FLOWERY BRANCH — Communication has been a big theme for the Atlanta Falcons as they have moved through their offseason Organized Team Activities (OTAs) over the past three weeks.
The Falcons conducted their last open OTA on Tuesday at the Falcons Complex and head coach Dan Quinn, quarterback Matt Ryan, and wide receiver Julio Jones all said the team is much further ahead at this point than at this time last year.
They will hold their final OTA on Thursday in a session that is not open to the media or fans. They will conduct their annual three-day mini-camp beginning next Tuesday that will be open to the public.
“(Communication) is definitely something we all talked about as we moved forward this year,” Quinn said. “We feel much better about where we’re at right now than this time last year. But that’s all part of growing stage in just our second year together.”
Ryan said the addition of veteran center Alex Mack, whom Atlanta signed from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason as a free agent, has helped everyone progress at a quicker pace.
“He’s a pro and he knows this system and he has been a tremendous asset for us, no doubt,” Ryan said. “He has brought athleticism, knowledge, and stability to the position, which has helped us be able to progress at a quicker pace. He has that ability to communicate to everyone on the offense, especially on the line, about where they should be. It has been great having him here.”
Both Ryan and Jones, however, are working for the first time without star receiver and long-time Falcon Roddy White, who was released by Atlanta in the offseason.
“I miss him, but we all know it’s a business,” Jones said. “He taught me a lot and now it’s my turn as the veteran guy to teach what he taught me to the younger guys. It’s all about communication. That’s what we’ve been stressing the whole offseason.”
With that in mind, here is what can be taken away from Tuesday’s OTA session:
Youth -- The Falcons opened the day by waiving former UGA LB Josh Dawson and signing free agent DE Nordly Capi and free agent OL Michael Huey. That put their current roster at 89 players. The interesting thing is that the Falcons appear to be going younger as they currently have 25 rookies in camp, almost a third of the roster.
“We’re bringing in guys and giving them a look to see if they can help us,” Quinn said. “We’re putting them out there with the main starters to see what they can do. There are a few guys that have shown some promise.”
Rookie linebacker Deion Jones (2016 2nd-round pick, LSU) has been working more with the front-line defensive starters and knocked down a Ryan pass during drills. He was mobbed by the defensive unit after the play and was given a pat on the back by Ryan after the series.
First-round pick Keanu Neal (strong safety, Florida) also worked with the first team and handled himself nicely against Jones and free-agent wide receiver signee Mohamed Sanu.
Rookie defensive tackle Cory Johnson (2016 college free agent, Kentucky) showed plenty of speed in drills, as did fourth-round pick De’Vondre Campbell (LB, Minnesota), who has gotten some snaps with the first unit.
While the kicking game still seems in capable hands with 15-year veteran Matt Bryant, rookie kicker Nick Rose (CFA, Texas) looked good booting 8-of-10 field goals from a variety of distances, including hitting 1-of-2 from beyond 50-yards in a heavy wind. Both misses were by less than a yard as the wind pushed both to the right.
Speed -- The Falcons have made a point since Quinn took over as head coach last season that “we need to be fast to the ball” on defense and “explosive” on offense.
It was on display Tuesday.
Second-year running backs Tevin Coleman and Terron Ward took most of the snaps and showed tremendous speed to the outside in what Quinn hopes will be a improved ground attack under second-year offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. No. 1 back Devonta Freeman was held out of practice Tuesday as a precaution after a minor muscle pull.
“I thought we did a good job of getting the guys to the edge and they showed they have the speed to get there,” Quinn said. “Devonta could have gone but we decided to give him a day of rest. They say good things happen to those who run and that has been a top priority for us in the offseason.”
Twice during 7-on-7 drills the offense under Ryan would have scored touchdowns. The first came on a simple toss-sweep left that Coleman found a seam around end and had clear sailing. The second was on an out-route to Sanu, who juked one defender and then outraced three others down the sideline.
However, the defense against the second-unit offense showed off its speed on the edge with Vic Beasley and Akeem King blowing up several running plays and King knocking down a Matt Schaub pass. Beasley was working with both the linebacker and defensive line groups. He is expected to see time at both positions as they try to find a way to utilize his speed more.
After practice Mack and fifth-year linebacker Patrick Dimarco were running 40-yard sprints. Mack was holding his own.
“Alex is an amazing athlete,” Ryan said. “He brings the size you need in the middle but he has speed like a smaller guy. That is really making a difference for us.”
Return game -- With legendary returner Devin Hester still out with an injury, both Coleman and Ward took turns returning kicks and showed explosiveness. Coleman found a seam on one return that would have been a big gainer and perhaps a touchdown. It was an unproductive area last year for the Falcons.
2-minute (and redzone) offense -- Quinn and Ryan both said “finishing” is an area they are putting a lot of effort into in the early offseason.
“That is definitely an area we recognized we needed to improve on,” Quinn said. “We’re putting them in different situations to see how they respond.”
On the final play of the day Schaub connected with fourth-year tight end Levine Toilolo on a 30-plus-yard pass for a touchdown.
“That was a good way to finish it, I thought,” Quinn said.
Jones said coming into the second season Shanahan was open to hearing from his star players to see what they can take advantage of. Jones also said assistant head coach, and former defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, has been instrumental in helping the offense move forward in Year 2.
“We sat down with Kyle and offered some things we thought we could take advantage of as an offense and he was very open to anything that would make us better,” Jones said. “Raheem has been very valuable because he sees things others don’t and has helped us find ways to attack defenses. It’s a team effort here.”