32BeatWriters - Atlanta Falcons Training Camp Preview: Michael Penix vs. Tua Tagovailoa QB Battle, Kyle Pitts & Zachariah Branch with Daniel Flick
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
39 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Jul 16, 2026
Published
Thu, July 16, 2026
23
Player insights
10
Players mentioned
Topics
Kyle PittsZachariah BranchMichael Penix Jr.Bijan RobinsonTua TagovailoaAustin HooperBrian RobinsonDrake LondonJahan DotsonXavier Watts
Player analysis
Player insights
Austin Hooper
PositiveRole0:29
Austin Hooper will primarily be a red zone guy in 12 personnel looks as an inline tight end, but won't significantly hurt Kyle Pitts' overall production.
Insight pageBijan Robinson
PositiveUsage0:12
Bijan Robinson's role is expected to remain largely the same as last year since the same running backs coach (Michael Petrie) controls snap allocation and carries. He has been heavily involved catching passes in every OTA and camp practice.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:13
Bijan Robinson is expected to be top three on the team in targets again this year, given his heavy involvement in the passing game and the offense's horizontal-based scheme that values his versatility.
Insight pageBrian Robinson
PositiveRole0:13
Brian Robinson is viewed as a seamless replacement for Algier in the backup role, with a similar skill set that complements Bijan Robinson. He benefits from having learned behind Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco.
Insight pageDrake London
PositiveUsage0:15
Drake London is expected to remain a top-three target alongside Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson, with these three forming their own league in terms of target volume.
Insight pageJahan Dotson
PositiveProjection0:15
Jahan Dotson is expected to be the wide receiver two in the offense. The staff believes there is more in his game than he has shown, and he learned significantly from being around elite receivers like AJ Brown and Smith in Philadelphia.
Insight pageKyle Pitts
PositiveUsage0:15
Kyle Pitts is expected to remain a top-three target alongside Drake London and Bijan Robinson, with these three forming their own league in terms of target volume.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:23
Kyle Pitts had a great year last year, getting back to near his rookie yardage numbers and catching five touchdowns, suggesting things are coming together for the talented tight end.
Insight pagePositiveRole0:24
Kevin Coger being back as position coach is really important for Kyle Pitts from a mental headspace viewpoint, helping him reach a new level of performance.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:24
After a rough three-game stretch around week 11-12 where he dropped passes and had minimal production, Kyle Pitts reached out to his coach asking how to fix it, leading to a turnaround that became the most impressive stretch of his professional career.
Insight pagePositiveRole0:26
Kyle Pitts' production fluctuates based on offensive scheme and matchups rather than talent changes; sometimes he's the top read but not open, or defenses focus on him leaving better matchups elsewhere.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:27
Kyle Pitts is set up well for a big year with Kevin Coger back as position coach, a great head coach-offensive coordinator combination for tight ends, and an offense that will value and appreciate him.
Insight pageMichael Penix Jr.
PositiveInjury0:05
Penix tore his ACL in mid-November and is working to return for 11-on-11s by July 29th training camp. His arm talent remains unbelievable, though he has had high misses and must adjust to the new under-center scheme after years in shotgun/pistol.
Insight pagePositiveRole0:08
Penix must transition from shotgun/pistol to under-center offense, requiring him to rewire his brain and use his feet more—a significant adjustment while recovering from ACL injury and unable to plant on his left knee.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:08
Penix has drawn strong reviews for his rehab work, attending the facility nearly every day this offseason and handling his recovery like a pro, impressing everyone with his dedication.
Insight pageTua Tagovailoa
PositiveProjection0:09
Tua has exceeded expectations in camp, showing very accurate passing and impressive red zone efficiency. His ability to find rhythm and timing quickly in a new offense with new receivers has been impressive.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:09
Tua currently has the edge in the QB competition due to superior reps and red zone performance, though the competition remains open pending Penix's health status.
Insight pageXavier Watts
PositiveRole0:36
Xavier Watts and Jesse Bates are very similar players who are incredibly smart, allowing them to communicate non-verbally and immediately understand plays, making them an elite defensive duo.
Insight pageZachariah Branch
PositiveBreakout0:20
Zachariah Branch has been a consistent standout in open practices, impressing in 3-4 of 5 practices despite being a smaller player. He is extremely fast, explosive, and fluid, with great return game potential and high upside as a playmaker.
