FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons held their second and final open practice for mandatory minicamp Wednesday, and it produced even more low-key vibes than Tuesday.
Practice followed a very similar cadence in that there was a closed jog-through before media was allowed along the sidelines for about 40 minutes of individual drills and 11-on-11 work. This time, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris used the term "young-guy period" to describe the closing session dedicated to developmental players.
Much like Tuesday, there's not much to report out of this casual approach for the end of the Falcons' overall offseason program. The highlight of 11-on-11 work came on the very first play, when cornerback Lamar Jackson intercepted quarterback Emory Jones' pass intended for wide receiver Nick Nash. It was a deep shot toward the left sideline.
Jones, just like Tuesday, took all the reps behind center, as quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins and Easton Stick mingled among teammates. Penix remained close to the action, while Cousins primarily hung out a few steps further back with the starting offensive linemen. Didn't note where Stick was.
The defense rotated a lot of the same bodies as Tuesday. Rookie edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. were noticeably getting after Jones a good bit. The hope is that aggressiveness will later translate against starters.
Other notes and observations:
-- Attendance: The same five players from Tuesday were missing from practice Wednesday, according to my roll call. They are wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge, tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., cornerback Kevin King, inside linebacker Troy Andersen, outside linebacker Bralen Trice, right tackle Kaleb McGary, defensive lineman David Onyemata and defensive lineman Morgan fox.
Morris said Tuesday that Fox is the only excused absence due to a personal reason.
Trice's timeline has already been set for training camp, so no surprise there.
Pitts and McGary have been lumped together in the same “extremely cautious” category with undisclosed injuries. The others may also fall into that but have not been specifically named. King, for example, was present – seen watching secondary drills – but not in uniform.
-- Shenanigans: The wide receivers took a turn tossing the rock Wednesday. All of them attempted throwing the football multiple times from the 20-yard line into red buckets placed set up in opposite corners of the end zone. None of them made it.
Ray-Ray McCloud III was the first to come close, nicking the right bucket. Quincy Skinner Jr. (I think I saw the No. 36 reacting among the crowd) did the same on the left. Drake London actually knocked over the left one, too.
Even offensive coordinator Zac Robinson shot his shot, but missed.
As all this unfolded, the quarterbacks watched in obvious delight.
-- Goodbye: The Falcons now have a five-week break before returning to the facility for training camp in late July. An official report date has yet to be announced.
Morris said every player on the 90-man roster has already either met with himself or other another staff member to discuss maintenance and preparation plans. That ideally included connecting a player with someone who has been in his position before.
"As a coach, it's a different break than it is for a player in how they prepare for when they come back," Morris said. "Who's better to tell a guy like Michael Penix what he did throughout his career than a Matt Ryan? … And then you got some players on our roster or some coaches on our roster that played like a Lance Schulters, like a Jeff Ulbrich. What was their routine? What was their rhythm? What does Jake Matthews do? Because whatever he's doing, I want to do. Just all those types of things.
"That's kind of the most important thing, trying to match these guys up so they have some type of rhythm and relief, knowing this is not a break for them. This is a get-ready moment. This is a get-ready period. You have to take a small break. You have to enjoy family. But there's a certain part of it that you got to be ready to go when you get back."
More coverage from offseason program:
