Atlanta Falcons: 3 Training camp battles to watch for 2018

Making sense of an NFL practice can be a daunting task. As Atlanta Falcons training camp nears, focus on these important position battles.

On Monday, the Atlanta Falcons released their full training camp schedule, which opens on July 27 with the first practice. If you have ever made the trip to Flowery Branch, GA or if you plan to make a visit to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 29 to watch a practice, you’ll need some help making sense of the organized chaos.

Observing a practice is not at all like watching a game, just as soon as you get comfortable with the action, a horn blows and everyone scatters. While it would be ideal to track the ups and downs of all 90 players, it’s not likely anyone can pull that off from outside the ropes.

There are, however, a few critical position battles that are worth paying special attention to.

1. Duke Riley vs. Emmanuel Ellerbee

Duke Riley had a decent rookie campaign, playing in 12 games and recording 30 tackles before suffering a knee injury that forced him to miss four games. There seems to be confidence amongst the defensive staff that Riley will retain the starting outside linebacker position, but there will be competition from a couple of rookies.

One of those first-year players that will challenge Riley will be Emmanuel Ellerbee from Rice. Ellerbee, athletically speaking, is tailor-made for Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme. The workout wonder from Rice had a jaw-dropping 42-inch vertical at his pro day and matched Riley’s 40-yard dash time while being three inches taller and carrying about 20 more pounds.

Luckily for Riley, the competition for the position will not happen on paper,  andhe will have the edge going into camp. But this position battle will be one to watch closely as it will round out one of the most dynamic linebacker groups in the NFL.

2. Isaiah Oliver vs. Brian Poole

Personal disclosure, Brian Poole could possibly be my favorite player on the Falcons defense. He has better coverage skills than a guy his size should and he hits like a linebacker. He has become a fixture in the Falcons secondary and finished fifth on the team in tackles last season. Okay, all previously stated biases aside, Poole has a battle on his hands as he heads into his third NFL season.

The Falcons caught a little flack nationally by using their second-round selection on a corner with more obvious needs elsewhere. The only clear explanation — other than Quinn’s fascination with long, athletic cornerbacks — is that Isaiah Oliver’s talent was too great to pass up. This is an interesting competition to keep an eye on because technically it isn’t a “starting position.” Or is it?

With so many three-or-four receiver sets these days the nickelback role is on the a significant amount and in some of the most critical down and distances. Lastly, if Oliver does impress early he could press Robert Alford for time on the outside, allowing Alford to man the slot, again limiting Poole’s time even more.

3. Russell Gage vs. Justin Hardy

Kick and punt returner may not be the most sexy positions to watch in practice. This battle is important, however, because of recent rule changes regarding kickoffs. The rule changes, regardless of what safety concerns that have been voiced, should result in more returns, not fewer.

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So, this brings up a place where a player can make himself very valuable. If there is a special teams player that can take on both return duties and coverage roles with success, a la Eric Weems of recent history, he is certain to have a spot among the final 53.

Hardy may be a more viable wide receiver option, but with the addition of Calvin Ridley, his snaps on offense are going to be even more limited. The Falcons struggled last season on kickoff coverage and this is where I think Gage may have the slight edge to win not one, but all of the return jobs.