Insight pagePositiveRole0:21
Zachariah Branch will be heavily involved in the quick game, with manufactured touches including end-arounds and screen passes. He brings a unique element to the offense with his speed and explosiveness that few other receivers in the room can match.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:21
Branch will be involved in the offense with a couple of manufactured touches each game, and he has been extremely impressive in camp, creating excitement about his potential as a playmaker.
Insight pagePositiveBreakout0:22
Branch is top three on the analyst's list of guys to watch in training camp due to his impressive versatility and ability to bring something new to the Falcons offense that currently doesn't exist.
Insight pagePositiveRole0:22
Branch has been running end arounds and showing the kind of speed and versatility that could lead to increased usage similar to Xavier Worthy's impact in the NFL.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
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1:16Welcome in, everyone. We are talking Falcons today and we're joined today by Daniel Flick of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
1:23Daniel, how are we doing today, brother? Doing well, man.
1:26Really appreciate you having me on and glad we could run this back from a few years ago.
1:32Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you just obviously started a new role with the Atlanta Journal.
1:37You know, seems to be a great publication. Your work's been awesome this offseason.
1:41Certainly helped the community. So we appreciate that. Really appreciate you, man.
1:45It's been awesome. And even when I was around the organization a few years ago, just the poll the AJC has is incredible.
1:53I'm just incredibly blessed and honored to have this job.
1:56And it's been a lot of fun so far, man.
1:59Really, really enjoying it. And truly, I am living my dream.
2:03So it's been awesome. No, that's great to hear.
2:06I mean, a lot to report on this year with Atlanta, right?
2:10And let's just dive right in and talk about the coaching scheme change and the schematic that comes with that.
2:17So obviously, Stefanski and Tyler Reese come in. You know, Morris and Zach Robinson depart.
2:22What's the general gist in a scheme change? What do you expect that wasn't there last year to be there this year?
2:29Kind of just take us through high level of that.
2:32Yeah, a lot more under center stuff has been the primary change in terms of on field and that stuff.
2:39This is a staff that believes heavily in that and how that can help your play action game, how it can help
2:46your run game, how it can kind of open up a variety of levels within your offense.
2:52So that's been, in my opinion, the main change that we've seen.
2:55Now, I think you might see heavier tight end sets more often a little bit.
3:00Not a ton. Like, I don't think it's going to be as drastic of a change in that regard, but it might
3:08be a little bit more 12 than what they ran last year.
3:12Because it was 12 with the previous, previous regime.
3:15And then when Zach Robinson arrived, he was with the Rams and the Rams and a lot of 11 personnel.
3:21So then Atlanta became a lot of 11. And then I think they're going to shift a little bit more back into 12.
3:29But they've got, I think schematically, it's going to be relatively similar just because a lot of these schemes nowadays are relatively, there's a variety of branches, obviously.
3:38And I don't think this branch is that far away from the last one.
3:43So I don't think it's going to be incredibly drastic, but a lot more under center stuff.
3:48Whereas last year was a ton of pistol, much to the chagrin of Falcons fans everywhere.
3:53But a lot more under center stuff and play action based.
3:57There's been a lot more quick game too. Like a lot of rollouts, a lot of screen passes.
4:03And that might also be who they have as far as weapons and everything.
4:08Because they have got guys who are well built for that role.
4:11And so I'd say that's been the main thing.
4:14And obviously a lot of guys so far have raved just about the approach of the staff and the way they've tried to implement their brand, their vision.
4:24And a lot of good reviews on the staff's culture.
4:27So pretty strong start, I would say. Great to hear.
4:30I mean, I think that's what we want is that stability, that player buy-in.
4:35And, you know, Stefanski has seemed like a solid coach given all that he had to even navigate in Cleveland.
4:41No offense to anyone from Cleveland or Browns fans out there.
4:45But it was a rocky, turbulent road for him.
4:48He found success, you know, then had down years.
4:51And then I feel like it's a night he could be that stabilitating, you know, coach that comes in and really puts Atlanta where they need to be.
5:00His, you know, his coordinator seems sound. So nice to hear that there's a little bit of buy-in from the players already.
5:07Yeah, I'd say too that just like, yeah, like he's a very even-keeled guy.
5:12And compared to the last regime where it was very – there's obviously a variety of ways you can win in this league.
5:20So there's not really one inherently right or wrong way.
