FLOWERY BRANCH — With the Falcons set to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their season opener Sunday, the players voted on their team captains for the season.
Right guard Chris Lindstrom, left tackle Jake Matthews and safety Jessie Bates III were renamed as captains. The players also voted for quarterback Michael Penix Jr., linebacker Kaden Elliss and punter Bradley Pinion.
“It’s all player-led,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “Our guys vote for their guys, they get an opportunity to pick the captains and they did.”
Mooney update: Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney participated in the jog-through practice Monday.
“Had a little individual (work) that he participated in,” Morris said. “He’s day-to-day. I feel good about where he’s at. We’ll see toward the end of the week. We’ll see this weekend and work whatever we have to work into.”
Mooney missed most of training camp after suffering a shoulder injury on the first day. He returned to practice Aug. 21. He was not available during the open locker room period for the media.
“It’s all of the other things with player performance,” Morris said. “I never worry about his conditioning. Just the overall wear and tear of it all … dealing with a receiver, a skilled athlete like that. I don’t know if anybody is ever 100% in the National Football League. … It’s all about how can you best perform and can he help us win this football game without furthering any other issues.”
Bread and butter: Morris said the outside zone running system will remain the main way of rushing the ball for the offense.
“That’s always going to be the bread and butter,” Morris said. “You always have a starting point. Everybody has a home base. That’s our home base. Get off the ball. Speed off the ball. Our (offensive) line embodies it. That’s who we are.”
Run-game coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford will mix in other runs into the offense.
“We’re always going to have multiple type of running styles and different type of attacks,” Morris said. “We’ll be able to do some different things. We’ll have those change-ups, but that’s definitely our bread and butter and that won’t change.”
Rookies ready for action: Outside linebacker Jalon Walker, the 15th overall player taken in the NFL draft this year, is on schedule to play against the Bucs.
He was held out of the final exhibition game and had two injuries over training camp.
“Really the thing that drew us to (Walker and rookie James Pearce Jr.) was the pass-rush ability with the guys up front,” Morris said. “Then the ball-hawking with the guys in the back. Those guys, being able to fit into that and buy into the theory and how we want to play football.”
Pearce, Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. likely will start Sunday. Walker is on track to play.
“Jalon Walker, Pearce, (Watts and Bowman), all of those four guys are on track to be out there and playing,” Morris said. “Up, running and going. I’m really fired up.”
Floyd ready for action: Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd signed in free agency to help improve the Falcons’ pass rush.
“We have to go out and play,” Floyd said. “I’m going out and looking to getting that first snap in and just seeing how guys play from there.”
Floyd pronounced rookie outside linebackers Walker and Pearce ready to go.
“They are going to come out and play hard anyway because they are young players,” Floyd said. “It’s about them executing at a high level and being consistent. But, yeah, they are going to come out and play hard.”
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