FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons held their final full preseason practice Wednesday at IBM Performance Field.
Two players left prematurely.
Starting right tackle Kaleb McGary was carted off with what appeared to be a leg injury in between position drills and the first 11-on-11 period. A team spokesperson said McGary will get an MRI, and an update will come later. Offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson took first-team reps in McGary's absence, as backup Storm Norton is still out with a lower-body injury.
Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III also left practice during position drills but under his own power. McCloud missed Monday's practice due to an illness. No word has been provided on what happened Wednesday.
With those two issues addressed, let's get into other notes and observations from the last practice of training camp.
Open practice count: 14th open to media.
Most notable player: C.J. Henderson. The cornerback intercepted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. during an 11-on-11 period, jumping the route to pick off the pass. Henderson was working with the second-team defense at the time. He only signed with the Falcons last Thursday, did not play in that Friday's preseason game and made his practice debut Monday. So, the former first-round pick got comfortable fast if he's already causing a turnover. He said afterward, "I hope to keep building from that, but it felt good."
Say what now: "That's not up to me, but I'm going to make it undoubtedly known to myself and my peers where 33 stands," said defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. on whether he believes he'll make the 53-man roster. The NFL's cutdown deadline is Tuesday by 4 p.m. ET.
Song of the day: "Mask Off" by Future.
Roll call: Wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder), wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge ("tightness"), cornerback Clark Phillips III (rib), running back Carlos Washington Jr. (hamstring), inside linebacker Malik Verdon (Non-Football Injury list), inside linebacker Troy Andersen (Physically Unable to Perform list), offensive lineman Storm Norton (lower body) and defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham (calf).
General observations:
-- No quarterback stats this time. I missed too many plays while trying to learn more about what happened to McGary and didn't feel comfortable sharing only partial counts. Wrote down standout plays only, like Henderson's interception highlighted above.
-- Wide receiver Casey Washington had a very impressive catch along the right sideline, diving for a deep ball from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Cornerback Dee Alford was covering Washington.
-- Wide receiver Drake London also had a clutch jumping catch in traffic from Penix.
-- Wide receiver David Sills V caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins.
-- Despite being sidelined due to injuries, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and running back Carlos Washington Jr. were present at practice in street clothes.
-- Cornerback Keith Taylor, who missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, earned some reps with the first-team defense.
-- Edge rusher Khalid Kareem, who missed Monday's practice due to a groin injury, returned to full action Wednesday. He was seen taking reps with the second-team defense during 11-on-11.
-- Another edge rusher who has been dealing with a groin injury, Jalon Walker, increased his workload. He only participated in position drills Monday but joined back in 11-on-11 Wednesday. He was opposite Kareem with the second-team defense. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Walker will not play in the Falcons' preseason game Friday. That means he'll have sat out two of the three exhibition contests.
-- Morris also said edge rusher James Pearce Jr. will not play Friday. Pearce, however, played in the first two, so this will be his first time inactive in the preseason. "I'm really pleased with what he's been able to do in the preseason," Morris said.
-- Safety DeMarcco Hellams wore a yellow non-contact pinnie for the second consecutive practice. Morris said that's nothing to be concerned about. Just normal preseason beating and banging.
-- Veteran kicker Younghoe Koo made all four of his field-goal attempts, while rookie Lenny Krieg missed two of his four.
-- Wide receiver Jamal Agnew and running back Elijah Dotson were the Falcons' go-to kickoff returners during the special teams period.
What's next: The Falcons hit the road for their third and final preseason game, facing the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
Countdown to kickoff: There are 18 days until the Falcons' Week 1 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | See full schedule
