Notes and observations from the second day of Atlanta Falcons AT&T Training Camp.
Will McFadden
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. Jack Strand is studying simply how unpredictable the NFL might be.
The night time earlier than the beginning of his first coaching camp apply, the undrafted rookie bought a name from Falcons quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt informing him that he’d deal with the overwhelming majority of reps at quarterback throughout full-team drills the subsequent day. With Tua Tagovailoa nursing a minor damage to begin camp, Michael Penix Jr. not but cleared for 11-on-11 work and Cooper Rush signed simply earlier than apply began, Strand discovered himself operating with the starters on Day 1.
“I didn’t think about it too much,” Strand mentioned after Thursday’s apply. “I’m coming into training camp and everything just trying to take it day by day. Keep attacking every day. Keep getting better every day. Whether I’m getting a bunch of reps or I’m not getting as many reps. Whatever reps that I do get, whether it’s in Indy, whether it’s in RVA, whether it’s in team, anything, I’m just going to try to attack those reps and try to keep getting with those. And then also from watching the guys around me.”
Despite the bizarre circumstances to begin his coaching camp journey, Strand says his method is not going to change. Tagovailoa returned to the sector on Thursday for some mild throwing throughout particular person durations, and that alone might be an indication that Strand’s flip with the starters in full-team durations is nearing its finish. Therefore, it is sensible for Strand to remain level-headed and never get swept away by the second, but it surely’s a very good reminder that each participant on an NFL roster must be prepared at a second’s discover.
“This is the NFL,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski mentioned. “You cannot predict what’s coming. I don’t have a crystal ball. I tell the coaches this every year: There’s stuff coming that you can’t predict, and you take it for what it is. You’ve got to trust in the people around you and understand that this is just how it goes.”
A extremely completed quarterback at Minnesota State-Moorhead, Strand completed his faculty profession with the Tenth-most passing yards in Division-II historical past. In 42 video games, Strand threw for 13,161 yards with 126 landing passes. At 6-foot-5 and 240 kilos, Strand has an NFL-caliber arm and appears the half behind heart.
Strand has already had fairly the begin to his skilled journey, however there is a lengthy preseason forward and many extra work to return. Throughout all of it, the undrafted rookie out of a D-II faculty is concentrated on staying the course.
“That’s something that I’ve been telling myself a ton: Be where your feet are. Enjoy the moment,” Strand mentioned. “Don’t look in the past, don’t dwell on any mistakes or any success that you might have had. Don’t look to the future and wonder what’s going to be happening in two weeks, in three weeks, in a couple of months or anything. Just be where your feet are.”
Notes and observations from apply:
Like Wednesday, Thursday’s apply was pretty temporary, however there was a very good little bit of full-team motion to concentrate on. Here’s what I noticed.
Tua Tagovailoa practices for first time:After lacking the primary apply of coaching camp with what head coach Kevin Stefanski described as a minor damage, Tagovailoa was again on the apply area tossing the ball round for Day 2. It was a lightweight day of labor for the veteran quarterback, who threw a handful of passes throughout particular person drills and did nothing within the group durations. That he threw the ball in any respect ought to be taken as a constructive signal and that he’ll “be back shortly” as Stefanski put it Wednesday.
Rest day for Michael Penix Jr.:Penix was on the sector and throwing for Day 1 of camp, though he has nonetheless but to be cleared for participation in 11-on-11 durations. Thursday, nevertheless, was a scheduled relaxation day for the third-year quarterback, so he was not among the many quarterbacks throwing in apply. No trigger for concern on that entrance, although.
Position battle pecking orders:It’s nonetheless too early in camp to find out the place the true camp battles are going down, however there are a couple of positions we have been already protecting an in depth eye on coming into camp. Kind of like a tropical storm watch, if you’ll. On Thursday, I paid particular consideration to the huge receivers, cornerbacks, inside linebackers and operating backs to get a baseline concept of the pecking order.
At receiver, Jahan Dotson is operating with the starters as anticipated. The identical might be mentioned of Olamide Zaccheaus and Zachariah Branch, though they’ve been rotated out and in at a good clip. Chris Blair and Dylan Drummond look like the subsequent guys within the combine, which is smart given their expertise.
At cornerback, final yr’s starters on the skin stay in place to date with A.J. Terrell and Mike Hughes getting the full-team work. Newcomer Sydney Brown has performed nickel with the starters at occasions, and A.J. Woods was in that position as properly on Thursday. Clark Phillips III and C.J. Henderson have been the second-team corners with rookie Avieon Terrell becoming a member of the motion after them. Darnay Holmes rotated into the slot after Brown and Woods.
