BUFORD, Ga.— The Atlanta Falcons showed off their new players — and a healthy dose of optimism — in front of fans on Saturday night.
The Falcons practiced at Seckinger High School, only a short drive from the team’s usual practice facility in Flowery Branch. Because of ongoing renovations at their headquarters, the visit to the high school stadium provided the first of only two opportunities for home fans to watch the team during training camp this year — and there was a long line of them waiting to get in an hour before the gates opened.
General manager Terry Fontenot, speaking to spectators before the practice, proclaimed the Falcons boast the best fan base in the NFL. Fontenot said he was looking forward to the fans enjoying “however many home playoff games we have.”
It was heady talk for the GM of a team coming off three consecutive 7-10 records. The Falcons’ most recent playoff appearance came in the 2017 season.
The Falcons are basing their hopes on an offense that has added quarterbacks Kirk Cousins via free agency and Michael Penix Jr. via the draft. Atlanta returns running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London, a trio of young players taken in recent drafts, and has added receivers Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore.
Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million deal in March with $100 million guaranteed, is returning from a torn right Achilles’ tendon incurred last season with the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins took all the first-team snaps through offseason drills and the first three days of training camp.
Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft this past spring, is viewed as the future starter and is sharing second-team snaps with Taylor Heinicke.
Cousins looked sharp Saturday in two completions to Pitts, including one in which the tight end took advantage of his 6-foot-6 frame while reaching for a sideline grab. Robinson, meanwhile, drew a positive response from the fans with a spinning run through the middle.
First-year Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was asked if it’s too early to be impressed by the crisp passing game.
“It’s hard to say impressed, right?” Morris said, adding he did like seeing the offense operate without mistakes on Friday in what he described as a low-key practice.
“I kind of like the format, right?” Morris said. “They got a chance to get people fine-tuned. They got a chance to get people back in the mental stage of where you’re at. And it really kind of paid off, right? There were limited problems, limited execution problems, had limited penalties.”
Morris said he and team executives came up with the idea of holding the practice at the high school “to get them, you know, Friday night lights back,” Morris said. “Let’s get a chance to get back out there in the field and be at the high school. … That’s exciting. It’s exciting to be around your fans because you want the test for your guys really to tune them out, but at the same time, feel the presence, feel that energy.”
London, who left Friday’s practice early after becoming overheated, returned for a walk-through session Friday afternoon, Morris said. London was with the team on Saturday.
The second chance for local fans to see the Falcons during training camp will come on Aug. 2, when the team will hold a practice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.