FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — A gloomy morning did not accurately reflect the vibes surrounding the Atlanta Falcons' facility on Wednesday.
Players started to trickle in for the first day of training camp around 8 a.m. Most had smiles on their faces. There were admittedly a few who appeared rather neutral, perhaps because of the early call time. Regardless, the happy campers outnumbered those still waking up.
Pro Bowl offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom was part of the first wave of arrivals.
"It's just an exciting moment," said Lindstrom, who's embarking on his sixth training camp in Atlanta. "I think it's one of the best days of the year."
The Falcons left for summer break back on June 12 when mandatory minicamp wrapped. That means they've had a month and change away from the gridiron. And even when they were last here, it was for non-contact workouts.
Training camp is where the real fun begins. Though the Falcons' first four practices will follow offseason rules to reacclimate, their fifth practice will be the first full-pad session of the 2024 preseason.
"For me, I woke up this morning like was almost a game day (with) just the nerves," Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III said. "This being my seventh year, seventh training camp, it still feels like my first - just mentally, just the excitement that we have here.
"Every year, stuff changes. But one thing (is) you just never take this for granted."
There have certainly been a lot of changes in Atlanta since the 2023 season concluded.
The Falcons have a new head coach in Raheem Morris, who turned over the majority of his coaching staff once hired. There's a pair of new quarterbacks in veteran Kirk Cousins and rookie Michael Penix Jr., among a slew of other fresh faces. The facility, itself, is even getting a facelift with an upgrade in the works.
"It almost felt like an official visit, walking through the locker room and walking through the weight room," Bates said. "That's what Atlanta should be known for is world-class everything that we're doing. It's just time to go put in the work now and get this city where it needs to be."
The hope is that the Falcons break out of their recent three-year 7-10 rut and return to playoffs for the first time since 2017. All of the offseason moves are meant to support that goal. They've set the tone for 2024, too.
Lindstrom already noted a different energy around the facility.
"As a competitor, you have to have that mindset that this is the year you're going to win," he said. "Every single day, the preparation and work are going toward that. I don't necessarily know right now the difference, but I think the work we put into OTAs was incredibly detailed."
Now, it's important to build on that.
The Falcons' opening preseason game is in Miami on Friday, Aug. 9, following a week of joint practices against the Dolphins. Atlanta then travels to play the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, Aug. 17 before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, Aug. 23.
Before the regular season can commence in September, there is the inevitable roster deadline on Aug. 27 that essentially marks the end of training camp. That's a month away.
"It's a journey," Bates said. "It's 90 people in this building right now. Unfortunately, we got to cut it down to 53 at some point. My biggest thing I try to tell the guys is, 'For these four or five weeks – however long we're in here before those cuts – let's become the best team from the bottom all the way to the top.'"
