The battles in the trenches are key for any football team and the Falcons are no exception.
After selecting star running back Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft, Atlanta beefed up its offensive line with Matthew Bergeron at 38th overall.
Bergeron is being penciled in by some as the Falcons’ starting left guard, replacing Matt Hennessy on the O-line. However, don’t count out Hennessy just yet.
Former Falcons offensive lineman Mike Johnson talked about Bergeron’s road ahead and the Falcons’ offensive-line battle on the Audacy Original Podcast “Peachtree Football” this week.
“There’s no doubt he’s going to have a bumpy road. He has the footspeed to be able to do this. He has the strength to be able to do this. He has the smarts to be able to do this,” Johnson said (7:30 in player above). “That doesn’t mean he’s going to seamlessly be able to do this.”
Making the transition to the NFL level might be a bit tough for Bergeron. Hennessy has been there and done that.
“I think a lot of people have overlooked what Matthew Hennessy has brought to this team. When he’s been healthy he’s been a pretty quality player. I know that they had a little bit of a rotating door at left guard at times last year – they had four different starters at left guard – but Matthew Hennessy’s a quality player in his own right,” Johnson continued.
“He’s not a dude that walked in off the street and is overreaching. He’s not an undrafted free agent that’s just kind of playing above his head. He’s a good player in his own right. So, Matthew Hennessy, I promise you he’s not going to make it easy on Matthew Bergeron.”
While Bergeron may be the better raw talent and player in the long run, it could take some time for him to solidify himself as an NFL starter. It’ll be up to him to get on the right track.
“Mathew Bergeron will be a guy that you’re going to have to develop,” Johnson said. “He now has five weeks off before training camp. He’s got to have the ability and the pro mindset that I’m still going to get my work in. I’m still going to eat right. I’m still going to do my drills. You don’t know what Matthew Bergeron’s going to be when he shows up at the end of July.
“If he doesn’t work and he goes back to Syracuse or goes back to Canada where he’s from and he does not put that work in then he’ll be playing catchup throughout the entire training camp, throughout those preseason games, and probably into the season. Matthew Hennessy’s been through that. He knows the mindset. He knows what it takes. He knows how to prepare himself. I don’t think it’s cut and dry.”
It’s not even July yet but the position battles are already starting to heat up in Atlanta.
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