5:23But whereas the last regime was super energy and vibe-based, this one feels so much more steady, even-keeled, measured, calculated.
5:30So I think that's been the main thing. A lot of guys have really enjoyed that a lot of what they're doing is just all about the work.
5:39Perfect. I mean, and let's dive right into some work that we've seen.
5:43So obviously Tua has kind of, you know, he's been the guiding force because Penix hasn't been able to go into 11-on-11s yet.
5:51But, you know, from what I've read and listened to, it sounds like his accuracy is still what it has been.
5:57And please correct me if I'm wrong with any of this.
6:01You know, as camp rolls around, you know, what is – tell us what you think Penix needs to show to catch up to Tua.
6:09Is this a true competition? Is it Tua's to lose?
6:13What are your feelings of this QB locker room?
6:16I know it's a heavy question. Oh, yeah. Very heavy question.
6:19But a very, very good one for sure. I do think it's a competition.
6:24I do think it's open. It's hard to say entirely.
6:27I think Michael needs to be healthy. That's the top priority here because he hopes that he's ready for July 29th when they open up camp.
6:36He's hoping he's 100%. That's not – he has to be cleared.
6:40He's got to be – everybody has to clear him to play.
6:44And so if he's not ready for that, then, I mean, as you start working through – especially because, like, they want
6:51to have a starter named by the middle of training camp, you know, probably mid-August.
6:56I'd say, like, August – Mm-hmm. It was, like, August 18th when the Browns named Flacco their guy.
7:02This year the offseason is, like, a week later.
7:05So call it August 25th. If you miss – like, if you can't do 11-on-11 for the first week of camp, like,
7:12that's – you have a much shorter timeline there to acclimate within that and to make a case, right?
7:18So especially because, like, what Stefanski always says is, like, if you're only doing seven-on-seven, that's a drill.
7:24They want their quarterbacks completing passes in, like, 90% of the time.
7:28Like, a ridiculous number. So if you can't do 11-on-11, then they don't really have much of a real evaluation there on you if you're him.
7:37So he's got to be healthy. That's the most important thing.
7:40I've been impressed with both of them from Michael's perspective.
7:43The fact that he's out there right now is impressive and admirable.
7:47I mean, he tore his ACL in mid-November, and the fact that his arm looks really good.
7:53He's still had a lot of high misses, but he's also thrown some really good balls.
7:58The arm talent there is still unbelievable. And it's – he, I think, has a little bit of a harder transition than
8:06most on this offense just because what they're asking their QBs to do is different than what the last one did.
8:12Because, again, he didn't – he was so accustomed the last couple years of shotgun and pistol, right?
8:18So being under center more, he's kind of had to rewire his brain and learn how to use his feet a lot more.
8:26So it's been a big adjustment for him. And then when you have to use your feet more and you're learning all
8:33these drops and you can't really plant on your left knee, it's hard, right?
8:38So – but all that said, I mean, everybody there still loves him, and he's drawn a lot of really good reviews for how he's attacked his rehab.
8:47I mean, he was in the facility just about every day this offseason.
8:51So he's handled it like a pro, and that's been really impressive.
8:55And then I think Tua's had a – he had a really good month.
9:00Like, I don't really know what I expected out of him.
9:03I kind of wasn't open-minded. But whatever I did expect, he was above that bar.
9:08So very accurate. The red zone, what I always heard was that between the 20s, any quarterback that's in the NFL can
9:16at least move the ball, can move an offense.
9:19But what happens in the red zone or inside the 20s is what really shows you what a guy has.
9:25And I think Tua, his accuracy in the red zone has been so impressive, and he's been so efficient down there.
9:32And I think that's kind of why I would give him the edge at the moment just because reps-wise, he's had a big advantage.
9:40They've tried to split as much as they could, but they had – I'm pretty sure it was the June 8th OTA with Michael.
9:48He had like a rest day and then not being able to do 11-on-11 obviously.
9:53So the reps are kind of skewed. But I think Tua's capitalized on it.
9:57Like he had a very – even early on, he had a few issues holding onto the ball.
10:03He threw like three picks. Maybe it was only two.
10:07But I think it was two and almost a third early on.
10:11And after that, the last like three practices, he was completely fine.
10:15So for a guy whose game is built on rhythm and timing, the fact he's been able to find that so quickly
10:22in a new offense with new receivers has been really impressive.
10:25That is impressive. I mean, that's what you want to hear, right?
