Each day of 2012 Russell Athletic Atlanta Falcons Training Camp, we'll take a look ahead at the day of practices and break down the storylines and things you need to know as a fan, including position battles, players to keep an eye on and information on what the Falcons are up to, as well as the key details of making the most of your visit to camp.
Here are today's top things to keep an eye on:
- The Falcons kick off 2012 camp with an afternoon practice session, scheduled to run from 3:30-5:50 p.m. The session is open to the public and The first day of camp is always an exciting one as players are eager to get back onto the field and get the season officially underway. Likely a continuation of what the Falcons accomplished during minicamp in June, the first day of camp should feature a good amount of mental review of the playbook and physical acclimation to the strain of practicing again.
- Drafted in the third round of the 2012 Draft, Lamar Holmes hasn't seen any action in a Falcons uniform until today. The Southern Miss product spent OTAs and minicamps on the sideline with an injury, but was cleared to practice when camp starts. The big key for Holmes will be how far behind he is, if at all, after taking only mental reps during the offseason program. He'll be wearing No. 76 on the field. Download a full camp roster here (PDF).
- What was going to be an interesting position battle to watch between linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Akeem Dent came to a premature end when it was announced this week that Tatupu was lost for the season with a pectoral injury. Now all eyes are on Dent, who comes in after a monster rookie season on special teams. The edge would have to go to him to earn that MLB position, so watch for him at the start of camp to see how he fares in continuing to pick up defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's system.
- Always an interesting thing to take note of on the first day of camp is the how players look. Some fans say Matt Ryan and Harry Douglas have added some muscle mass in the offseason. Julio Jones, of course, lopped off his dreadlocks during the offseason. Who will turn heads the most on the first day?
- 790 The Zone will be broadcasting live from camp from 6-11 a.m. and 2-6 p.m. Thursday. 680 The Fan will also be broadcasting from camp from 6-10 a.m. and 12-3 p.m.
- In the event of inclement weather, that forces the team to move to the indoor facility during a practice session open to the public, the Falcons don't have the ability to safely accommodate fans inside. Therefore, practice will close for the day. For up-to-the-minute information on weather issues that could interrupt practice:
- Follow the Falcons on Twitter @AtlantaFalcons
- Like the Falcons on Facebook
- Sign up for text alerts
- Call the Russell Athletic Training Camp Hotline at 770-965-2752
- Visit AtlantaFalcons.com
Crucial Camp Links
