Rookies reported to Falcons 2019 training camp on Thursday. The rest of the team will be checking in to Flowery Branch today and the first practice begins tomorrow morning.
Thanks to a recent sense of urgency in the front office, the team is on much firmer ground going into camp than it was just a week ago. There are still some important questions that need to be answered, though. Here are seven to follow.
1. Will a Julio Jones deal get done?
The other day when middle linebacker Deion Jones signed his four-year, $57 million extension, superstar wideout Julio Jones shared an Instagram story of himself hanging out with Jones on Arthur Blank’s plane and giving the owner a shoutout. Everyone assumed that meant a Julio deal was imminent. It hasn’t happened yet, though.
There’s probably no cause for concern. Jones told TMZ a couple weeks ago he has no plans to hold out this year and trusts Blank’s word that a deal will get done. Adam Schefter’s reporting confirms Jones will show up. Now it just remains to be seen if the two sides can close the deal.
2. Who gets paid next?
The Falcons have good reason to want to extend Jones as soon as possible. The Deion Jones deal was a bargain but it added several million to the team’s salary cap commitments for 2019, squeezing what was already a tight financial situation.
With Grady Jarrett and Jones locked up, the focus now shifts to the class of 2016. Safety Keanu Neal is secured through 2020 thanks to his fifth-year option, so the next players in line should be linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and tight end Austin Hooper.
3. What’s going on with Mohamed Sanu?
If any veteran has reason to be anxious about their spot, it’s Sanu. On Friday, Sanu posted a tweet that suggested the Falcons asked him to take a pay cut. Sanu does not sound overly amenable to the idea.
He’s a valuable slot receiver and razor-sharp route runner with sure hands and a hell of an arm for a non-quarterback. However, Atlanta might see him as expendable thanks to Calvin Ridley’s ascension.
Releasing Sanu would cost the team $2.8 million in dead money, but it would save them $6.25 million in cap room this year and $6.5 million the next, per Over the Cap. So, don’t be shocked if Sanu is either traded to another team or cut in the coming days.
4. How ready are Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal?
Atlanta suffered several devastating injuries at key spots last year. No position was hit harder than safety, though – as both starters missed most of the 2018 season with serious injuries. Neal suffered an ACL tear Week 1 and Allen tore his Achilles two weeks later.
Both have made a lot of progress since then and Neal returned to the practice field at OTAs. The regular season is coming up fast though, so it’s time to find out exactly how close they are to playing at game speed.
5. Who wins the right tackle and left guard battles?
The offensive line saw a ton of turnover this offseason, as is appropriate.
We can safely assume Jake Matthews will start at left tackle, Alex Mack will stick at center and rookie Chris Lindstrom will take over at right guard. The other two spots are up for grabs, though.
At left guard, the team’s top two free agent pickups of the year (James Carpenter and Chris Brown) will compete for the right to start. At right tackle, first-round pick Kaleb McGary has to beat out Ty Sambrailo.
6. Have the Falcons ever been deeper at RB?
The Falcons are ridiculously loaded at the skill positions on offense. While wide receiver is the best example, they’re also deeper at running back this year than they’ve been in the Dan Quinn era, despite losing Tevin Coleman to the 49ers in free agency.
A finally-healthy-again Devonta Freeman will lead the group while Ito Smith serves as his primary backup. Four players will compete for the remaining two RB spots on the roster: Kenjon Barner, Brian Hill and rookies Tony Brooks-James and Qadree Ollison.
7. Will any undrafted free agents make the team?
Atlanta’s draft class was very line-heavy this year. When it came time to pick up college free agents, general manager Thomas Dimitroff hit two positions particularly hard.
Dimitroff signed several undrafted wide receivers, including Olamide Zaccheaus, Kahlil Lewis, C.J. Worton and Shawn Bane. He also loaded up on linebackers like Tre’ Crawford, Durrant Miles, Del’Shawn Phillips and Yurik Bethune.
Making the roster won’t be easy for any of them, but whoever does make the cut from these two groups so can say they won a legitimate competition.
