Notes and quotes as the Atlanta Falcons turn the page on OTAs and mandatory eyeball minicamp

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons held their final OTA practice Thursday at IBM Performance Field and now turn their attention to mandatory minicamp, which will take place June 10-12.

Atlanta, led by two new additions, head coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Kirk Cousins, held its first day of the offseason on April 2, completed rookie minicamp May 10–12, and hosted nine OTA sessions from May 13 to June 6.

Now armed with a full team and significant time spent both on the practice fields and in the meeting rooms, Morris and the staff have a better understanding of where they stand as they enter minicamp.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest storylines so far from Flowery Branch.

Morris Posant Foundation

There was nothing really wrong with the Falcons’ culture under former head coach Arthur Smith, and Morris isn’t necessarily trying to start over, especially with the organization’s people-oriented mentality.

But Morris’ energy was noticeable among both returning players and staff members. He lights up the rooms and never misses an opportunity to tell a joke; Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said Morris could be a comedian if he wanted to be.

Yet Morris looks serious when necessary. He is trying to change the style, technique and method of operation of the old team until now, and he believes that considerable progress has been made throughout the spring and into the first part of the summer.

Cousins, entering his 13th professional season and third with a new organization, agrees with Morris.

“I feel really good about our progress over the last nine or 10 weeks as a team,” Cousins ​​said Monday. “We’ve covered a lot of football, a lot of facilities, and there’s still a lot to do. But it’s just about building continuity, getting familiar with the teammates, with the program, with the coaches, it’s that’s what it was about, and we definitely took those steps.”

Healthy, impressive cousins

From the very first full group meeting of the offseason, Cousins ​​established himself as a leader.

He gave a presentation to the entire room, then had lunch with the offensive line on opening day. Before rookie minicamp, he took tight end Kyle Pitts and receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney to Tampa, Fla., for a meeting with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden.

Through his vast array of dad jokes, movie quotes and on-field intentionality, Cousins ​​generated respect inside the Atlanta building. He’s been sharp during drills and his chemistry with the new weapons group is noticeable.

Health-wise, Cousins ​​has been close to, if not entirely, at full potential. He said there were a few plays where his competitiveness sparked a rush, which coaches advised against, but he did it all from a throwing perspective that Atlanta was hoping to see.

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At the start of OTAs, Morris said he wasn’t concerned about Cousins ​​participating in OTAs because he wouldn’t have people around his feet in the pocket, something that could change in camp training.

But for now, all signs are favorable for Cousins ​​in Atlanta.

“It’s no surprise that he’s had so much success in this league for so long, given the way he goes about his business,” quarterbacks coach TJ Yates said. “You hear the term ‘pro’ pro’ all the time – he is the definition of a professional. Everything he does, how he carries himself, everything has a purpose.”

Penix Points + Rookie Ratings

The Falcons attracted a lot of outside attention when they selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. 8th overall in April’s draft, and Penix’s first month in his non-contact redshirt was certainly closely watched.

Penix, 24, has been as expected: his arm strength stands out, his accuracy has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride and his leadership and willingness to learn have been praised by coaches.

Essentially, it’s been a good start for Penix, while many others in the rookie class have been largely status quo throughout.

Third-round running back Bralen Trice and fourth-round defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus didn’t spend much time working defensively with the first two teams. A pair of defensive tackles in second-rounder Ruke Orhorhoro and sixth-rounder Zion Logue saw second-team snaps, while fifth-round linebacker JD Bertrand tried his hand at first-team snaps last week.

Perhaps the Falcons’ most impressive signing so far has been sixth-round receiver Casey Washington, who moved from third- and fourth-string offense early in camp to first- and second-team middle .

Washington and Penix have already formed solid chemistry on the field, and the former has been a favorite target of the latter during seven-on-seven drills. Atlanta may be considering a scenario in which it carries six receivers – London, Mooney, Washington , special teams veteran KhaDarel Hodge and slots Ray-Ray McCloud and Rondale Moore.

Either way, the story of Atlanta’s rookie class is Penix’s development — and so far, Morris is happy.

“I love what he’s become,” Morris said of Penix. “It’s really special when you talk about a rookie who grows and develops and knows what he should do, what he could do, even after the fact, with his self-corrections.”

Position battles

Atlanta has spent much of the player rotation in OTAs, and the coaches insist (rightly) that little has been decided — but there are certainly some positions that are shaping up to be hotly contested over the course. training camp and preseason.

Among the starting positions, the race to become the Falcons’ No. 2 cornerback opposite AJ Terrell is notable. Clark Phillips III and Mike Hughes are the two top competitors, and Phillips appears to have the edge early, but that could carry over into training camp.

There’s also a question mark at slot receiver, where McCloud and Moore each worked with the first-team offense. McCloud spent two years with Falcons wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Moore missed some OTAs with a hamstring injury, giving McCloud a length in advance.

Elsewhere, Atlanta has a battle brewing at No. 4 safety behind Jessie Bates III, DeMarcco Hellams and Richie Grant, with several challengers fighting for the spot. Micah Abernathy, Tre Tarpley III and Dane Cruikshank are the three highest-profile candidates to win the job and a roster spot.

Absents and returnees

The Falcons spent OTAs without each of their two stalwarts at the defensive tackle position, as Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata never took the field. Jarrett is still recovering from surgery after tearing his ACL in Week 8 last year, while Onyemata simply opted out of the voluntary game.

Sixth-round rookie running back Jase McClellan also has not played for Atlanta this summer as he battles an undisclosed injury during the pre-draft process.

The Falcons are nevertheless healthy enough to enter mandatory minicamp. Several players who missed all or most of last season due to injuries, including linebacker Troy Andersen and running back and return specialist Avery Williams, have been full participants thus far.

Star running back Bijan Robinson returned to practice June 3 after missing more than a month with a sprained left ankle.

And so, the Falcons expect a near-complete game for minicamp, the last chance to make an impression on Morris and company before summer break and the schedule moves closer to training camp.

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