It didn’t take long for the bad news bug to hit the Atlanta Falcons training camp. It was announced late Friday night that Falcons wide receiver two, Darnell Mooney, would miss “several weeks” with a shoulder injury suffered in the first practice of the season.
“In the Falcons’ first practice of training camp Thursday, Mooney dove for a deep Michael Penix Jr. pass down the right sideline during 11-on-11 work and stayed on the ground for a few seconds before getting up,” ESPN reports. “Mooney walked off the field with a trainer, with his helmet in hand, and did not return.”
Mooney is entering year two of a three-year, 39 million dollar deal. This is surely not the start he was looking for after totaling nearly 1,000 yards and a career high five touchdowns in his first season with Atlanta.
“(Mooney) was at practice on the sidelines Saturday taking in the action,” Marc Raimondi reported today. “There aren’t many worries internally about his health long-term, according to sources. The Falcons signed veteran wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. on Friday, but assistant general manager Kyle Smith said Saturday that Chark was already scheduled to visit Atlanta before Mooney’s injury and those two things aren’t necessarily related.”
What Darnell Mooney Injury Means For DJ Chark
The good news of DJ Chark’s acquisition broke before the bad news about Darnell Mooney’s condition was made public. Chark, who yesterday I reported would act as this team’s wide receiver three/four, has now suddenly been thrusted into the starting rotation.
“Without Mooney, the team’s No. 2 receiver, working with the first team, KhaDarel Hodge got reps alongside No. 1 receiver Drake London and Ray-Ray McCloud III with the 1s,” Raimondi writes of Saturday’s practice. “The Falcons also mixed in some two-tight end sets with Kyle Pitts and Charlie Woerner.”
It is important to note Chark and Mooney are very different receivers. Where Mooney’s advantages are found in his route running and strong hands, Chark excels with size and speed.
Mooney played last season in the X out of necessity, but with Chark in the rotation the team has a true outside the numbers route runner. This is, of course, made more effective by having Mooney on the field at the same time as him, but for the time being, the Falcons should be able to survive with a timely signing of an NFL vet.
Rookies Jalon Walker And James Pearce Jr. Continue To Impress
On the other side of the ball, it appears the team’s investment in the pass rush is paying off. Both edge rushers, Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., are receiving first team reps in week one of training camp.
Walker specifically caught the attention of the team’s best tackler, Kaden Eliss. Eliss has morphed into a fantastic off the ball linebacker since arriving with the team two years ago. Last season Eliss tallied 151 tackles and this year he says he is looking forward to seeing what Walker will bring to the unit.
“I’m excited for him,” Elliss said on Wednesday. “I understand why they drafted him. I see the explosiveness and, man, he’s always got a smile on him.”
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