FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson continued to shine during the team’s first padded practice on Monday.
In the one-on-one passing drills, he put a move on linebacker Kaden Ellis, slashed across the middle of the field, caught a pass in stride and headed upfield to the end zone.
“Bijan, pretty damn pleased with Bijan so far,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said on Monday.
Ellis was just the latest linebacker to get shaken by the rookie. He also pulled away from linebacker Troy Andersen a couple of times in previous practices.
The Falcons were not tackling to the ground. They just pop pads and call that “thudding up.”
Safety Jessie Bates III understands the concept of protecting the team.
“But if he’s in the hole, yes, unfortunately, me and him have to go head up and thud up,” Bates said. “At the end of the day it’s all love. We are here to help each other get better. Then hopefully when we go to Miami (for dual practices) we can do a little more.”
The Falcons were knocked in some quarters for taking Robinson with the eighth overall pick in the draft, while the rest of the league appears to have suppressed the value of the position. The current fight between Jonathan Taylor and the Colts is the latest messy situation.
“You go back to how some people operate, some have fixed charts, which kind of makes sports go around,” Smith said. “There are no rules … that you don’t have your own internal value on people and the impact they have on the game. I think the way we use him is different than most, just philosophically.”
Robinson shiftiness has turned heads.
“I always say it was a gift from God,” Robinson said.
He puts in the work to set up his moves.
“I’m doing so many little things with my footwork,” Robinson said. “My get off. My track. Knowing where my eyes are going to be with the (offensive linemen). ... I’m trying to set them up to make them look really good. Because when you set up their blocks and when you make their job easier, then that’s what makes the whole play go.”
Robinson knows he’s off to a good start.
“It’s been fun to be running it out there,” Robinson said. “I think we are just going to keep getting better at it every single day.”
The Falcons have Robinson in several different positions. The offseason was key for his learning process.
“Part of the pre-draft process is that you’ve got to find out how guys learn,” Smith said. “There is old conventional wisdom and the way things were taught. I’ve tried to change every year. You have your own unique learning experiences as a coach and a teacher.”
But sometimes the teacher has to adapt to the student.
“That’s a lot of the stuff pre-draft that you want to figure out,” Smith said. “Everybody is uniquely different. Everybody in here learns different. I do believe in the slow, long method so you don’t feel like you’re cramming for an exam every night.”
Running backs coach Mike Pitre is in charge of getting Robinson ready for the NFL.
“Mike Pitre is a (heck) of a teacher,” Smith said. “We certainly believe in the way we teach and our progression. There haven’t been many mental errors. There’s been some technique stuff that’s going to happen as you get tired. That’s part of the transition to the NFL. From a mental standpoint, he’s been pretty damn sharp.”
Robinson has been picking up the football concepts. He gave some credit to Texas coach Steve Sarkisian for installing a pro offense in college. Sarkisian was the Falcons offensive coordinator (2017-18) under Dan Quinn after Kyle Shanahan left to become the 49ers head coach.
“Maybe I’m messed up, but I think everybody is a (repetition) guy,” Smith said. “Whether if you are looking at it in the classroom. … Phone or iPads, these guys are used to that. They’ve watch themselves on film. There are ways that we like to teach. ... I just think there is nothing … that can replace the act of doing.”
Robinson liked that the Falcons put a lot on his plate over the offseason.
“I was learning a lot,” Robinson said. “A lot was coming at me. I learned how to adjust ... that’s why I liked what coach Smith did with me. You learn a lot in OTAs when you are a rookie. You start understanding a lot of different things, then when it comes to like camp, then it will start slowing down. He knew exactly how to handle that.
“He handled it like really well with me. He like saw his vision for what he wanted in camp.”
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