Training camps have kicked off around the NFL, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. The Atlanta Falcons' camp is taking place in Flowery Branch, Georgia, and Falcons reporter Marc Raimondi has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and of course the quarterback room.
What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at Falcons camp. We will update this file often with the latest updates. Will the draft class help a moribund pass rush? Will tight end Kyle Pitts be ready to go? Who are the breakouts to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?
Let's get into it all, and be sure to keep checking back for more information until the first full week of the preseason begins on Aug. 7.
Latest news from Falcons camp
Wednesday, July 23
There was big praise for the Falcons rookie class on arrival day. Pro Bowl right guard Chris Lindstrom said the rookies "blew my doors off" in terms of preparation and how they worked during the spring. Veteran linebacker Kaden Elliss said the "sky is the limit" for No. 15 overall pick Jalon Walker, who will start the season mainly as an edge rusher. Elliss said Walker, who played both at an inside linebacker and edge at Georgia, could excel at either position, if not a hybrid of both.
"I'm excited for him," Elliss said. "I understand why they drafted him. I see the explosiveness and, man, he's always got a smile on him."
Walker and No. 26 overall pick James Pearce Jr., another edge rusher, are expected to play early and often for a Falcons team that has struggled in recent years at getting to the quarterback.
The Falcons will begin practice Thursday and there are no expected holdouts. Tight end Kyle Pitts, who is in a contract year, was seen Wednesday morning arriving after missing the spring with an injury.