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We are just 90 days away from the best time of the year, but until then, we will be following the Atlanta Falcons minicamp updates which kicked off on Tuesday, June 8.
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith address the media on Tuesday where he also made an announcement: Atlanta will be heading to Miami for a few days for a practice battle with the Dolphins at their new Miami Gardens training facility.
The Falcons will hold hold training camp practices with the Dolphins this summer.
The Falcons are scheduled for a preseason game against Brian Flores and his crew on August 21. Before that, the Falcons take on the Titans at home on Aug. 13, so the practice sessions with the Dolphins are expected to be mashed in between those two dates.
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The Perks of Holding Joint Practices
The Falcons discussed joint practices with the Dolphins and Buffalo Bills last preseason, but the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans for the league. So for the first time in a year, teams across the NFL will be back to holding joint practices and preseason games will be on tap for August.
Joint practices have become common in recent years, however, 2014 is the last time the Falcons held joint practices for HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” During that time, the Tennesse Titans came to Atlanta, and then the Falcons flew to Houston to train with the Texans.
When you bring in another team to your turf or you go to theirs, it’s a completely new environment. Now, you aren’t just practicing against your own teammates, you’re trying even harder. It’s a great way to increase the level of competition and makes practice into a more realistic scenario. It’s also the best way to get rookies thrown into some “real” action before game day.
“I’m always in favor of doing joint practices,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said, per via Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I think they bring a lot from a camaraderie standpoint, from a competitive standpoint. I think you can get a lot out of those. I know we did with Tampa a couple of years ago, and my experience is you get a lot out of those and it kind of breaks up training camp in a good way, in a positive way.”
A Kyle Pitts vs. Jaylen Waddle Preview
This past April, the Dolphins were set to pick at third overall in the 2021 NFL draft. Instead, they traded back with the San Francisco 49ers to the sixth-overall slot.
The 49ers would go on to draft North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance on the board at No. 3 and the Falcons took the first non-QB in Florida Gators duel-threat tight end, Kyle Pitts, at No. 4. And at sixth, the Dolphins selected speedy Alabama wide receiver, Jaylen Waddle.
Whether or not the Dolphins would have taken Pitts at third-overall if they stayed at their original slot remains a question, that likely will for years to come. As for now, the two former collegiate rivals will meet again on the same practice field.
Last season, Waddle was in the midst of his best season with the Crimson, having caught 25 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns in Bama’s first four games, but then an ankle injury derailed his season. While head coach Nick Saban was sure he was out for the remainder of the season, the Alabama star returned two months later for the National Championship game vs. Ohio State where he made a 15-yard catch on Bama’s first drive.
As for Pitts, he finished his season with an exceptional 43 catches, 770 yards, and 12 touchdowns in eight games.
It will be intriguing to see how the two college stars transition into the NFL.
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Falcons Scheduled to Have Practice Battle With Miami Dolphins