The Falcons essentially kept the status quo from their defensive personnel a season ago, outside of one significant loss in future Hall of Famer Calais Campbell . The veteran somewhat shockingly signed with Atlanta last offseason and went on to tie for the team lead in sacks with 6.5 while being a load to handle against the run.
There was a lot of speculation about whether Campbell would return for another season with the Falcons. Some expected him to retire, even though he clearly proved he still had some gas left in the tank at 37-years-old. Both Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot made their wishes overwhelmingly apparent.
They wanted Campbell back if he decided to play another year; however, the veteran opted to sign a one-year deal with the Dolphins instead, and the two sides met yesterday for the first time since at joint practices. Campbell had a lot of high praise for his former team, which isn’t all that surprising. It’s rare to hear any form of negativity come out of his mouth.
He even praised Desmond Ridder after signing with the Falcons last year, citing a film session with Arthur Smith showed him that Ridder has the potential to be the next franchise quarterback in Atlanta. So, when it comes to quarterback, perhaps what Calais Campbell said should be taken with a grain of salt, but he did have some positive statements regarding both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. following the first day of joint practices.
“They do look a lot different,” Campbell said, v.