The Atlanta Falcons may have found a gem.
The Atlanta Falcons are a few weeks away from getting started with a season they hope brings a whole lot more success than the last decade for the organization.
Over the course of training camp though, the news and reports -- largely on the offense -- have not been positive and the vibes around the team do not feel great right now headed into the second preseason game. Between injuries and suspension as well as some overall poor play, fanbase confidence is not high right now.
The news has not been all bad though, and one young Atlanta defender has had a better camp than anyone expected, potentially pushing for a major role out of the gate. After manning the green dot role as Divine Deablo was out with an injury, fourth round rookie Kendal Daniels has continued to see first team reps even after Deablo's return to the field.
It was reported this week that Deablo and Daniels were seen in some packages together, potentially giving the defense a very interesting duo at inside linebacker.
Falcons Could Be Preparing Daniels for Major Role Early in Career
When Deablo was out, Kevin Stefanski offered some very high praise for the way Daniels was able to handle the green dot responsibilities, and it sounds like Atlanta is as high mentally on the rookie as they are on his physical abilities as a football player.
In an ideal world, Daniels is not going to be rushed into action and can be allowed to come along slowly as Deablo as well as Christian Harris should be able to handle the bulk of the critical snaps. Having this kind of depth at any position though let alone inside linebacker is huge not only for the future of the defense, but the present as well.
Clearly, Daniels is finding ways to force himself onto the field, and if he can keep impressing this coaching staff, it looks like he is going to have an early role on this unit as a rookie.
While fans have not loved a lot of what they have heard throughout the course of camp, the development of Daniels certainly has been a fun story to follow. Time will tell if he can keep rolling that momentum over into the regular season, but the way things are going right now, it sounds like Atlanta fans can count on seeing him out there on a frequent basis.
