FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Falcons will officially kick off AT&T Training Camp on Thursday morning and there are a few outstanding questions that still demand answers before the season begins.
In many ways, an NFL offseason is about addressing known problems from the year before while also anticipating obstacles in the years to come. Whether a team asks itself the right questions can put it ahead of the curve or behind the pack.
Atlanta has largely finished filling out its offseason questionnaire. While there will likely be more moves to come in training camp, it's about time to see what the Falcons' offseason investments have wrought. We learned a few things during OTAs and minicamp, but we're about to learn a lot more about this team.
On the eve of camp, here are the biggest questions facing the Falcons.
Tori McElhaney: Who is CB2?
What's interesting about this training camp, in comparison to the others I have covered since joining the league in 2020, is that there are very few true position battles.
As a roster, the Falcons are no longer relying on a majority of the team being on team-friendly, one-year deals, plugging and placing as necessary. No, they have now doled out lofty, multi-year contracts and brought in free agents they know can be playmakers right now (here's looking at you Jessie Bates III). They return their entire offensive line from 2023. They have QB1, QB2 and QB3 secured. Defensively, they used the draft to build depth along the defensive line while still relying on the old guard to anchor the group. When it comes to conversations about starters, rotations and depth charts, I feel pretty confident that we already know the answer to many of those questions. There is one spot, though, that is still very much up for grabs: Who will start opposite A.J. Terrell at cornerback?
One of the more interesting strategies of the Falcons' offseason was not clearly addressing that specific spot in free agency or the draft. On a number of occasions, Raheem Morris said the Falcons didn't spend much capital on the cornerback position because the staff really like what they have seen from Clark Phillips III and Mike Hughes. And therein lies the biggest training camp battle in 2024.
Phillips and Hughes are in two very different stages of their careers, but both have something to prove.
Phillips is in his second year, entering the fold while trying to establish himself in the league. Hughes is already established, having seen a lot over the years as he's battled injuries and scheme changes. Both were seen taking reps with the starting defense during OTAs. That may very well continue during training camp and in preseason games. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if we see this battle last through the early games of the season.
Will McFadden: Were the Falcons right in their internal evaluations this offseason?
This is a big-picture answer, but I firmly believe it will have as much impact on how this season plays out as anything. Training camp practices don't start for one more day, so I still have time to get in a last reference to what I believe is the most important quote of the offseason, delivered by Rich McKay at the 2023 season wrap-up press conference:
"To me, this is a unique situation for me because in many of these, you hear the phrase 'direction.' 'Oh, we have to change direction.' That's a classic phrase in a situation like this. I think we like the direction of the team and the franchise, but I think we need results, and we need results sooner rather than later."
Atlanta's path to achieving those results this season centered largely around the quarterback position, and it’s entirely understandable why. But the decisions to invest a large portion of their available finances in Kirk Cousins and use the No. 8 pick on Michael Penix Jr. necessarily left the Falcons with fewer assets to address the rest of the roster.
It's a roster that is in an overall healthier place than it was a few years ago with players like Jessie Bates, Kaden Elliss and David Onyemata on the defense, which wasn't the case when Raheem Morris was here previously. However, is it healthy enough to lose players like Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree without adding any veteran replacements?
I like what the Falcons did on the defensive side of the ball in the draft, and the additions of Darnell Mooney, Rondale Moore and Ray-Ray McCloud have revamped the wide receiver position. But that's pretty much the extent of their major moves this offseason, which stands in contrast to Atlanta's roster-reshaping offseason in 2023. It's possible not adding a clear No. 2 cornerback or an additional proven pass rusher comes back to haunt the Falcons this season, although nobody would argue those positions are as important as a quarterback. In that sense, I think the team made the right call in their approach.
If the Falcons' calculations are on point, and the quarterback position was the missing piece, they should be well-equipped to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. However, if their own internal evaluations were off, they could once again be in a fight for the NFC South.
There's no one right way to build an NFL roster, but it's clear the Falcons had conviction in their plan this offseason. Now, it's time to see the fruits of their labor.
Terrin Waack: Didn't I already do this?
Oh, well, just in case you missed it: **5 questions remain as Falcons' offseason work comes to an end**
Even though time has passed, I think the biggest question remains: Will quarterback Kirk Cousins remain full-go when contact is allowed? That was my No. 1 question back in June and is my No. 1 question still in July. Because – friendly reminder – the 35-year-old is coming back from a torn Achilles tendon.
Cousins was not limited at all during the Falcons' offseason program, when contact is prohibited. That is definitely a positive sign, especially since Cousins said the Minnesota Vikings originally didn't expect him to be OK by organized team activities.
Technically, he'll remain in a non-contact jersey even when the gloves are off in training camp – as will all quarterbacks. The pace of everything around him, though, will speed up. Will he?
If he does, will things go as swimmingly as they seemed to in minicamps or OTAs? There was nothing but praise toward Cousins in the spring. Everyone was happy with the offense's progress and hopeful for its future. No notes — yet.
Thing is, while Cousins may not be able to get hit in training camp, everyone involved in his success — his offensive linemen, his running backs, his tight ends and his wide receivers — can be. That could change things. Successfully operating an offense is a lot more difficult once tackling is introduced.
Then, there's the matter of preseason games. Will Cousins play? If so, then his body is fair game to the opponents. How he handles live shots would show a lot, either ease or create worries.
My one question turned into multiple questions. That just goes to show how important Cousins' participation and perhaps patience will be come late July.
The Falcons didn't invest a four-year, $180 million contract for Cousins to not give them his all. But they also didn't do so only for him to re-injure himself.
Amna Subhan: Will Grady Jarrett be full-go on Day 1 of training camp?
It's been almost exactly nine months since Grady Jarrett tore his ACL in Week 8 of the 2023 season which was exactly his targeted timetable to return.
"I know that if I gave it my all every day, come the nine-month mark I could put myself in position to be fully ready for Game 1," Jarrett said during mandatory minicamp.
The veteran defensive tackle said his goal is to be ready by training camp but it's still to be determined if that will happen. What's not undetermined is Jarrett's will to return. It shouldn't be a surprise to any Falcons fan that he's taken on a humbling recovery process — where he's had essentially to re-learn to walk — with everything he's got. While he has been rehabbing and practicing on the field individually, he didn't participate in any non-contact offseason practice including the lone minicamp one.
And if Jarrett is ready by the first day of training camp how long until he knocks off the rust? This is the first major injury of his professional career. There's no point of reference for Jarrett, but based on his minicamp press conference nothing from a mental standpoint is keeping him off the field. In the emotional conversation with media in June he used the word excited 11 times. I counted. He even ended by saying he missed speaking with the press, which is rare for any player, especially one as stoic as Jarrett.
He's itching to return. I, too, am excited to see him back on the field Day 1.
