00:00And the new Falcon rookies survived minicamp over the weekend, starting to settle in to see where their roles may
00:07be.
00:07Kevin Stefanski actually talked about how Avion Terrell could play inside or outside cornerback for us.
00:13I think he certainly has inside-outside flex.
00:17I think that word versatility comes to mind with somebody that can line up all over, including the backfield, including
00:23in motion, those type of things.
00:25So I don't think there's a limit to where he can line up on the field.
00:31I mean, no, it shouldn't be.
00:33That's the cool thing is the versatility.
00:35I mean, that's kind of what you haven't had, Mike.
00:41It feels like everybody's kind of falling into one role, and then the versatility is something that you haven't had
00:46and that you've been looking for in that position.
00:49This is interesting because I want to ask you this question.
00:51I thought through this after hearing this cut.
00:54Do we feel this way because he's a second-rounder?
00:57Like, if you had drafted a corner with a top-15 pick and you had kept 13 and you had
01:03drafted a corner, would you look at it and go,
01:04no, dude, that's got to be our outside guy where Mike Hughes was last year?
01:09But it's like the optionality that comes along with being back in the second round and looking at his skill
01:14set and saying,
01:15yeah, he can do a couple of different things for us.
01:17I feel like that is a – it's not a book.
01:19I think it's a feature of being a second-rounder.
01:21I think it's his size.
01:23I think if he was AJ's size, if he was 6'1", I think he would be like – but
01:32I think the fact that he's a little bit shorter,
01:34he played a little bit there in college, he kind of floated around from there,
01:38and he did multiple things depending on, you know, what kind of – the personnel that was in and that
01:47type of stuff,
01:47you know, the package the offense is running.
01:49I think because he did that, that that's why you think it that way.
01:55I don't think – because I think most Falcons fans saw Avion Terrell projected as a first-round pick last
02:04year.
02:04You know, hey, this guy's looking – projecting to be a first-round, and then, you know, the – what
02:10was it?
02:11Was it the hamstring for him or the growing?
02:14I think it was hamstring.
02:16And I think it was hamstring, too, in that they kind of slowed down his pro day 40,
02:20and he didn't run at the combine.
02:22I think that is what – that is what – the fact that he fell – I don't think that
02:27has to do with it.
02:28I think it's the fact that his size and kind of what you've heard about how he likes to –
02:33he's good in the run game, he'll stick his nose in there, that kind of stuff.
02:37It's not the fact that he was a second-rounder.
02:40I think that is, to me, not a product of that at all.
02:43That's not how I'm thinking about it anyways because I view him as a guy
02:46that could have been drafted in the first round, and I think a lot of people see that.
02:49They saw that ranking for him.
02:51I agree, but I think we're at risk of talking ourselves in a circle here
02:54because I would argue that his size is actually the reason he fell to the second round.
02:58I think that that would kind of come along with it and say, you know,
03:01the reason he was in the second is because of what his stature is.
03:04But, again, that's talking in circles.
03:06There was an article from Ben Solak of ESPN that kind of echoes pretty much
03:10what you guys are saying about Mike Hughes and Avion Terrell.
03:13So he also mentioned Zachariah Branch said he could land the No. 2 receiver job.
03:17But since Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson weren't on the team last year,
03:21this is kind of a neutral position, and it's really up to anyone or up for anyone.
03:27And Zachariah Branch over the weekend talked about how he's versatile
03:29and could line up inside or outside as a receiver.
03:32Yes, sir.
03:33I feel really comfortable.
03:34You know, I think I can run routes from inside and outside pretty much my whole life.
03:37You know, I just, you know, got a chance to do it from the inside primarily last year.
03:41I mean, I had a great offense at Georgia with Coach Bobo,
03:44so I had a great job and a great time over there with them,
03:46the way that they utilized me and allowed me to help my team, you know,
03:49get the SEC championship.
03:50So that's always good.
03:51And then being able to expand that while I get to the Falcons
03:54and get more comfortable with the offense is something that I'm really excited for.
03:58Loved a lot of things he had to say.
04:00Loved the content coming out of him, shaking everybody's hand.
04:02And really cool to hear from him.
04:05But I think that Solak's right.
04:07Like, there's a really good chance you spend a lot of time in 12 personnel next year.
04:13And if that's the case, you're going to be selecting those two wide receivers
04:17that are on the field with Kyle Pitts and Austin Hooper or whoever that is.
04:22You're going to be selecting those based off formations and situation.
04:25You know what I mean?
04:26Like, there will be times Zachary Branch and Drake London will be on the field together.
04:29But you didn't sign Dodson and Zaccheaus to do your contracts with the money
04:33that you've got guaranteed to them without thinking they were going to have a major role
04:36in this offense.
04:36There's something for them to do as well.
04:38And I don't think – I don't – I guess I have gotten slowly out of this whole
04:46he's the starter in positions like running back and wide receiver and tight end.
04:52I mean, you can have a guy play – say, Zachary Branch could be in there on 25 snaps
04:59and get seven targets.
05:00Is he really a second-string player?
05:03Because he's probably seven targets.
05:04He's probably got the second-most targets on the team at that point in a game, right?
05:10So I don't really pay attention.
05:11I think Dodson will be that guy.
05:13I wonder – I'm more curious about how Drake London is used in Kevin Safancy's
05:20offense because he's been, in the last few years, has been kind of a power slot player.
05:27And now you've gotten – think about what is – how big is Dodson?
05:33Is he 6'1"?
05:34Yeah, I'd say – I would have guessed 6'2 before he said that.
05:38But you never know with how they stretch the numbers a little bit.
05:40But Drake is what?
