The Falcons became the first team in the NFL to get their entire draft class signed this season and it could eventually pay huge dividends.
Now that the contracts are signed, the rookies are able to solely focus on football and dive into their playbooks. This could be essential for Atlanta as several of them could be immediate impact players for Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff's team moving forward.
To to get each of the six players signed by rookie minicamp isn't a process that happens overnight, it's one that takes a lot of hard work involving several different members of the organization.
The 2016 Falcons rookies began to trickle in Thursday afternoon to be fitted for equipment as they reported for Friday and Saturday's minicamp
Equipment manager Kenny Osuwah measures the head of University of Georgia free agent Josh Dawson
Georgia Tech's Bryan Chamberlain laughs with teammates as he tries on gloves.
Sixth-round offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer tries on his helmet
Third-round tight end Austin Hooper tries to break in a pair of cleats before trying them on.
Fresno State offensive tackle Alex Fifita goes through final helmet checks
Arkansas State wide receiver JD McKissic waits in line
Stanford tight end Austin Hooper waits to try on gloves
South Carolina nose tackle Gerald Dixon Jr.
"It was a tremendous effort by Thomas [Dimitroff] and his staff to get the people in," Dave Archer said on 92.9 The Game Friday morning. "And then all of the money people, Nick Polk all of the guys that did the salary cap and handle the money. Mr. Blank obviously, he's the guy writing the checks. Now everyone is under contract and you don't have to worry about it."
Not only is the ability for these young athletes to get on the grass with the coaches and fellow teammates important, but it's the bonding that takes off the football field that can prove to be the most valuable part of it all.
"There's no question that the chemistry of the team is huge," Archer added. "Keanu Neal will be there for all of the OTAs and all of that kind of stuff, that's when the team building process starts. You're in there sweating in the locker room or the weight room. You're joking around or going to lunch together, that's when the bond begins to take place. That's when [Desmond] Trufant and those guys see his work ethic and see how hard he's trying to pour himself into the playbook. Then there's the conversations that say, 'hey, these are some of things that happened during the season,' they'll be watching film together. All of that process begins now. It's really cool that the Falcons have got these guys signed.
"Deion Jones and all of those guys will be in those different meeting rooms with those different position players, that bond begins. The team building process begins now."
