Meet Rondale Moore, Atlanta Falcons WR 'Starting to Heat Up' in Training Camp

Atlanta Falcons receiver Rondale Moore has made a strong impression on head coach Raheem Morris.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Rondale Moore is trending in the right direction as training camp rolls forward. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins dropped back to pass, looked left and fired a bullet to receiver Rondale Moore, who created space on a curl route and finished with a strong catch.

The play, which occurred Wednesday afternoon at IBM Performance Field, marked Moore's second reception in as many snaps -- and his first two grabs with the Falcons' first-team offense since OTAs.

Just over 24 hours prior, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris made Moore a topic of conversation. While discussing starting slot receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, Morris mentioned Moore as a weapon trending in the right direction.

"Rondale’s starting to heat up a little bit right now in camp," Morris said.

Perhaps more importantly, Morris confirmed the battle between McCloud and Moore, which started during OTAs, is still ongoing as training camp progresses. Both players have been used similarly this summer, from pop passes and screens to return responsibilities.

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Morris added he's pleased with how Moore and McCloud have approached the day-to-day competition, citing detail, work ethic and a go-getter mentality that's elevated the room.

For Moore, winning races has never been a problem. He fell behind McCloud early, with a hamstring injury causing him to miss multiple practices during OTAs. Now, the former Purdue University standout has been forced to catch up.

It is something he's had to do from the moment the Arizona Cardinals traded him to the Falcons for quarterback Desmond Ridder on March 14.

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When Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot called Moore's phone after finalizing the trade, he heard several rings before landing on voicemail.

The reason? Moore was in the middle of a workout. The trade wasn't a surprise to Moore, who said he'd been in communication with Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort.

Upon getting back to his phone, Moore saw a message from Ossenfort, who became his first call after completing the workout. Then, another workout began -- this one much less physically taxing.

"I had to call everyone back," Moore said.

Moore was, if only partially, familiar with Morris ahead of time. The two indirectly faced off from 2021-23, when Morris was the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator and had to gameplan against Moore twice a year during that time -- a process Morris said drove him nuts.

Moore played five games against Morris and the Rams, catching 21 passes for 192 yards to go along with seven carries for 16 yards. He had one of the best performances of his young career on Nov. 13, 2022, against Los Angeles, posting nine receptions for 94 yards.

But the success Moore found against Morris didn't consistently translate. Through three professional seasons, Moore has made 135 receptions for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns but is yet to eclipse 450 receiving yards in a season. In 2023, he set career-lows with 40 catches for 352 yards and a score.

Moore did, however, produce a career year on the ground, taking 28 attempts for 178 yards and a touchdown. He believes the role flexibility he showed in Arizona will carry over to Atlanta.

"Just versatility, man," Moore said. "Being able to contribute in multiple positions -- obviously the return game, inside, outside, in the backfield, wherever."

Moore added offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has a unique system, with motions and mismatches granting each receiver the chance to play both inside and outside. As such, all of them must know every position on each play.

But the Falcons have a specific role for Moore, who has been used extensively on receiver screens. He's shown he can do more as a pure receiver, including catching a back-shoulder pass from rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. against former All-Pro cornerback A.J. Terrell to move the chains in seven-on-sevens.

The 24-year-old Moore has made a few mistakes during camp. Before pads came on, he dropped a deep ball from Penix that him in the hands and fell to the ground.

On Wednesday, Atlanta's second practice in pads, the New Albany, Ind. native caught a tight-window pass from Penix over the middle -- but cornerback Clark Phillips III, who was on Moore's back hip, knocked the ball out and intercepted it.

When the Falcons split into two fields for walkthroughs, Moore often works with the third- and fourth-string players.

Still, as Morris said Tuesday, Moore has enjoyed a strong camp. He's been one of Penix's favorite targets, and is now back in the fold with the first- and second-team offense.

The Falcons entered this offseason wanting to get faster and more explosive around No. 1 receiver Drake London. While the 5-foot-7, 181-pound Moore, who ran a 4.29 40-yard dash and logged a 42.5-inch vertical jump during the 2021 pre-draft process, has taken his bumps and bruises this summer, he remains an integral part in executing the original plan.

"Rondale might be one of the faster humans in the National Football League," receivers coach Ike Hilliard said during OTAs. "We just need him to continue to grow and progress in this offense -- that'll be huge for all of us, just so he can establish himself and carve out a role that is significant to what we try to put on tape."

Moore is embracing the challenge to find his niche and contribute to Atlanta's offense. To play the level of snaps he ultimately wants, he will have to beat out McCloud as training camp and joint practices ramp up and the preseason grows near.

But for now, Moore's approach is the same as it's always been -- becoming the best version of himself.

"Just come in every day, do my job, work as hard as I can," Moore said, "and let the cards fall where they may."