10:29And, you know, you obviously behind the quarterback, we have, you know, if one of, if not the best running back in the NFL in B.
10:38John Robinson. So, you know, they obviously bring in Brian Robinson, which I think is just going to throw people for a loop nonstop.
10:46God bless the Falcon organization for doing that to everyone.
10:49But, you know, Brian Robinson comes in, new coaching.
10:52What's the word I'm looking for? New coaches. And, you know, what does – does anything change with B.
10:58John? Do you see anything usage-wise changing, scheme-wise changing?
11:01And then how do you feel like Brian Robinson factors into this backfield, if at all?
11:07We saw him almost be worthless in San Francisco last year.
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12:06So the important part, I think, to note with this offensive staff.
12:10So they, the only two position coaches who are back, Kevin Koger, who worked with Kyle Pitts and the tight ends last
12:18year, and Michael Petrie, who worked with the running backs.
12:21And so the reason that's important here is, I'd asked Stefanski about this last week of how do you handle who's actually
12:28in the game, who controls running back-wise, who's on the field.
12:32And he said they have a lot of talks about it, so maybe his influence will affect this.
12:38But Michael Petrie will once again be the main guy orchestrating who's out there, who's on the field.
12:44So in terms of reps, carries, volume of snaps on the field, Bajan's role will be pretty much the exact same, if
12:51I had to guess, just because the guy who's controlling what he's on the field is the same.
12:57So you add a guy in Brian Robinson who is very like-minded to what Algier was last year, right, in terms of
13:04how his skill set complements Bajan and what he can do.
13:08And so the way that I view it, it's kind of a very seamless transition between them, where what Algier did last
13:15year is how Robinson will handle it, this year being the two behind Bajan.
13:20I think the staff, I mean, with Bajan, he's been so heavily involved, just catching passes every OTA practice, every main camp practice.
13:27And the quarterbacks that he has, I think, are going to capitalize on that as well.
13:32And for an offense that, again, it's not really vertical-based or not trying to hit a lot of explosives or trying to kind of stress you horizontally more.
13:42I think having a running back that you can put in a variety of ways and can make anything happen when he
13:49has the ball in his hands is really important.
13:52So I don't think Bajan's role will change a whole lot from what it was last year.
13:57I think there's a good chance that he ends up being top three on the team in targets once again.
14:04Because obviously, I mean, the year that he had last year, if you go back and look at the numbers of receiving
14:11yards and targets, it was just a ridiculous year.
14:14One thing that Brian Robinson has working kind of in his favor is that if there was anybody else in the league
14:21that he could have been behind last year to learn what it's like to be the backup of Bajan Robinson, it would have been Christian McCaffrey, right?
14:30Just in terms of how the Niners use him and all that.
14:34So I don't think either one of those guys are in for a really big adjustment because they kind of lived this last year.
14:42Excellent insight there. I mean, that makes perfect sense.
14:45The coach connection, the scheme connection. I think you're going to make a lot of people happy with that last little bit of information.
14:53All right. Let's get a little bit more. I hate to say obscure, but we were joking before we went live here
15:00about what's going on behind London and the options back there.
15:04You know, we're going to talk about pits later, but just we'll call it the wide receiver too, but just take us
15:11to the rest of the guys in this room and what you think, think.
15:16I'm going to put think their roles might be.
15:19Yeah. So I feel confident in saying Jahan Dotson will be the wide receiver too.
15:24Um, but even then the wide receiver too, in this offense, probably still going to be the number four and a lot
15:31of, a lot of their, their plays just in terms of Drake London, Kyle pits, but John Robinson, that's a very strong top three.
15:39And those are my, I think it'll be the deal where those three end up kind of like last year being in
15:46their own league in terms of how much they actually see the ball thrown their way.
15:51Um, but I think John Dotson is a guy who they, they like quite a bit and they believe that there's more
15:59and more in his game than what he's showed.
16:02And, uh, again, high, highly drafted guy and, um, has flashed as a pro.
16:06And it's funny cause like you hear him talk and he feels like he learned a lot last year, just being in
16:13that Eagles wide receiving room and seeing AJ Brown and, and, and Smith and the guys that were around him there.
16:20I mean, you, you learn so much from established pros like that.
16:24I mean, I mean, he had McLaurin when he was in Washington, but there's another level there and there's more of those types of elite guys.
