FALCONS / FROM THE FIELD TO THE LOCKER ROOM
FLOWERY BRANCH — Thursday was a good day for the Falcons’ defensive line.
Training camp isn’t full contact. Pads aren’t on yet. The offense is figuring things out. But the defensive line had some success, showing that early returns on the Falcons’ offseason D-line spending spree are good.
The defensive line’s quality has been enough that coach Arthur Smith isn’t blowing the whistle when a sack would have occurred.
“I let a play go that (rookie defensive end Zach Harrison) would have sacked him,” Smith said. “But I let (quarterback) Logan (Woodside) keep going and complete the ball so we can get some work on coverage. … I walked over to him and I said, ‘Zach, I gotcha. That’s a sack.’”
Smith said the defensive line feels different this year and called those reps “encouraging.” Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is one of the few players who has remained the same, but he’s still at the center of the changes.
Jarrett is entering his ninth season with the team. The Falcons’ pass rush has struggled in recent years, largely because of a lack of productivity around him. Opposing lines have focused on Jarrett, double- and occasionally triple-teaming him. The Falcons wrote $66 million worth of contracts this offseason to help the defensive front, signing defensive end Calais Campbell (one year, $7 million), defensive tackle David Onyemata (four years, $35 million) and linebackers Bud Dupree (one year, $2.5 million plus incentives) and Kaden Elliss (three years, $21.5 million).
“It’s been good having some new talent around,” Jarrett said, before acknowledging this wasn’t a knock on his old teammates. " … I think Falcons fans (are) definitely in (for) a treat, for not just myself, but from guys all across the defense, across the offense. Man, they did a good job bringing some nice players in.”
Like Smith, he sees a difference this year.
“We’ve definitely got a great demeanor right now, and the work ethic,” Jarrett said. “Once you have the right mindset, you’re headed in the right direction. But to have the skill, the presence, the body size and the experience that we have up front is definitely something that is going to help us a lot.”
The size stands out. Campbell is 6-foot-8, 307 pounds. Onyemata is 6-4, 300. Jarrett said he never had played with someone the size of Campbell, and he’s excited for it.
The signings won’t just help on the field. Jarrett previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the signings would “take a load off my plate from a leadership standpoint.” He emphasized that Thursday.
“It has been good having other vets around that’s had different experiences because I get to learn from them as well,” Jarrett said. “I think that’s probably the main difference (in) not being the oldest guy in the (group). … As far as the whole team, we’ve got guys on (offense and defense) who have played a lot of football. I can’t be everywhere at once. One person can’t be everywhere at once. So it’s good to have a leader in each (group) to be the voice for whatever unit they are charged for.”
Jarrett said he’s learned from the new faces, specifically referencing their videotapes, their thought processes and little things they do in drills. He said he’s always trying to grow and likened learning from others to any other industry, not just pro football.
That doesn’t mean Jarrett is not still the leader among the defensive linemen. Jarrett has been a captain since 2020, and he’s expected to be one again this year.
The Falcons won’t put on pads until Monday, meaning there’s only so much the defensive line can do. Jarrett is excited for what his group will do when that day comes.
“It’s going to be clean, but it’s going to be raw, though,” Jarrett said. “I don’t forecast no BS, or nothing like that. But iron sharpens iron.”
-Staff writer D. Orlando Ledbetter contributed to this article.
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