Tyson Clabo (left) defends Jamaal Anderson, AP Photo/John Amis
A practice in pads always promises a pop.
Monday's morning Atlanta Falcons training camp practice was open to the public and though there were fewer fans than the crowds over the weekend, crowds that many said were the largest they'd seen, the players clearly enjoyed putting on a show.
The crunch of pads sounded nice to the fans, thirsty for contact, however light it was, but Coach Smith cautioned after practice that the first days can sometimes be the easiest. The true test of a team's grit will come later, when their arms are sore and the rigors of two-a-days set in.
Smith pointed to Wednesday, the third day of pads, as to the measure of what his team is made of.
Veteran safety Erik Coleman echoed his coach's sentiments, saying that's when the character of your team is created.
Rookie hazing
An NFL team's hazing of its rookies isn't talked about much any more. Some say it hardly happens and certainly not like it once did, but others believe things still happen behind closed doors. The rites of passage most often associated with rookies and the NFL is the carrying of a veteran's luggage on road trips. That service also extends to helmet and pads at training camp. Rookie defensive end Lawrence Sidbury was seen carrying his pads, but also those of fellow end and five-year veteran Chauncey Davis.
Coaching intensity
If you pay close enough attention you'll witness coaching occurring everywhere at training camp. During defensive tackle and offensive lineman drills, Jonathan Babineaux spent face time with his fellow tackles, specifically face mask-to-face mask to make sure they got the message. First-round pick Peria Jerry didn't ignore what Babineaux had to say.
However, the true intensity came from the coaches. The message they're preaching is to play through the whistle and sometimes beyond it. Defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder, unhappy with the effort of one of the members of his secondary, looked him square in the eyes as he let him know it didn't go unnoticed.
But Van Gorder wasn't all criticism. He gave an animated thumbs up late in the afternoon practice to his second-year safety Thomas DeCoud for his hustle. Incidentally, three days into camp the 2008 third-round pick is looking very impressive. He's getting his hands on balls, showing good quickness, understanding his role, and in general seems comfortable on the field.
Special tandem in the making
When asked about the relationship of the 2008 rookie class, rookie cornerback Chris Owens laughed and said "I've heard those guys are really close."
Watching them practice you realize it's true. They are quick to congratulate each other and they all carry themselves with a confidence that can only be gained through knowing they were a part of last year's success.
But the relationship that stands out the most is between Harry Douglas and Matt Ryan. There are a lot of reasons for it. Similar age. They play positions that are dependent on each other. Same rookie class.
As they were preparing to stretch in the afternoon, Douglas shared a high-five with Ryan that was more clownish than congratulatory. That mood was light and the two of them seemed to appreciate the others company.
Whether it's because of holdout Roddy White's absence or by design, Ryan has looked to the former Louisville receiver often in training camp. He doesn't let his quarterback down often. The play of Harry Douglas six practices into training camp has stood out considerably. On a practice-to-practice basis the 24-year-old wideout is doing something to light up the eyes of his teammates.
I always love to hear what you've got to say. Leave a comment or email me for the Weekly Mailbag: jdanielcox@gmail.com. Click "subscribe" to receive emails whenever a new article is posted. Follow me on Twitter.
Comments
I'll say something many will think is foolish: I'd rather have Harry in there than Roddy. He's quicker, faster, and he drops fewer balls. If Ryan had thrown more than a third of his passes to Harry last season, as he did to Roddy, Harry would have put up the same numbers Roddy did, or better.
Heartened to hear that about Harry Douglas. He's been pegged as a slot receiver, but if he works on his blocking I think he could be a force outside in the future.
Greg: as an outsider (Packers fan!), you are right—that does sound foolish. I know White's deep threat and athletic ability make him a much-bigger worry for the defense. That's why he was the target of a third of the throws—he was open more.
However, having someone who can step in is a good thing. Back in the day, Favre had to throw every pass to Sterling Sharpe, and that was not a healthy offense. It's good y'all have a couple other options (well, actually, speaking as a fan of a competitor, it's bad...).
Great article as usual, Daniel.
Just a note on a typo... Thomas DeCoud was selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft, not the 2009.
Keep up the good work!
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