16:33So I, he learned a lot. I think from a mentality standpoint, it really helped him.
16:38So, uh, I, I think he feels like he's in line for a big year and the, the staff has been high on him too.
16:46So he's the, so after that, I think Zaccheaus and Zachariah branch are going to be alternating wide receiver threes.
16:53I say alternating in the sense that they can, they're very, very different from one another.
16:58Whereas Zaccheaus is your reliable veteran. He's savvy, uh, competitive dude.
17:02He can catch passes just about anywhere. You can use them to attack any quadrants on the field.
17:08So Zachariah branch, I think will be, well, he has won in, I say normal ways, as far as winning in his
17:15routes and catching passes on regular routes. Much of what he's done has been quick hits screens and then the occasional long ball.
17:23So those are the, I think the cool thing about their receiving core is they have a lot of flavors and a lot of ingredients.
17:31So like you can, you can mix and match, especially when apart from Drake, the other guys out there are really just
17:38out there and kind of their own niche role.
17:41Right. So you, you don't, you don't necessarily need your slot receiver to be an all pro slot receiver.
17:47You just kind of need them to be out there and be relevant on a handful of snaps each game.
17:54So, um, they, that's kind of their group. And then after the top four, we'll see how it goes.
18:00Right. Right. I mean, it's an entire, I think they'll carry five, maybe six receivers.
18:05I lean five, but they have a nice blend of guys who have played a little bit like Drummond and Blair and
18:12those kinds of guys who have been a part of the organization for a few years.
18:17Not that that really matters because a lot of their offensive staff is new, but, um, we'll see.
18:23There's a, cause then it's those guys and there's a few undrafted guys and they just added Antoine Wells who had a
18:31solid year as a receiver and returner in the UFL.
18:34So it's, that'll be a fun training camp battle for a lot of the, a lot of the really nitty gritty, uh,
18:41onlookers in camp who are just fascinated by the wide receiver five battle.
18:45But I guess we'll see how that plays out.
18:48I mean, still interesting to have that going on, right?
18:52Like it, it creates that competition and it, in theory, it should help, you know, push someone like branch and all of that.
18:59If, if, you know, he sees other guys stepping up, so it's not a bad thing, right?
19:05It just, right. So something to be interested in.
19:08And that being said, you know, we touched on branch, but let's, let's dive a little deeper on him.
19:14You know, he's new, he's the rookie. What, what's a good year for this kid?
19:19And you know, what do you, what have you seen from him?
19:23Both good and bad so far in OTAs. Yeah.
19:26Projecting a good year is a great question. That's, um, that one's tough.
19:30I think I'll stay away from a number because I honestly, what that could look like just from a seating output perspective.
19:37But I think a good year for him is being on the field offensively every game, um, proving that he can do
19:45more than just be a screen guy. And I think the other part about it, and I would also add hitting a
19:52couple explosives in the return game, because he's been their primary returner as well.
19:57And I think what he did in college and, you know, just hearing why they drafted him.
20:02A lot of it too, is great returner, big time return pass.
20:06I believe it took his very first return at USC in college back to the house.
20:11I could be wrong, but it was definitely his first game might've been his first touch, but, um, he has that, that kind of impact potential.
20:20So, uh, the only real mistake that we've seen from him, he dropped a pass at mini camp on Tuesday and he
20:27dropped it and hit like 10 pushups real quick.
20:30But like, that's about it. I mean, Wednesday, the following day he took an ender out, uh, no, it was a screen
20:37pass, like 80 yards to the house, like extremely fast and fluid, explosive dude.
20:42He, um, this is the time of the off season.
20:45You would think he'd be very good, right? Because you're not in pads and he's a smaller dude.
20:51And so when you're fast and explosive and fluid, loose athlete, like this is when he should be really good, but he
20:58has definitely created a lot of excitement, both with us and with everybody else around him about what he can be just
21:06because he's come in, he's asked a lot of questions and he's been really eager to learn.
21:11And then you see him on the field and he's just been a really consistent standout.
21:17Like of the five open practices we saw, I left there impressed by him probably at least three or four times, which
21:24isn't always easy to do when it's a 90-man roster.
21:27So, um, he always kind of had an impact.
21:30It seemed like, and caught a lot of passes.
21:33I think he's going to be heavily involved in a lot of their quick game this year.
21:39And that might be more of his niche role, right?
