FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons open training camp on Wednesday at the team’s practice facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia. Here is a closer look at a few storylines.
Biggest question: Can Desmond Ridder become the starting quarterback Atlanta needs him to be?
This likely won’t be something truly answerable until the Falcons are well into the season. Atlanta has given Ridder a lot of protection in a well-paid, veteran offensive line and lined the offense up with elite-level skill position players at running back (Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Cordarrelle Patterson), wide receiver (Drake London) and tight end (Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith).
If Ridder proves he’s a competent NFL quarterback, he’ll have the help around him to keep Atlanta moving offensively while still enduring any potential growing pains in his first full season as a starter. If Ridder shows he can take a big step from his four-start debut last season, the Falcons will have a dynamic, diverse offense which will be difficult to defend.
The most compelling position battle: Safety
While it’s very likely both Richie Grant and Jaylinn Hawkins will see a significant amount of playing time in Atlanta’s defense, the battle for who might start opposite Jessie Bates III is an intriguing one. Grant and Hawkins were Atlanta’s starting safeties a year ago, so they both have ample experience at the position. Grant took the majority of first-team reps in the open-to-the-media practices throughout the spring, so he may begin camp as the guy, but Hawkins has shown throughout his career to be a playmaker.
Coach Arthur Smith said he wanted to create difficult battles. While both Hawkins and Grant should be on the roster, Atlanta has created depth at a position where it needs it.
The player with the most to prove: Kyle Pitts, TE
It’s not necessarily Pitts’ fault he’s in this position, but coming off a subpar year due to injuries (28 catches, 356 yards, two touchdowns) and poor quarterback play from former starter Marcus Mariota, Pitts needs to regain the form he had as a rookie, when he was a Pro Bowler.
Pitts is going to be a key -- perhaps the key -- pass-catcher in the offense. Based on how teams defended him last year, opponents will try and take him out of the game first. That’s all for September and October, though. First, we need to see Pitts out on the field. He hasn’t been seen publicly playing football since suffering a MCL injury in November.
That’s Step 1. Step 2 will be his chemistry with Ridder, who he has not caught a pass from in an NFL game (but plenty in training camp last season). Then comes Step 3, which is what he can do in a versatile, diverse Smith offense.
Best non-obvious signing: Bud Dupree, OLB
While Calais Campbell is the bigger name in terms of pass-rushers the Falcons have signed, Dupree is the guy who can potentially be the most impactful. He’s 30 and he hasn’t played a full season since 2019, but the Falcons really, really need pass rush help and even in down years, Dupree has been effective. At best, Atlanta gets the 2018-19 version of Dupree, which had 19.5 total sacks.
At worst, Atlanta gets a replica of his last two injury-hampered seasons in Tennessee, where he still had three sacks in 2021 and four in 2022, which would have been more than all but Grady Jarrett (six sacks) and Lorenzo Carter (four sacks) on last year’s team. And no matter what, he’ll be another mentor for second-year pass-rushers Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone.
Training camp is a success if ... Every key player comes out of it healthy
More than development, more than chemistry, health and availability are most important, as it is every season.
Other than health, a good sense of a defensive line/edge rusher rotation and a strong rapport between Ridder and his pass-catchers would be the primary objectives of camp, as those two areas are critical for Atlanta to have success in 2023.