The Atlanta Falcons are back in the business of football, and as training camp opened Thursday morning, it was clear that fans are excited about a team that went to the Super Bowl after the 2016 season.
More than 1,000 fans are at the first practice, in which players are not wearing pads. They’ll take on full armor for Saturday morning’s session.
Here’s a look-in at what’s going on at Flowery Branch:
# With fans spread out across the hill overlooking practice fields, the Falcons broke into position groups for early work. For the most part, it was all about fundamentals like footwork, lining up in the right place, some simple receiving drills and pass rushers working against padded dummies held by coaches and assistants.
# Before practice began, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn appeared on 92.9 “The Game” FM, and when asked to cite players who’d made the most progress in the offseason through workouts, etc., he cited wide receiver Mohamed Sanu and right tackle Ryan Schraeder on offense, and linebacker Deion Jones and safety Keanu Neal on defense.
# Rookie defensive end Takk McKinley, the Falcons’ first-round draft choice, is to be limited early in training camp as he works his way back from shoulder surgery. He looked pretty spry in early drills, though, back-pedaling in drills for defensive ends to fall into pass coverage. He didn’t exactly look like wide receiver Julio Jones catching the ball, yet McKinley appeared comfortable in picking off footballs.
# After group drills, the team worked 11-on-11 on field goals. The rush was soft, obviously, and snaps and kicks were crisp.
# When the Falcons went offense vs. defense in passing drills, Ben Garland was working at right guard with the first unit, and Wes Schweitzer with the second unit. Rookie Sean Harlow, a fourth-round draft choice out of Oregon State, drew snaps with the second unit at right guard.
# All quarterbacks, NFL MVP Matt Ryan included, struggled early to complete passes as timing appeared to be off with wide receivers.
# Practice lasted about one hour, 45 minutes, although some players broke off afterward into position groups to get in a little more work.
# Quinn was pleased, yet acknowledged that the Falcons have rough edges. “We’ve got a really clear vision of how we’d like our team to look come September,” he said. “We’ve got a hell of a long way to go to to that spot, but today was a good first day.”
# Wide receiver Julio Jones (foot), McKinley (shoulder) and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (lower legs) were limited and will gradually work into full particiation.
# Pro Bowl center Alex Mack was asked if he’d lost any jewelry in a lake, as Jones did recently when an expensive bauble came off while he was riding a jet ski in Lake Lanier. “I have yet to lose my $100,000 earrings,” said Mack, who is gull go after suffering a fibula injury in the NFC Championship Game against the Packers. “If I go jet-skiing, I now know what to do.” Keep an eye out for more on this sometimes humorous topic as the AJC’s Jeff Schultz will elaborate.
# McKinley is eager to get busier. “I’m going as hard as possible. That’s how I played with the shoulder for two years, [but] I’ve got to take it slow. Don’t want any setbacks … Met the doctor last week and met the coaches. They told me we’re going to take it slow, just slowly progressing. Whatever the coaches want me to do, I’ll do. It felt good. It’s good to be back, good to be back to football.”
# Running back Tevin Coleman said, “It’s really hot. You’ve got to keep hydrating and keep your mind off of it.”
# Defensive tackle Dontari Poe, signed to a one-year deal laced with incentives likes Atlanta’s defensive approach, suggesting that the style he was asked to play in Kansas City was more mellow. “K.C. was a different style of game. This is faster moving, and [coaches] let the D-linemen get up the field and play,” he said. “It’s different, but at the same time it’s football. I’m just playing.” Poe said he anticipates playing time at both tackle spots.
# Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu intimated that he knows nothing about Jones’ lost earring, and suggested that the wide receivers pick each other up, buoying one another’s spirits in tough times. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just in camp. I haven’t heard about. What happened?” he said. “We just play off each other, roll off each other, give each other energy when we see someone who’s not having a good day or somebody’s not in the best mood. We’ve got a tight group.”
