Due to the unusual offseason, Falcons players haven’t been able to work out as one big group so they’ve been creating their own, smaller workouts.
Running back Brian Hill who has been juggling being a new dad and climbing his way up the running back depth chart, has been getting reps in with Atlanta Falcons rising star Calvin Ridley.
“Whenever I work out with him of course I always want to ask him, ‘how do you do that?’ But, some of the stuff he does, that’s natural. You can’t really imitate Calvin,” Hill told CBS Sports.
There’s a lot of hype this season over Ridley and if he stays healthy, the hype is bound to make sense.
1,000-Yard Season for Ridley
In just two seasons in Atlanta, Ridley has recorded 127 passes for 1,687 yards and 17 touchdowns. If all goes well, Ridley should hit his first 1,000-yard season.
Ridley is entering his third season in Atlanta and has gained a lot of respect from Matt Ryan. With Jones continuing to attract double-teams and Austin Hooper on his way to Cleveland, Ridley is in a good position to receive a lot more attention from Ryan.
NFL Network predicts Ridley will be the player to have the biggest breakout 2020 NFL season out of any player in the league.
Hill Working On His Game for 2020
While many NFL players head to their second homes in the offseason, Hill stayed behind in Atlanta to get his work in at STACK Sports Performance with trainer EJ Webb.
“I’ve been working a lot on change of direction and also running routes and catching the ball”, said on CBS Sports in Atlanta.”
Hill also said he didn’t take a break when the season was over, he went right back to work.
Aside from training with their trainers, Hill and Ridley have also been working out at a local park in Atlanta with other players on the team. They have been able to do some one-on-one, individual drills, and seven-on-seven workouts. Cornerback Isaiah Oliver says it’s been “pretty competitive” even though it’s not a normal workout.
Hill Should See More Playing Time
Hill showed his worth last season after stepping in for Ito Smith and Devonta Freeman who were both injured.
The 24-year-old rushed 78 times for 323 yards and touchdowns last season. He caught 10 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown during the 2019 season.
He made his big impression against with a 26-9 win over the New Orleans Saints. Freeman suffered a foot injury in the first half of the game and was out for the rest. That’s when Hill stepped in.
The Falcons were looking to improve their run game and attack the Saint’s run defense, who were in the top-five at the time giving up an average of 84.3 yards per game. Atlanta finished with 143 rushing yards. 61 yards were from Hill.
The Falcons have a quality running back depth chart behind newly acquired Todd Gurley that features Ito Smith, Qadree Ollison, and Craig Reynolds.
Hill will see the field more this season since the Falcons have plans to rotate and accommodate Gurley’s knee problem.
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Falcons Backup RB Says ‘You Can’t Really Imitate Calvin [Ridley]’