FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons caught a break on the second day of training camp with an overcast sky Friday.
It was smoking hot at the field Thursday. The team is working toward their first padded practice Tuesday.
Here are five things we learned Friday morning:
1. Smith returned: Falcons tight end Lee Smith was at practice. He served a short stint on the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list.
“It was good to have Lee back out there,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “We’ll just keep working through all of these different protocols.”
Falcons outside linebacker Dante Fowler, defensive tackle John Atkins, outside linebacker Kobe Jones and center Willie Wright remain on the list.
2. Expectations are high for Pitts: Falcons owner Arthur Blank has high expectations for prized rookie tight end Kyle Pitts, who was selected with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
“I think there are lot of things you have to like about Kyle Pitts beyond his athletic ability and what he’s done over the years in proving himself,” Blank said. “He’s got a lot of humility. He’s a very good listener. A very good learner.”
Pitts will be counted on to contribute immediately.
“I think he’s going to be a great team leader,” Blank said. “I think he’s going to perform very well on the field.”
The Falcons will test Pitts’ versatility.
“The fact that we can use him in multiple ways, I think very much fits coach (Arthur) Smith’s offensive play design,” Blank said. “I’m not sure where you’ll find him. You probably won’t find him at quarterback. That maybe the only position he won’t be playing. Looking forward to seeing Kyle on the field and playing.”
3. Ogundeji shined in one-on-one drill: Rookie outside linebacker Adetokunbo Ogundeji had several good rushes in the one-on-one blocking drills rushing from the left side and the right side.
4. Returners: Cordarrelle Patterson, Chris Rowland and Avery Williams were back deep returning kickoffs during the special-teams period.
5. Grant has big play: Second round pick Richie Grant had a nice play in one-on-one coverage drills. Tight end Ryan Becker caught a pass, and Grant was in tight enough coverage to punch the ball out for a fumble.
“That was good to see from Richie today,” Smith said.
Check back later for stories from the practice on AJC.COM.
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