Everything to Know from Falcons Training Camp Practice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Atlanta Falcons held their seventh practice of training camp Friday.

Led by head coach Raheem Morris, the Atlanta Falcons practiced Friday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

ATLANTA -- As players took pictures, signed autographs and tossed hats into the stands after ending training camp practice No. 7 on Friday night, Atlanta Falcons football was officially back in Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time in 2024.

Well, sort of.

Atlanta finished a stretch of seven practices in nine days with a padded session in front of fans, marking the second and final time this training camp for supporters to watch the team.

The practice lasted from 6-8 p.m. and featured a plethora of 11-on-11 periods, resulting in a night of lessons learned for Falcons coach Raheem Morris.

Here's what to know from Atlanta's seventh training camp practice ...

Cousins Sharp, Penix Battles Inconsistency

During Atlanta's first non-walkthrough practice July 26, quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. were both quite sharp. In the week since, Cousins has maintained his strong level of play, but Penix has had his fair share of struggles.

On Friday night, Cousins went 17-of-20 through the air, headlined by a touchdown pass to receiver Drake London. Against Atlanta's first-team defense, Cousins hit his first three passes -- his best was a tight-window 35-yarder to London down the right sideline, just over the outstretched hand of cornerback A.J. Terrell.

Cousins hit the turf for the first time as a Falcon on Friday, as a defensive lineman hit him in the pocket and knocked him down. However, the soon-to-be 36-year-old Cousins sprung to his feet and continued onward.

Penix, meanwhile, completed just 10-of-19 passes. He missed his first four attempts and five of his first six overall, and his first two were nearly intercepted.

As the session progressed, Penix heated up. He hit receiver Rondale Moore for several big pickups in tight windows and threw a strike to sixth-round rookie receiver Casey Washington to the far left sideline.

During two-minute drills, both Cousins and Penix led hypothetical game-winning field goal drives. Cousins took the offense to the 25-yard line, while Penix led the unit to the 35. Kicker Younghoe Koo connected on both attempts.

In essence, Atlanta's two premier quarterbacks -- the four-time Pro Bowler and nine-figure passer in Cousins and rookie top 10 pick in Penix -- have performed exactly as their resumes suggest.

Several Rookies Impress

Before the session, Morris referenced his time as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator in 2023, when a pair of third-round rookies -- defensive tackle Kobie Turner and outside linebacker Byron Young -- combined for 17 sacks.

And while such numbers are impossible to predict for Atlanta's current rookie class, there were plenty of positive signs Friday.

Fifth-round inside linebacker J.D. Bertrand had an active day as a blitzer, recording two would-be sacks against running back Carlos Washington Jr. and the third- and fourth-string offense. Bertrand has cemented himself as Atlanta's No. 4 linebacker and has enjoyed a promising start to camp.

Third-round outside linebacker Bralen Trice has been trending up over the past week and saw snaps with the first-team defense Friday night. While working with the starters, he played from a two-point stance as a pure outside linebacker, but when he rotated in with the reserves, he moved inside to 4i (shaded inside the tackle's shoulder) and had his hand in the dirt.

Running back Jase McClellan, one of three sixth-round choices, had a good week of practice with pads and continued the trend Friday. He's had several quality runs and, after missing all of OTAs and minicamp with an undisclosed pre-draft injury, has worked his way into the mix for a roster spot.

Washington, who joins McClellan as Atlanta's other Day 3 rookie offensive weapon, started strong, pulling in a pair of passes from Penix. However, after a full-extension catch sent him into the Mercedes-Benz turf, he was slow to get up. He eventually jogged back to the sideline but didn't catch another pass.

Extracurriculars

In a subtle display of leadership, Cousins swung his arm in frustration after the Falcons' offense was called for a pre-snap penalty during 11-on-11s. At the time, he'd completed seven consecutive passes -- but unit-wide perfection was his sole focus.

McClellan and Carlos Washington are in the midst of a competitive battle to be Atlanta's fourth-rostered running back. Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier and return specialist Avery Williams currently occupy the Falcons' room of ball carriers, but one of McClellan and Washington appear likely to join them.

Washington, an undrafted rookie in 2023 who spent last year on Atlanta's practice squad, has produced several good runs. He's a disciplined yet aggressive runner who sees rushing lanes develop and has the feet to hit them.

Elsewhere in the room, Allgeier and Robinson each had nine carries. Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said Tuesday that Allgeier will have a "great role" in the offense, and he's been utilized often thus far in camp.

Moore's rollercoaster camp continued Friday, as he was on the receiving end of multiple intermediate throws from Penix but also had a ball hit his hands, bounce in the air and come close to being intercepted.

On the defensive line, Demone Harris saw first-team snaps, as he's done more and more often since camp began. Harris, 28, was with Atlanta's practice squad last year and has played in 14 NFL games. Morris said before practice the Falcons may carry more defensive linemen than usual, and Harris is firmly in the mix to be a surprising roster inclusion.

In the secondary, Clark Phillips III saw more snaps as a first-team corner than he has all of camp, but not in place of Mike Hughes, his main competition for the starting No. 2 corner job. Instead, Phillips took snaps for Terrell and paired with Hughes to make up Atlanta's corner tandem.

At safety, Richie Grant and DeMarcco Hellams rotated more often than they have throughout camp, though Grant remains the primary option. Who plays most on gamedays this fall will likely be game- and package-dependent.

Hellams created the first moment of receiver/cornerback tension of camp Friday, delivering a big hit over the middle on starting slot receiver Ray-Ray McCloud to dislodge the ball and force an incompletion. London confronted Hellams after the play but the two sides separated and McCloud remained involved in the session.

In addition to his two made kicks during the two-minute drill, Koo went 4-of-5 in his own period. His lone miss hit off the right upright from 52 yards, but he followed by making a 56-yarder to end the session.