Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – The Atlanta Falcons were back on the training camp greens on Sunday. Matt Ryan was well into his multiple Pro Bowl and future Pro Football Hall of Fame career, the last time the Falcons came into training camp with the playoffs as an expected goal. Now retired and a studio analyst for CBS, Ryan and his twin sons walked around the sidelines during training camp on Sunday.
The cast of The Pivot podcast was also in Flowery Branch. A popular podcast that features former NFL players, former Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark is one of the show’s stars. Clark greeted Falcons head coach Raheem Morris with a bear hug and proceeded to walk on and off the field while a camera crew followed him and his co-hosts around the sidelines.
The energy around the Falcons’ training camp is different this season. Despite the fact that the fans are back following renovations to the training facility and field, the spotlight, at least one of the preseason spotlights, is on Atlanta.
The spotlight got brighter as a couple of what can best be described as skirmishes broke out during offensive/defensive run-throughs. Rookie defensive end James Pearce, Jr., a first-round pick who is expected to play immediately, was involved in both of those disturbances. One of those occasions was with offensive line mainstay Kaleb McGary. High temperatures in the air and on the field are to be expected when there are so many for a defense that finished in the bottom five in sacks last year. The offensive line, arguably, had the best season of all the Falcons’ position rooms last year. They have the right to be cocky. Veteran lineman Chris Lindstrom could be heard saying “First down” and “Kick some a&%” when the second string line was on the field and he and the starting unit were taking a break.
Fontenot complimented running back Tyler Allgeier and tight end Kyle Pitts for both coming into camp with positive attitudes about their places on this team.
Fontenot said, “We love where Kyle is right now,” and “Tyler is a four-down player.”
On the newly acquired linebacker, Divine Deablo, Fontenot spoke highly of his size and speed at the position, saying how excited the coaching staff is about adding him to the linebacker corps.
“This dude is a really good player,” Fontenot said. “We’re very excited about him. We feel really good not just at the linebacker position. We have some really good players.”
One of those presumed good players is second-year outside linebacker Bralen Trice. The 24-year-old former University of Washington standout and 2024 third-round pick missed his rookie year due to injury. Trice says he is “back to 100%” and credited his wife for keeping his spirits up during rehab and throughout the season. Trice can only add to the defensive players that the Falcons, Fontenot, Morris, and first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will use to end the playoff absence streak.
“We’re excited about where we are as a team,” Fontenot said.