Atlanta Falcons Brotherhood: A look deeper
By Jeremy Riggs
Back before the draft, I wrote an article about Carlos Watkins, a Defensive Tackle from Clemson who was part of the 2017 NFL Draft. I wrote how his familiarity with Vic Beasley and Grady Jarrett could be a reason for the Falcons to draft him as he could easily mesh with the Falcons Brotherhood. While he was drafted by Houston, Quinn definitely did continue the Brotherhood mantra in this draft.
Let’s look at the Atlanta 2017 Draft Class.
First, Atlanta took Takk McKinley, already a fan favorite (and his dog Codeine can get a sideline pass to any game he wishes). It’s likely that Falcons LB coach Jeff Ulbrich gave some input in this selection, as he was part of UCLA’s coaching staff when McKinley signed on as a Bruin.
The Falcons next selection was Duke Riley, linebacker out of LSU. He played with two Falcons in his college career, Deion Jones and Jalen Collins. Jones famously expressed his satisfaction with joining the Falcons, exclaiming “Me and Debo ’bout to be turnt!” after his selection was announced.
Which brings us to today, where it looks like no coincidence that Quinn and company have drafted or signed seven defensive players that played together in college over three NFL offseasons.
Also, just yesterday the Falcons signed Jack Lynn, who played alongside De’Vondre Campbell at Minnesota.
TRANSACTION: We have signed LB Jack Lynn and waived FB Soma Vainuku. pic.twitter.com/HGDaZzROrG
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) June 5, 2017
Maybe I’m reaching, but I think it’s clear that Quinn knows team chemistry can be built through common experiences. He’s building a brotherhood of confident players that are comfortable playing alongside one another.