The Falcons were in pads Wednesday for the first time in training camp.
Here are five things we learned as they went for an hour in pads before taking them off for the last 40 minutes of practice:
1. Left guard: James Carpenter and Jamon Brown got off to slow starts in the one-on-one drills and in the 11-on-11 drills. Both were signed as free agents and appear to be competing for the starting spot.
2. Lindstrom is solid: Rookie Chris Lindstrom was impressive. Center Alex Mack has been helping him through practices. He is solid and held up much better than Carpenter against the quickness and power of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Pencil him into the starting lineup for now. Was told to wait about week on right tackle Kaleb McGary.
3. Ishmael to safety: With the loss of J.J. Wilcox (torn right ACL), the Falcons moved Kemal Ishmael back to safety. He started his career as a safety, but was moved to linebacker two seasons ago. He's been a core contributor on special teams.
4. Foreign exchange program: Tight end Alex Gray, the Falcons' foreign exemption player, has made great strides. He caught a nice pass up the right sideline during the padded portion of practice.
5. Beasley watch: Defensive end Vic Beasley is working hard on his pass-rush moves. He won several one-on-one battles and kept moving after initial contact.
Check back later to AJC.com for more Falcons coverage.
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