The Falcons were in discussions to hold joint practices with the Dolphins and the Bills before the NFL closed down its facilities in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday.
“As far as the timing, the teams that we spoke to way back in the offseason were Miami and Buffalo,” Quinn said. “If those guidelines are in place that we are able to, we will. If they are not, we won’t.”
The Falcons are scheduled to play exhibition games against the Dolphins and Bills.
Quinn was open to looking at joint practices after the team's slow starts the past two seasons. The Falcons started last season 1-7 and were 1-4 in 2018.
The NFL’s contact rules, instituted in the 2011 CBA agreement, call for no live tackling in practice, which makes it difficult to get ready for the season. But the Falcons must figure out how to maximize the live contact.
In the past, the Falcons have used joint practices to help them evaluate their offensive and defensive lines against NFL competition. The team regularly held joint practices under former coach Mike Smith.
With a rebuilding of the offensive line last season, the Falcons discussed holding joint practices with another team, but elected not to do so.
The Falcons have held joint practices with the Patriots, Bengals, Titans and Jaguars in the past. The key for joint practices is that both teams have a mutual respect and the scrimmages don't erupt into fights.
“To me, that’s what this part is going to be about, moving forward to say we’ve got good experience,” Quinn said earlier this offseason. “I want to lean on a lot of smart people that are part of our organization and team and look at it from every angle.”
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