05:426'4"?
05:436'4", at least.
05:44Yeah, 6'4".
05:44At least.
05:44So if you look at some of these guys, you know, Dodson is 5'11".
05:49Yes.
05:50And so you've got 5'11", Dodson.
05:53You've got 5 –
05:53Of course Dylan knows that.
05:54You've got 5'8".
05:55Yeah, of course.
05:56That's a good call.
05:57No, I just looked it up.
05:58We're not going to start this today.
05:59But think about this.
06:00Yeah, dude.
06:00I was overreaching there.
06:02You've got 5'8", Olamide.
06:05You've got 5'8", Zachariah Branch.
06:09Devin Tompkins is on your roster at 5'7".
06:13Now, then you've got Dylan Drummond at 6'0".
06:18And you've signed a couple other guys, too.
06:20But did your receiver ram, Leet Rutherford, is got it.
06:23Bo Cass Jones in there while we're at it.
06:25Which is what?
06:255'9"?
06:26Yeah, I bet.
06:26So you have Drake London and a bunch of Squidbillies, size-wise.
06:32Like, height-wise.
06:33They're all 5'8".
06:34We're all 5'8".
06:34Everybody's 5'8", but Drake London.
06:36So what is Austin Hooper going to do?
06:39What is Kyle Pitt –
06:41Where's Kyle Pitts going to be?
06:44You went from a team that was –
06:46For a while, you wanted bigger, slower receivers who blocked well.
06:53So now everybody's little jitterbugs.
06:56I have these tiny hands.
06:59But you know what I'm saying?
07:00You see, my point is your wide receiver room now looks a lot more like it did
07:04when Matt Ryan was playing when you had –
07:08More towards the end when Roddy's gone and Sanu is kind of in there a little bit,
07:13but it's like Julio and a bunch of guys under 6'0", who were really fast and could move
07:20and moved well in space.
07:22Well, it's interesting that we're trying to figure out exactly how everyone's going to
07:26fall into their roles for this upcoming season because they're trying to figure it out themselves.
07:30Kendall Daniels also talked at rookie minicamp over the weekend about how he doesn't know
07:35what his best role is going to be.
07:37Well, I don't know.
07:38You know, it's been – I've played a lot of positions and I've been in a lot of situations,
07:42so it's kind of hard.
07:44I'm just a rookie, so I don't know what I'll be best at or what I'm best at.
07:49You know, I played everywhere last season and wherever they want me to play this season,
07:52I'll play it.
07:53If they want me to go hold the kick, one field goal, I'll go do it.
07:57So whatever they want me to do, I'll do it to the best of my ability.
08:00That sounds like a guy who spent a lot of last season playing 12 yards off in the slot
08:05at 245 pounds because that's exactly what happened.
08:08And it's like, yeah, I mean, the body type, the size and everything that comes along with it,
08:13you do feel like he can do multiple things.
08:16I'm interested to hear more from him like in the near future and throughout, you know,
08:20this entire process as soon as he settles in because what I hear right there in a rookie
08:24minicamp is did my head swimming and I'm just trying to get in where I fit in.
08:28Like we can talk about, you know, options as far as flexing and doing different things
08:33at a later date.
08:34Like I just want to make sure that I'm not like jumping into the neutral zone or,
08:38you know, something crazy at this point.
08:41I don't know.
08:42I play everywhere.
08:44I do it every day.
08:45It sounded like a guy swimming, man.
08:46I've heard that before.
08:46I just want to be here.
08:48Help me.
08:49I'm just happy to be here.
08:51You know, whatever they need.
08:53I saw a guy with a weed eater earlier and I asked him, you know, can I help you?
08:57I don't even know what question you asked.
08:59Jersey number 45.
09:00I'm going to answer the same to everything.
09:02You know, what's surprising to me is they had a couple, not, all right.
09:07It's not surprising that they had a couple of young veterans.
09:11I see young veterans.
09:12Second year players there at rookie minicamp.
09:14But the fact that Joshua Simon was there and tight end.
09:20Well, I think he was at South Carolina last year.
09:21It's phenomenal.
09:23He was on the practice squad.
09:24He is, if Kyle Pitts isn't here next year because he plays his way out of town or, you know,
09:35whether he plays so well you can't afford him or it just doesn't work out, I think Simon
09:41is a guy that could be that next pass catching tight end here.
09:45And I think he's also a name that you might want to look at.
09:49Look, I don't know what they're going to do with Charlie Warner role if they're going
09:52to have that H-back type player, right, that full-back, H-back, hybrid, tight end kind
09:59of guy.
09:59But if Charlie Warner, if they keep four tight ends, Simon's maybe on the roster.
10:04And if Charlie Warner doesn't make it because they value the position doing something else,
10:09it might be because of Simon too.
10:11Like, I've heard a lot of good things about him.
10:14I'm wondering if he's not the future of the position for the Falcons.
10:17Now, it sounds crazy because he was a UDFA and now here he is, you know, rookie minicamp
10:22again, but it's not, you know, it could happen.
10:26It could.
10:28No, I'm with you.
10:29There's some up in the air there.
10:30I would ask the question, where was he at last year when Tegan Quatoriano was out in
10:3513, 13 personnel?
10:37I don't know.
10:38But that's the thing to me is they wanted Quatoriano to block more than anything I felt
10:41like, right?
10:43I mean, that's what it felt like every time Quatoriano was on the field.
10:46I don't know what Simon's like measurements are in terms of, you know, like on the, on
10:51the program.
10:51But when we were out at practice, I distinctly remember like, I don't know who that is.
10:54That's a big dude.
10:56And yeah, he is.
10:57He's a big dude.
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