At linebacker, two clear duos have emerged. Divine Deablo and Christian Harris have been operating collectively as first-team linebackers since OTAs, and that is held true to date in camp. Behind them, rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. are constructing their chemistry in the course of Atlanta’s protection. Given the variety of new faces at inside linebacker, it is a place group to look at all through the preseason.
Finally, that brings us to operating again. We know who the highest two on the depth chart are at that place, so the principle query turns into who, if anybody, is the third operating again to begin the season. Tyler Goodson, Nathan Carter and rookie Cash Jones are the candidates, and the rotation between all three has been wholesome. It looks like anybody can seize this position, which ought to make for a compelling preseason from the operating again room. Each participant brings one thing completely different to the desk as properly, so it will likely be fascinating to see which is greatest fitted to this offense.
A very good day for Cameron Thomas:In an offseason that featured a whole lot of roster strikes, it feels as if Thomas has slipped by means of the cracks a bit. The former San Diego State standout might show to be a high quality pickup if he continues to play the way in which he did on Thursday. During the primary 11-on-11 interval of the apply, Thomas rotated in on the left finish spot following the starters and gave the offensive line loads to deal with. He constantly pushed the road of scrimmage and flushed quarterback Jack Strand out of the pocket on a well-executed stunt with defensive deal with Chris Williams. The spotlight of Thomas’ day was a heads-up scoop-and-score on a fumble restoration it was unclear precisely who fumbled on the play or the way it was brought about.
Rookie highlight:There was one second throughout the 11-on-11 interval that pitted second-round decide Avieon Terrell towards third-round decide Zachariah Branch. On the play, Branch went in movement throughout the offensive formation with Terrell trailing him in man protection. At the snap, Branch in the reduction of throughout Terrell’s face to the within, however the rookie nook was prepared and easily transitioned his weight to interrupt on the ball. The outcome was a clear cross breakup for Terrell, who confirmed why his short-area tenacity in protection is an enormous asset.
Highlights from the motion:
- After almost securing an interception on a deep cross yesterday, cornerback C.J. Henderson redeemed himself Thursday with a clean one-handed interception. The cross from Strand was behind his supposed receiver, permitting Henderson to pivot and are available away together with his first takeaway of camp.
- Dotson made an early play within the full-team interval that confirmed why he might be a superb complement for the opposite weapons on this offense. Starting on the left facet of the formation, Dotson ran a crosser route and quietly created separation towards Mike Hughes to catch the ball over the center with loads of room to choose up yardage after the catch. That’s been an space of the sector Atlanta has been seeking to assault extra constantly lately, and Dotson might be a participant who shines in that position.
- Strand made a very nice play that demonstrated his improvisational abilities on Thursday. After feeling some stress to his proper, Strand stepped up and out of the pocket to roll to his proper and purchase time. He then situated receiver Antwane Wells Jr. on the scramble drill downfield and made a pleasant cross on the run to hit him for an enormous play. Cornerback Clark Phillips III almost broke up the cross with a diving try that showcased his physique management, however he simply missed the ball.
- Safety Jessie Bates III almost got here up with an interception of his personal throughout a drill within the excessive pink zone. The play a fast slant to Kyle Pitts, which was tightly lined by the cornerback. Seeing the protection, Strand double-clutched the soccer earlier than letting it rip in Pitts’ course. That second of hesitation was all Bates wanted, nevertheless, and he stepped proper into the throwing lane.
- One of essentially the most entertaining moments of the apply additionally got here throughout that red-zone interval. Drake London caught a cross simply on the purpose line and a mini scrum of defenders shaped as London tried to push his approach into the tip zone. London seemingly broke the airplane after which high-kicked the ball out of the again of the tip zone in celebration.
- On his second day with the Falcons, Cooper Rush threw a pleasant cross to Blair on the left facet of the tip zone. It was the form of throw that solely the supposed receiver would have a shot at securing, and Blair rewarded the throw with an excellent higher catch. He laid out for the ball and managed to faucet each toes down in bounds to attain the landing.
- The day ended with push-ups from the offense. On a third-and-5 play that apparently carried greater stakes than the remainder, Strand related with Jones on a checkdown cross out of the backfield. The rookie operating again reduce upfield however was dominated wanting the first-down marker by a couple of yard, giving the offense an additional exercise as the ultimate horn sounded.
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