FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Desmond Trufant walked around the practice field Thursday with his signature cool strut, then went over to a side field and played quarterback, tossing the ball to fellow recovering teammate Kemal Ishmael.
The Pro Bowl cornerback looked more than ready to put on the pads and start the season despite still being technically sidelined from the pectoral surgery that ended his 2016 season prematurely.
The Falcons are being cautious with a handful of players during OTAs, including All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones coming off foot surgery and pass-rusher Adrian Clayborn coming off biceps surgery. But for Trufant, his progression appears to be a tad bit ahead of the others, although everyone is expected to be ready by training camp in late July.
"I expect him to be back not only for camp, but possibly even sooner, when he can work into some portion of practice over the next two weeks," coach Dan Quinn said of Trufant. "We'll see where that goes. He's doing fantastic. He's really pushed it from a rehab standpoint, so he's strong. He's fit. Hopefully in the next few days, we'll have some clarity on that. He's chomping at the bit to get back with his guys. We'll always do what's right by him to make sure he's ready to go."
Trufant, a 2015 Pro Bowl selection, played in nine games last season before suffering the injury. Jalen Collins performed adequately in Trufant's absence, but the Falcons obviously are better on defense with Trufant on the field.
Defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, the secondary coach last season, said Trufant being out for half of last season had a positive long-term impact.
"Tru is a competitor, the ultimate competitor," Manuel said. "Now he had to take the leadership role verbally, which now helps him in the room. Now he can pull a young guy and say, 'Hey, come over here and do this,' which I watched [Richard] Sherman do that. I watched Earl [Thomas] do that. I watched Kam [Chancellor] do that. We're in a nice, blessed spot right now with all of these guys."
If Trufant continues to progress as Quinn says, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get some meaningful reps during mandatory minicamp from June 13-15.
As for the other injured players, Quinn said Trufant, defensive lineman Derrick Shelby (Achilles) and linebacker/safety Ishmael (shoulder) are further along than others. Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel sat out Thursday's OTAs with an undisclosed injury, while kicker Matt Bryant wasn't on the field, although he was spotted around the facility following practice.