. Thursday at Top Golf Buford.

A football combine for high school students will be held Friday at Rockdale County High School. The performance data and images will be given to the athletes to enhance their college applications and sports portfolios.

Jarrett was an underrecruited player, and this is his way of giving back.

Elementary, middle, and high school athletes will be taught life skills by emphasizing the importance of discipline, hard work, and dedication Saturday at Rockdale County High.

Registration is required for the combine and the life-skills sessions at www.gradyjarrett.com/events.

8. Injury report: Here are the players who ended the season on injured reserve – running back Caleb Huntley (ruptured Achilles), tight ends Kyle Pitts (knee surgery) and John FitzPatrick (feet), guards Jalen Mayfield (back) and Justin Shaffer (high ankle sprain) and defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham (knee).

FitzPatrick and Shaffer are back in action. Huntley is rehabbing. Pitts is expected back by training camp.

Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

9. Updated depth chart: Veteran cornerback Breon Borders, who has played with six NFL teams, signed with the Falcons on Monday.

Cornerback Jamal Peters was released from the 90-man roster to make room for Borders, who played in one game for the Bears last season.

Peters, who played at Mississippi State, signed a reserve/futures contract Jan. 9.

The 6-foot, 189-pound Borders has also played with the Bills (2017), Jaguars (2018-19), Commanders (2019, Titans (2020-21), Cardinals (2021) and the Bears (2022).

Borders made five starts for Titans in 2020. His only other NFL start was in 2019 with the Jaguars.

Here’s a look at the updated depth chart after the Borders signing:

OFFENSE

QB – Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Logan Woodside, Austin Aune

RB – Tyler Allgeier, Bijan Robinson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Avery Williams, *Caleb Huntley, Carlos Washington Jr.

FB – Keith Smith, Clint Ratkovich

WR – Drake London, KhaDarel Hodge, Frank Darby, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Justin Marshall

TE – *Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, Parker Hesse, Feleipe Franks, *John FitzPatrick, Tucker Fisk

LT – Jake Matthews, Barry Wesley

LG – Kyle Hinton, Matt Hennessy, *Jalen Mayfield, *Justin Shaffer, Matthew Bergeron

C – Drew Dalman, Ryan Neuzil, Jonotthan Harrison, Jovaughn Gwyn

RG – Chris Lindstrom, Jovaughn Gwyn

RT – Kaleb McGary, Tyler Vrabel, Joshua Miles, Ethan Greenidge

WR – Mack Hollins, Scotty Miller, Slade Bolden, Josh Ali, Keilahn Harris, Xavier Malone

DEFENSE

OLB – Lorenzo Carter, Bud Dupree, DeAngelo Malone

DE – Grady Jarrett, Timothy Horne, LaCale London

NT – Eddie Goldman, *Ta’Quon Graham, Jalen Dalton

DE – David Onyemata, Joe Gaziano, Ikenna Enechukwu

OLB – Calais Campbell, Ade Ogundeji, Arnold Ebiketie, Zach Harrison

ILB – Kaden Elliss, Dorian Etheridge, Tae Davis, Andre Smith Jr.

ILB – Troy Andersen, Mykal Walker, Nate Landman, Mike Jones Jr.

CB – A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, Clark Phillips III, Breon Borders, Natrone Brooks

FS – Jessie Bates III, Jaylinn Hawkins, Micah Abernathy, Lukas Denis

SS – Richie Grant, DeMarcco Hellams, Clifford Chattman

CB – Jeff Okudah, Cornell Armstrong, Tre Flowers, Dee Alford, Darren Hall

NB – Mike Hughes, Clark Phillips III

SPECIAL TEAMS

K – Younghoe Koo

P/H – Bradley Pinion

LS – Liam McCullough

PR – Avery Williams

KOR – Cordarrelle Patterson or Avery Williams

Note: Players who ended the season on injured reserve have an asterisk.

The Bow Tie Chronicles