Getty Grady Jarrett #97 of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons announced six team captains for the 2020 season before Thursday night’s training camp scrimmage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Falcons’ team captains include; quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receiver Julio Jones, center Alex Mack, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, linebacker Deion Jones, and safety Ricardo Allen.
The six players found out they were going to be captains when videos of their families announcing the news appeared on the video screen inside the stadium. None of these names ar alarming and each possesses great leadership skills.
Thursday’s scrimmage concluded the end of Falcons’ training camp.
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No Surprise Here
Jones, Mack, Allen, and Ryan were also Atlanta’s team captains in the 2019 season.
Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is considered to be amongst the best receivers to ever play the game. It’s obvious that Jones is a role model for many.
Mack has been the clue to the Falcons’ offensive line for quite some time, 2016 to be exact. The Pro Bowl center has started every game since signing with Atlanta.
Allen has turned into one of Atlanta’s most vocal players on defense and continues to show his value with his leadership on and off of the field.
Ryan, of course, remains Atlanta’s most reliable quarterback in franchise history. He continues to rank at the top of the league in passing yards year after year.
Jarrett has consistently made Atlanta extremely proud and was finally rewarded for it with a Pro Bowl invite in 2019.
Like Mack, Jones is the glue except for on the defensive side of the ball. The middle LB has earned a starting role for the past three seasons.
New Captains
Deion Jones and Jarrett are first-time captains for the Falcons this year, but they’ve been groomed.
Jones
Pro Football Focus has rated Jones in the top five linebackers since 2017. Jones stands strong at No. 4
As a playmaker, Jones helped the Falcons win the NFC title as a rookie before they fell to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
The 25-year old is coming off of a notable 2019 season after playing a big role in the Falcons 6–2 finish last season.
In just three seasons as a Falcons, Jones has recorded a total of 299 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and eight interceptions, three of which returned for touchdowns.
Jarrett
It was definitely a season to remember for Jarrett in 2019, who signed a long-term deal and was named Second-Team All-Pro. Since 2015, Grady has only put in good and consistent work on and off of the field.
Jarrett took his game to another level and finished to 2019 season recording 65 tackles, 7.5 sacks. 2 forced fumbles, and 16 QB hits.
Falcons’ seven-time Pro Bowl WR, Julio Jones had actually sent Jarrett at text message saying his selection to the Pro Bowl was long overdue.
Stepping Into Leadership Roles this Offseason
There were zero coaches on the field prior to training camp, so Ryan has taken over. While Ryan is used to being a leader on the field at quarterback, he can’t do it all alone because he’s never played in a skill player position–that’s when Julio stepped in.
“He’s an unbelievable teacher and just such an unselfish teammate”, Ryan said via Atlanta Falcons official website. “He’s really good for those guys in terms of showing them what it looks like to work and then helping them with his experience.
“To have him around is super valuable. He’s got so much experience, so much time on task. And he even knows, ‘Hey, this is how Matt likes to throw this one, this is why you need to make sure you’re getting full depth on this route.’ His experience is just invaluable.”
The duo will show what they’ve been working hard for this offseason at the Falcons home opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 13.
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