Atlanta Falcons Training Camp Recap: Kyle Pitts Stars as Pads Return

Tight end Kyle Pitts and quarterback Kirk Cousins were among the stars on Day 5 of Atlanta Falcons training camp.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is having a strong training camp. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- As pads popped for the first time this summer and coaches paced with excitement, football -- in as close to its truest form as it has been all offseason -- returned for the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday at IBM Performance Field.

"It's always good to get out here and get back to playing football," outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter said after practice. "We've been running around with shorts and tees on for months now, and finally get to play the sport we signed up for."

Naturally, Carter said he thinks the defense won the day, but running back Tyler Allgeier said that while the offense started slow, it ultimately finished strong, leading to an offensive victory.

Perhaps nothing better summarizes Atlanta's day than that -- competitive yet balanced, with a handful of standouts.

Here's a rundown of Atlanta's first day in pads ...

Pitts Looks Fluid, Smooth

Tuesday not only marked Atlanta's first day in pads, but also its first time doing one-on-one battles. And tight end Kyle Pitts, who is fully healthy for the first time in nearly two years, was the star of the show.

Pitts had three goal-to-go matchups with safety DeMarcco Hellams and won all three. The first came on a goal line fade to the back left corner of the endzone, followed by a physical finish in front of the goal post where both players hit the ground.

On their final rep, Pitts released outside before breaking inside for a slant, getting Hellams twisted. By the time Hellams recovered, Pitts had all the space he needed, and rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s pass was already well on its way.

It's the continuation of a strong summer for Pitts, who eclipsed 1,000 yards and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie but has struggled in the two years since due to injuries and quarterback struggles.

Between noticeable rhythm with quarterback Kirk Cousins and a greater target emphasis from Cousins and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, Pitts is trending in the right direction -- and his teammates are noticing, too.

"He's been doing his thing," Allgeier said. "It's been good seeing him being mobile and loose."

Ground Game Strong, McGary Impresses in 11-on-11

With pads on, the offensive and defensive lines were naturally more representative Tuesday than in any of the first four sessions of camp -- defensive line coach Jay Rodgers said afterwards it was his group's first real practice.

Much of the excitement surrounding Atlanta's offense has centered an uptick in pass attempts, but the rushing attack held serve Tuesday. Allgeier and Bijan Robinson had several big pickups, including one from Allgeier where right tackle Kaleb McGary tossed outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie to the ground.

The Falcons' defensive line had a few stops, including second-year pro Zach Harrison slipping inside a block from right guard Chris Lindstrom to impact one play.

Among personnel notes, defensive tackle Demone Harris saw a handful of snaps with the first-team unit, something he's been trending toward in recent practices.

In a day marked by physicality, nickel cornerback Dee Alford brought a lot of it. He was aggressive -- perhaps too much so, as he had a would-be hold on receiver Ray-Ray McCloud in one-on-ones -- but feisty and vocal, blowing up a screen pass during team drills.

Atlanta's secondary had a solid day, headlined by safety Jessie Bates III intercepting Cousins on the first play of starters vs. starters in 11-on-11s.

Cousins finished the afternoon 8-of-11 through the air, hitting tight end Charlie Woerner three times in drills. He also found Pitts twice, including a 15-yard out route accompanied by a handful-more yards after the catch.

One particular completion worth noting: Cousins hit Pitts on a short stop route over the middle for a gain of around seven yards. The play itself was nothing special, but Pitts was not the primary read on the play and still received the ball.

This idea -- Cousins working through progressions and Pitts getting more chances despite not being the initial target -- is something Zac Robinson said should bode well for Pitts this fall.

Rookie Report

Penix had a more sporadic afternoon, going 6-of-10. During one-on-ones, he was intercepted by backup nickel corner Antonio Hamilton Jr., who jumped an in-breaking route from receiver Chris Blair to force the takeaway.

During accuracy-stressing warmups, Penix had a few misses none of the other passers did -- he once airmailed quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates in the corner of the endzone with tall, rectangular net screens in between the two.

On the defensive line, second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro and fourth-round selection Brandon Dorlus worked more with the second-team group, as has become more common as camp has progressed.

Third-round edge rusher Bralen Trice joined them as first-field, second-team players. Trice drew praise from Falcons head coach Raheem Morris before the session.

"He's been excited," Morris said. "I remember when he first got here, I had to tell him slow down and get away from Kirk. He's really learned his lesson. He's only had probably one close encounter with Kirk since we started with camp and since he's got some of his lessons.

"That's just a young player growing that’s going to give us some really good things this year, so he's excited.”

Fourth-round linebacker J.D. Bertrand worked with the second-team defense and appears safe as the No. 4 linebacker behind Kaden Elliss, Nate Landman and Troy Andersen.

Sixth-round running back Jase McClellan led the third- and fourth-team offense with six carries, his largest workload to date. He had an impressive run in the team period, his pads bouncing off Andersen's after bursting through the right side of the offensive line.

Atlanta's two other sixth-round picks -- receiver Casey Washington and defensive tackle Zion Logue -- were quiet. Washington remained smooth in drills but didn't stand out in the team portion.

Extracurriculars

After finishing the period of offense vs. defense, a group of Cousins, Bijan Robinson, London, Pitts and receiver Darnell Mooney ran light jog-through routes while Zac Robinson, Yates and assistant quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams talked in a small circle around 10 yards up the field. They did similar things during OTAs, continuing to work through installations.

While Cousins took the snaps, the rest of the quarterback room watched -- except for backup Taylor Heinicke, who started running routes from the slot. At one point, Morris jumped into the install process and played nickel corner, carrying Heinicke's route up the seam.

Kicker Younghoe Koo went 4-of-6 on field goals, missing from 47 and 57 yards. On one of his misses, the wind surged toward him and to the right, and the ball fell softly to the ground, several yards short of the goal post.

Both of Atlanta's free agent signings from Monday night -- receivers James Washington and Jesse Matthews -- were present at practice Tuesday. Matthews made a few smooth catches from Cousins during warmups.

The Falcons return to practice at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday before taking off Thursday. They will hold an open practice at 6 p.m. Friday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tickets, which are $5 and benefit Emory Healthcare, are available HERE.