FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons will be without outside linebacker Bralen Trice as Organized Team Activities (OTAs) begin on Tuesday.
Trice is still recovering from the torn ACL he sustained last year. Head coach Raheem Morris said training camp would be a "realistic goal" for the second-year player.
"He is at the point where he's out there with our PT," Morris said. "I don't want to misstep with my words. He is with him most of the time. He's doing a couple things on the side. He's doing a lot of the running things. But definitely not at the 'full' category yet if we were doing some of those things. So, he's working his way back."
Last year, Trice prematurely exited the Falcons' preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins in the second quarter with a knee injury. He went down after rushing the passer on a third-down play and had to be assisted off the field by two athletic trainers. The Falcons placed him on season-ending injured reserve the following week.
The former third-round draft pick from the University of Washington had been earning substantial reps with both the first- and second-team defenses during training camp last summer. He was listed as the Falcons' backup outside linebacker in their first official depth chart, falling in behind Arnold Ebiketie, who's also back in Atlanta this year.
The Falcons invested heavily in their defense this offseason, particularly with the pass rush. Where Trice factors into the new-look defense will be a key storyline in training camp if he is able to make it back onto the field.