21:42It might be ender rounds. It might be screen passes.
21:45It might be that kind of deal. But I do think they valued him enough as a playmaker.
21:51And he, he kind of has his own element on this offense where he is extremely fast and very dangerous and loose with the ball in his hands.
22:00There's not a lot of other receivers in that room that can do what he can do.
22:06So I do think you'll see him be utilized in that way where he gets a couple manufactured touches each game.
22:13And so I don't know what the end line will be for his season, but I do think that he'll be involved.
22:20And I think that he'll, he'll be good. He's been good so far.
22:24Right. He's, he's probably top three on my list of guys I'm excited to see in training camp, just because like, well,
22:32when the pads are on the games, how do you, how do you rise to the occasion?
22:37But he's, he's been extremely impressive. I mean, everyone wants versatility, right?
22:41It sounds like this kid has it and bring something to your point that this offense currently doesn't have.
22:47You know, I think sometimes we get to training camp and we, you know, we see things.
22:53And it's like, oh my gosh, he's running an end around.
22:57They're going to do that every game. And we have to put that into context, you know, over the course of those three, four weeks.
23:05And it just, I think everyone gets so excited about, you know, one speed to being a rookie and we try to
23:12equate it back to, you know, I think Xavier worthy kind of made that a thing, right?
23:18Like, oh, everyone's the faster you are. It doesn't matter what size you are.
23:22Just you're used more. So it'd be really cool to keep an eye on branch and kind of see, see as he
23:30develops through training camp and into the season. Okay.
23:33So let's finish this up with the tight end room and mainly Kyle pits.
23:37Obviously last year has a great year gets almost back to his rookie yardage numbers.
23:42Obviously caught more touchdowns than I believe, I believe his Matt would be five last year.
23:47I want to say, I believe so. Yeah. Was his, you know, his high, it just, it seems like things started to come together.
23:55Can we talk briefly about why that happened? Um, and then also kind of touch base on, you know, Austin Hooper's back
24:02in this room, bringing them, you know, an old friend back.
24:06Does how does his, what does his role look like?
24:09Does that carve into pits, you know, he had, he played pretty well in new England.
24:15Um, was pretty impressed with that. Take us through this tight end room.
24:19What do we need to know? Yeah. Yeah. I think Kevin Coger being back is really important that he was, he was
24:26huge last year with Kyle pits, as far as helping him from a mental headspace viewpoint.
24:31And that was one of those. So we talked to Kevin Coger, um, a couple of weeks ago and he, he talked
24:39about, how after the saints game, the away saints game last year, he was around week 11, week 12, Kyle dropped a pass that game.
24:47It was the end of a like three game stretch where he hadn't caught more than I think two passes in the
24:54end of a month long stretch where he hadn't had more than like 30, I think it was like 38 receiving yards in a game.
25:02So rough stretch, rough stretch and a big year for his career.
25:06And Kyle went like, went into his office and was basically like, how can I fix this?
25:12What do we need to do for me to change this?
25:16And so from that point on, it was also around the time that London got hurt.
25:21So he naturally took on a little bit of a more significant role in their office.
25:26That's part of it. But also Kyle just in general reached a new level.
25:31And I think he's a very thoughtful individual. Like you listened to him talk and he's very articulate and he's very, again, I think he's a deep thinker.
25:40And I think sometimes with a more that a guy who's that talented and that smart of a, of a dude, sometimes it can be easy.
25:48I would imagine to get your head a little bit.
25:52And I think he's found a mental flow state last year that ultimately ended up being really the most impressive stretch he's
25:59had as a pro and probably the, the stretch, the most encouraging stretch he'd had in a long time.
26:05So, um, I think that's all kind of part of it is he's, I don't think anything changed with his talent or whatever like that.
26:13Right. But it was, there's also times where he's just not in the offense.
26:18Like there, there's times where, cause I'd asked, I, um, I asked Coker about that too of like when he's producing well,
26:25when he's not producing well, is there anything drastic between those two times?
26:30He's like, really? There's not like, he's still the same guy.
26:33It's just like, there's times where maybe he's the top read in a play and he's just not open or maybe they're
26:40like whoever they're playing has higher attention on, on him.
26:44And there's more advantageous matchups elsewhere. So I think there, the way that I've deemed the staff's viewpoint on him is wait
26:51and see about, you know, contract stuff. And cause like you go back and you listen to what Ian Cunningham and what
26:58Stefanski said after they put the tag on him.
