Open practice count: 1 of 11 | See all dates
Most notable player: Kyle Pitts Sr. The tight end caught both of his passes from Penix during 11-on-11 work. He was also seen toward the end of practice working with his position coach, Kevin Koger, specifically on his blocking. Pitts is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so the former first-round draft pick needs a strong season — and he’s off to a strong start.
Say what now: “You’ll never find somebody more willing to be paid in all your life,” McGary said. McGary is entering the final year of his three-year contract but provided no update beyond that.
Song of the day: Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind (1997). The vibe was all over the place. This opened up the team period, though.
Roll call: Cornerback Kevin King, cornerback Cobee Bryant, inside linebacker Malik Verdon and defensive lineman LaCale London were not seen at practice. Inside linebacker Troy Andersen was also absent, but he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list before practice.
– Happy birthday to wide receiver Drake London. He caught one pass from Penix during the opening series of 11-on-11 work. From a distance, it looked like an impressive contested catch along the left sideline, over cornerback Keith Taylor.
– Penix completed six of his eight pass attempts during 11-on-11 work with the first-team offense. Cousins completed six of seven with the second-team offense. They ran five series, apiece, with their respective units. Quarterback Easton Stick ran the last series but did not throw a pass. He closed out the team period with a rather long run, though.
– The defense was constantly rotating players among the first- and second-team units during 11-on-11 work. Rookie edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. received a significant amount of reps with the starters, while veterans Arnold Ebiketie and Leonard Floyd were with the backups. Of course, that’s not set in stone, but it was noticeable early on.
– There were a good amount of drops during position drills, specifically when the quarterbacks threw to their wide receivers and Pitts. It’s not concerning right now, considering it was their first practice, but it needs get cleaned up sooner rather than later.
– Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III was spotted chatting with running backs coach Michael Pitre. It seemed as though they were going over footwork, perhaps juke moves. This isn’t newsy or anything, but it is always nice to see different position group members mix and mingle for the betterment of the overall team.
– Fans were all over the hill and could be heard throughout practice. They chanted “ATL” during position drills. And during 11-on-11 work, anytime running back Bijan Robinson touched the ball, they reacted with cheers. After catching his last pass from Penix, Robinson finished off his run with a wave to the crowd.
What’s next: The Falcons hold their second open practice Saturday at IBM Performance Field. Tickets are already sold out for fans.
Countdown to kickoff: There are 45 days until the Falcons’ Week 1 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | See full schedule
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