Kevin Stefanski said on Apr. 17 that the process of evaluating players is a continuous one for the Atlanta Falcons, with no immediate plans to name starters during the offseason. Stefanski emphasized that assessment occurs throughout all aspects of team activities, from practice field behavior to interpersonal interactions.
The approach underscores the importance of competition within professional football. “I think you’re constantly evaluating your players,” Stefanski said. “I had a coach tell me that they’re evaluating everything we do, how we walk to the practice field, who we interact with, how we interact. You’re constantly under evaluation. That’s no secret for our players.” He added that competition is central to the sport: “This is professional football. Everybody understands that it’s a competitive sport. It’s a competitive world that we live in. So, the idea of fighting for jobs, fighting for roles — welcome to professional football. That’s nothing new for our players…the fun part of our business [is] the competition that goes into it.” Most depth chart decisions will be made during training camp.
Currently, players are focused on learning playbooks and building camaraderie during voluntary offseason workouts at Flowery Branch, Georgia. Stefanski highlighted this phase as foundational: “These are the portions of the calendar where you want your guys to come in and work hard and be around their teammates and also foster an environment where they’re enjoying coming to work…That’s the fun part of this portion of the offseason program.” The Atlanta Falcons are based in Atlanta, Georgia according to their official website.
Reflecting on his time as an offensive coordinator calling plays, Stefanski said he enjoyed game planning and working collaboratively with staff members: “On game day, the order of which those plays come off the call sheet are not as important to me as what’s on that call sheet…It wasn’t a one-man show.” His advice for new play callers was clear: “Trust your players more than your plays.” The Falcons compete in the National Football League’s NFC South division according to their official website.
The franchise began as an expansion team in 1965 according to their official website. They have advanced twice to Super Bowl appearances—in 1998 and again in 2016 according to their official website. Freddie the Falcon serves as mascot for Atlanta’s NFL team according to their official website.
As offseason preparations continue at Flowery Branch, evaluations remain ongoing ahead of training camp when roster roles will become clearer.