27:01And a lot of it helped to me anyways, like we're still evaluating him is basically the way that I felt it
27:08coming from them, which is completely fair. Sure. His career path and the ups and downs and highs and lows and everything like that.
27:16So, um, I think it's a big year for Kyle in terms of if he can replicate what he did last year,
27:24then obviously he's in a great spot. And I think he's in a situation because he gets his, he gets a great position coach back.
27:32Who's a close friend of his great relationship. And that's extremely important.
27:36One to, there might not be a better head coach, offensive coordinator combination for a tight end in the entire NFL.
27:43Right. So he's going to get the ball. He's going to be valued and appreciated.
27:48So I think he's in line to be, he's got, he's got everything around him set up well to have another big year.
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29:00Now Austin Hooper. I don't, I think Hooper will primarily be a red zone guy.
29:05I think a lot of their, their 12 personnel looks, um, with him on the field have been in the red zone largely as an inline guy.
29:14He's been out there with the ones quite a bit.
29:17So I think he'll play and it kind of, as I said earlier, I think they'll run a good amount of 12 personnel this year.
29:25Um, but they also have Charlie Warner, who is a great blocking tight end.
29:30And so for an offense that if you look back at what the Browns did, um, 2020 to 2023 was Stefanski when,
29:37uh, he had Callahan as, as his offensive line coach.
29:40He has him now again in Atlanta, their running offense then was, it was a lot, their offense in general was always
29:47top 12 in the league and yards and carries and all that.
29:51So, and then when Callahan left, it just completely flipped everything.
29:55So I think this offense is going to be more running base than, um, a lot of us may think.
30:02And so when you get into those 12 looks, I think Charlie Warner will play quite a bit.
30:08So, um, I don't think Hooper will significantly hurt Kyle at all.
30:11I think maybe it'll be, they'll have more of a red zone role, which hurt him in that regard.
30:18But, um, I don't, I don't think his, his effect, his, uh, you know, him being on the team significantly hurts Kyle by any means.
30:26Oh, great assessment from coach to scheme to, you know, I feel like all we hear about currently is 13 personnel.
30:33Wow. It's, it, it sounds like you have the setup to do that.
30:37It just might not be the scheme fit that these guys need to run and be in.
30:43Um, we don't all need to be the Rams, right?
30:46Oh, the 2025 Rams. Uh, it's just crazy how it's, how that thought has taken over everyone.
30:52And it's nice to hear 12 personnel still there going to be utilized.
30:56It makes sense given from what we've learned, the structure of this offense that you've taken us through.
31:02So let's, uh, let's go to the last question here.
31:05Kind of sandbox question. What is something that you feel that listeners need to know about this Falcons offense that might, might
31:12not be immediately obvious or just something that, you know, you feel a hill you want to die on, however you want to take this.
31:21Yeah. I think, um, let's talk about the offensive line for a minute here.
31:25Um, they returned every starter from last year, except for right tackle, which their training camp situation at right tackle last year
31:32was rough where you lose Gary, who had started just about every game since 2019, except for a handful here and there when he was hurt.
31:41And then you lose his backup Norton to a bad ankle injury that now he's out for all of this year too.
31:48So you're, you're end up scrambling, trying to find a right tackle when your quarterback is left-handed.
31:54And so their right tackle situation was rough last year.
31:57Uh, Elijah Wilkinson is gone. I believe he's now in Arizona.
32:01Uh, could be, could be wrong on that, but he's, he's no longer in Atlanta if nothing else.
32:07And so their right tackle situation, again, especially when you have a lefty quarterback, I don't think that's as big of a
32:14deal as maybe it would have been years ago, but I do think the fact that under center now makes it a
32:21little bit more of an important than it was last year when they weren't under center much.
32:27Anyways, that's kind of off topic, but, uh, their right tackle situation will be fun to watch.
32:32So Juwan Taylor, who has started every game he's played in as a pro, it's been well over a hundred starts.
32:39Didn't practice an OTAs or mini camp because of an ongoing undisclosed injury, but he's expected to start, but we don't know how it's going to look.
32:48So Michael Jarrell, who is with Seattle, started a couple of games, 20, 24, Seattle.
32:53He's back. He's been the main guy with the ones that ride tackle.
32:57One day more. So they just acquired from the chiefs a week and a half, uh, almost a month ago.
