FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons rookie left guard Matthew Bergeron is holding his own and learning some lessons against the first-team defense.
With Matt Hennessy out with a “day to day” injury, Bergeron, who’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds, was thrust into the starting offensive line spot Friday during the third practice of training camp.
“Obviously going up against guys like David (Onyemata) and Grady Jarrett, you are bound to lose some reps,” Bergeron said. “It’s about how you bounce back. It’s definitely different, those guys upped the tempo a little bit. So, I have got to get used to it. That’s part of being a rookie and adjusting to the speed of the game in the NFL.”
Bergeron, who was taken in the second round (38th overall) out of Syracuse, was working behind Hennessy for most of the offseason.
“David gave me a pretty good bull rush, so I think that was my welcome-to-the-NFL moment,” Bergeron said.
Bergeron has brought into the “getting better every day” lingo the Falcons are pushing.
“Being a rookie, that’s all you can do,” Bergeron said. “Get better and be good to your teammates. That’s really my goal for the season.”
He can’t imagine landing the season-opening starting spot at this point.
“I’ve got to focus on tomorrow,” Bergeron said. “I’ve got to focus on practice tomorrow. Stay in the playbook. Get better with the playbook, and whatever happens, happens.”
Bergeron is from Victoriaville, Quebec, and played in upstate New York. He’s trying to get used to the heat.
Right guard Chris Lindstrom has had some advice for Bergeron.
“He just told me ‘no pressure and play fast,’” Bergeron said. “That’s something that (offensive line) coach (Dwayne) Ledford and some of the others in our room have been preaching every since we got here as rookies. ... I’m playing next to Jake Matthews, one of the best tackles in the league, so I definitely have to be on point with my stuff.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/AJC
Onyemata and Jarrett are helping Bergeron.
“Those guys are some of the best, and you know being a rookie and going up against those guys at an early stage in my career of my career, it definitely helps me a lot,” Bergeron said. “Especially with the transition to being a tackle and going to guard has been good.”
Onyemata has been impressed with Bergeron.
“He’s doing good actually,” Onyemata said. “You see him out there taking reps with the first team. He’s doing great. For him to get in that position and step up and take hold of that position, that’s great.”
He knows that Bergeron is trying to make the transition to guard from tackle.
“You hear the coaching points, but at the same time, you can see the improvements every day. We are just in the second week of training camp, of his first training camp.”
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