Eric Edholm, of Yahoo! Sports, joined The Jon Chuckery Show on Monday to talk NFL, and specifically how NFL coaches might use rookies early on in the 2020 season. The offseason, and even the training camp, during the pandemic have been nothing close to normal for football, and it understandable to consider that rookies won’t enter the season with the same number of reps as in year’s past.
How will Dan Quinn handle playing time for cornerback A.J. Terrell and defensive lineman Marlon Davidson, the Falcons’ first two picks?
Around the league, Edholm has heard rookies heads are “swimming” as they’re being “thrown into this unique training camp situation.” In Atlanta, things may be different.
“You can see Terrell and Davidson playing early on and maybe suffering through a few lumps here and there or not quite mastering their technique or understanding exactly where they have to be on every single play,” said Edholm. “You just kind of live with it because they’re talented football players, they played at a high level of ball. A.J. Terrell has played in a couple of national championship game sand Davidson week in and week out in the SEC.
“It’s going to depend on the level of play they’ve been at in college. Are they underclassmen? Are they coming off an injury? Is it a team that desperately needs an infusion of talent, is it a need position? Or are they just a precocious, rare rookie that can say, ‘I got this.’ And he can jump right in?”