33:04I don't know when it was some point here in the last couple of weeks.
33:09Let's split the difference, right? Yeah. Somewhere in there.
33:12Time moves slow and fast at the same time this time of year.
33:16Uh, he's, I think he'll be more of their swing tackle.
33:20So moral of the story, great offensive line continuity.
33:23You had Callahan, who's an incredibly well-known offensive line coach, great talent developer.
33:27They'd had the same offensive line coach, Dwayne Ledford, who's now at the Ravens for five years or so.
33:33He'd been, he was a, he was very, very good.
33:37And so you, but now you add another elite offensive line coach to where these guys who were already extremely well coached
33:44can now hear it this other way that I think it helped them out too.
33:49So their offensive line should be good. Like that's moral of the story, right tackle.
33:54They have bodies, they have solid bodies. We'll see if Juwan Taylor can be a guy, but if he is, and if
34:01he's as good as they believe that he will be, then they're going to be in pretty good shape up front.
34:08So you look at their offense, the weapons they have, their quarterbacks and the health issues each of them have had in the past.
34:16You kind of get to a point where you say, okay, how's the offensive line?
34:21This line is going to be pretty good. So that's, that's my viewpoint on it anyways.
34:26Obviously we can't really judge that from what we've seen just because it's, they're not in pads and they haven't done a
34:33lot of 11 on 11 anyways, but who they've got coming back, who they have coached in the room and the bodies
34:40they have, the options they have at right tackle makes me confident.
34:44They'll have a pretty good offensive line, which if you're one of the quarterbacks, you got to be pretty thrilled about that.
34:52Right. Right. Cause, uh, every more time you get the better.
34:55Yeah. I mean, that's, that's winning the trenches, right?
34:58So it's good thing. The continuity there is huge.
35:01You know what I mean? That, that should put that foundation together and hopefully push this whole offense forward.
35:07All right. Let's wrap this up with you. Just kind of giving an overview of what you're doing, what you're working on, what you're looking forward to.
35:16Give it a couple minutes. Yeah, man. So it's one of the fun parts, fun, challenging, um, at times hard to balance
35:24parts of our job this time of year is the entirety of OTAs and minicamp balancing, um, what you're seeing and doing
35:31stuff that is timely for that all the while when you're talking with people storing away content ideas for this next month and a half.
35:39So, um, I feel that I had a very good OTA and minicamp period of talking to as many people as I
35:46could and getting as much as I could. So I'm very excited.
35:50I counted it up after Wednesday of last week about ideas that I had and what I had enough to do stories
35:57on guys and on competition battles and that stuff.
36:00And I had like 17 story ideas that I wanted to attack over the next month, month and a half.
36:07So all that to say quiet time of year in terms of on field, but I feel like I've gotten enough content
36:14over the last month and a half or so in flowery branch to where we're going to have a lot of great stuff coming out on AJC.com.
36:23And, um, a lot of, a lot of player in depth, um, long form ideas I've had that are in the works.
36:30And a few of those you might save until August, just because our readership will be higher in August than it is right now.
36:38But, um, a lot of cool ideas, you know, I, I have, uh, in the works there's, there's one about, um, one
36:45of the running backs on the, on the team went to the Dominican Republic as a part of like a big community service project.
36:53And he was talking about like metal houses and houses that are being held together only by like junkyard scraps and, and
37:01how he was able to impact the kids over there, like small things like that.
37:06And then on field stuff, like how Xavier Watts, Jesse Bates being very similar players, but also incredibly smart, how that's basically
37:13been able to make this connection where they don't have to say anything to each other.
37:18They can just see a play happen and they just know immediately that kind of thing where you have an elite duo
37:25of this is why they're so good. So got a lot of good stuff coming out on that one.
37:32And then a lot of other stuff, a lot of, we'll have a handful of things out on Rajon Robinson, John Dotson, the QBs, obviously.
37:40So excited about that, man. And, um, excited also to kind of get to breathe a little bit here leading into that July 29th training camp opener.
37:49No, that's excellent. And everyone obviously at the bottom of, you know, this score bug down there, Daniel's info is down there where you can find his work.
37:58Follow him on Twitter. You know, this guy crushes the Falcons beat, you know, give him a follow.
38:04He'll take care of you for Daniel flick. I'm Matt Olson.
38:07We'll talk to you guys later. Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from it mobile.
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