1. LB Reed Takes the Field Noticeably Slimmer and Faster
Brooks Reed's first campaign with the Falcons was one filled with injuries that hampered the impact he was able to make on Atlanta's defense.
The linebacker took it upon himself to get healthy and get faster this offseason, and his head coach took notice.
"The quickness jumped out to me," Quinn said of Reed. "It started all the way back in his offseason preparation when I saw him doing drill work. You can tell he worked extremely hard through this offseason to put his best foot forward. We are also moving him some to the LEO spot, so all of that versatility will pay off. He's off to a great start, he looks great."
2. S Allen Taking Command of Falcons' Defense
This time last year Ricardo Allen was taking the field as a free safety for the first time in his career. With one year under his belt, Allen's feeling more confident than ever and it's evident.
"I come in every day and I'm consistent," Allen said of his leadership role. "I have to be a vocal leader and I view myself as the one who gets everyone lined up and comes ready every day."
3. Quinn Encouraging Players to Show Versatility
A number of position changes have occurred this offseason, and it appears more could be on the horizon. Quinn is also looking to feature his players in various ways, and he's encouraging them to show out during OTAs.
"We are trying to find that versatility," Quinn said. "Can you do more than one role? Can you be a guard who can play center? Can you be a corner who can play nickel? Can you be a LEO who can play SAM? If you can have that versatility for when we do ask you to make some switches or moves, it's not such a big deal. Now is the time to find that out about players."
4. Falcons Relying on Technology to Keep Hooper Up to Speed
Third-round draft pick Austin Hooper was absent from today's OTA due to still being enrolled at school at Stanford University.
Even though he's not physically able to be here, Quinn and his staff are doing everything they can to ensure the rookie won't miss a beat.
"That's the beauty of technology," Quinn said of how he plans to keep Hooper up to speed. "[We can] film a meeting so they can make sure they can get access to the information that's being taught. There's timelines where we can have phone conversations in the evenings after their class schedule and studying is done and we are going to max that time out."
5. Competition Instilling Respect Among One Another
Competition is the central theme of Quinn's program, and not only does it help shape the standard, it also develops a level of respect.
"That's where the standard comes in," Quinn said. "It's like the competition is for yourself, and then it goes to the man that's next to me on my unit, and then it goes past that to the man I'm going against at practice. When you put competition into those three things, it's yourself, the man you're playing right next to, and then the man that you're going to play against. That's the kind of respect we're looking for. That's where we really want to go just busting it and giving it up for one another. Then we know that's where the real respect comes."
