FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons had one amongst their projected beginning defensive backs carted off the discover field Friday at some stage in practicing camp.
Cornerback Jeff Okudah went down after breaking apart a straggle are attempting from quarterback Desmond Ridder to huge receiver Frank Darby in one-on-one drills. Okudah used to be unable to face up on his absorb, which drew the eye of the Falcons’ scientific crew. Whereas being transported to the locker room, an athletic coach used to be tending to Okudah’s right ankle.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith had no company update on Okudah after discover previous confirming it used to be indeed an ankle hurt.
“We are going to comprise more once he will get achieved with an MRI,” Smith said. “Expectantly, or no longer it is optimistic and he’ll be advantage in the market, but that’s roughly where we’re at. I hate to be that imprecise. It is never any longer the time to be imprecise for aggressive edge or whatever.”
Okudah joined the Falcons this offseason, having been traded from the Detroit Lions to Atlanta for a fifth-spherical draft pick. The Lions on the muse drafted Okudah with the No. 3 overall pick in 2020 out of Ohio Grunt.
Closing season, Okudah looked in career-excessive 15 games with 73 tackles, seven straggle breakups, and a forced fumble. The one interception he snagged against the Chicago Bears, he returned for a 20-yard touchdown.
Okudah spent portion of 2020 and most of 2021 on injured reserve.
“The hunch is never any longer over,” Smith said. “Sadly, Jeff has had some accidents. And I yelp this generally, most regularly or no longer it is never any longer unprejudiced bodily rehab; or no longer it is mental. There are a mode of boundaries you’ve got to beat. We’re conscious of that. Expectantly we derive upright news out of the MRI, and then we are going to unprejudiced take it from there.”
Smith used to be conscious of these previous Okudah, too.
As soon as Okudah used to be long gone, Smith took a moment to register on his defensive teammates. He thought some would comprise to task what took place in their very absorb technique. And he used to be right. People of the secondary and linebacker crew got here collectively, took a knee and prayed.
“It’s a shut crew,” Smith said. “Infrequently you demand issues. Sadly, we comprise seen stuff. When issues are an apparent rupture, these are laborious to survey at. It wasn’t anything admire that, happily. But they care about their teammate.”
In Okudah’s absence, Tre Flowers lined up at cornerback opposite A.J. Terrell at some stage in seven-on-seven work. That left Cornell Armstrong and Clark Phillips with the second crew.
Dee Alford and Mike Hughes then labored in the slot space in the Falcons’ nickel bundle.
“Tre has trip, he’s a old school, and he has conducted more than one roles,” Smith said. “But he’s unprejudiced one amongst the fellows that’s competing essentially upright in the market. Cornell Armstrong. Clark (Phillips III). Mike (Hughes). Dee (Alford). We now comprise bought a mode of depth at a mode of spots.
“Expectantly, we derive upright news on Jeff. But we feel admire we comprise upright depth and upright opponents.”
Roll name: Offensive lineman Matt Hennessy and tight pause Jonnu Smith had been the handiest active Falcons individuals lacking from Friday’s discover. Fullback Keith Smith and working advantage Cordarrelle Patterson had been advantage in the market after taking Wednesday off with old school relaxation days. … Defensive lineman Calais Campbell stays on the non-football hurt checklist, while working advantage Avery Williams and offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge are on injured reserve. Greenidge used to be positioned Thursday on IR.
Acquainted face: Feeble Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan attended Friday’s discover alongside with his 5-yr-frail twins, Marshall Thomas and John Matthew. Whereas the participant himself used to be dressed down in a sunless T-shirt, the early life had been every wearing their father’s frail No. 2 jersey. They frolicked on the sphere in space of in the stands.
The elder Ryan, for certain, conducted in Atlanta from 2008-21 earlier than getting traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. Friday marked Ryan’s first seek suggestion from advantage to the Falcons’ facility since then and since the news Ryan will be working as an analyst for CBS Sports activities in 2023.
Ryan used to be it sounds as if supposed to advance advantage by in the spring but by no design made it.
“I make no longer know what he’s doing,” Smith said. “Getting willing for TV, I’m determined. I make no longer know if he bought a brand unusual dresser, stylist or something.
“We admire Matt. I enjoyed the hell out of the yr I bought to work with him. Dave (Ragone, offensive coordinator) and I pause involved with him. We now comprise early life the identical age. He does no longer dwell that removed from me. I admire having Matt out here.”
Smith is never any longer the handiest one.
“It used to be upright seeing Matt,” Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett said. “I would seen him in the locker room. He got here out as a surprise, he and the boys. That is one amongst doubtlessly among the finest quarterbacks to advance advantage thru here, ever. Falcons memoir. Love Matt, always loved Matt.”
Touchdown time: The Falcons had been red hot in the red zone Friday. Well, for doubtlessly the most portion. All three quarterback had been given three plays, and handiest one essentially struggled.
Under is the breakdown.
*Desmond Ridder: *
— Incomplete straggle to working advantage Bijan Robinson (straggle breakup by security Richie Grant)
— Touchdown straggle to tight pause Kyle Pitts
— Touchdown straggle to MyCole Pruitt
Taylor Heinicke:
— Touchdown straggle to working advantage Carlos Washington Jr.
— Touchdown straggle tight pause Parker Hesse
— Touchdown straggle to huge receiver Josh Ali
*Logan Woodside: *
— Sacked by defensive lineman Kemoko Turay
— Incomplete straggle to huge receiver Slade Bolden
— Incomplete straggle to huge receiver Zay Malone
“You clearly comprise a mode of a mode of stuff it is seemingly you’ll make down there, but or no longer it is considerable to be in a neighborhood to work with what I name some apparent straggle instances,” Smith said. “You derive into serious downs in the game. Treasure an apparent straggle shall be third-and-8 down there. We labored some fourth-and-6, fourth-and-5. Things admire that to position a exiguous bit stress, doubtlessly among the finest we can kind.
“I thought, offensively, we looked reasonably clear.”
Franks clears waivers, now on IR: Three Falcons launched with an hurt designation cleared waivers and reverted to season-ending injured reserve. That checklist includes defensive lineman Ikenna Enechukwu, receiver Chris Blair and tight pause Feleipe Franks.
Franks has been with the crew since 2021, first as a quarterback, then a hybrid offensive participant earlier than being totally transformed to tight pause. The experiment used to be a work in progress at some stage in 2022 and remained so in camp, but it absolutely’s a minimum of conceivable the Franks will get any other shot to create an influence great of a roster space in 2024. His inspiring size and talent establish enables him to throw and be a straggle catcher downfield, besides to to a successfully-known particular teams participant. Franks is scheduled to be a restricted free agent at season’s pause. — SB
Additional tidbits: DL Grady Jarrett had a strip sack on Ridder. LB Kaden Elliss recovered the fumble. … WR Mack Hollins made a convincing fetch alongside the sideline against CB A.J. Terrell in seven-on-seven drills. QB Desmond Ridder threw the deep straggle. … WR Keilahn Harris and WR Xavier Malone circled as kick returners on particular teams.
Scott Bair contributed to this document.
