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13 hours ago
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The Atlanta Falcons had Monday off after three intense days of practice to kick off their training camp. Rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. dominated headlines over the weekend as he consistently disrupted the offense. However, he made the news for a different reason on Sunday—getting into multiple scuffles during practice.
“Rookie James Pearce Jr. was the main character today. He set off two scrums on back-to-back plays — the first going at it with Ryan Neuzil and Matthew Bergeron (who had some words), and the second with Kaleb McGary,” wrote Adnan Ikic of The Falcoholic.
Pearce was considered a first-round talent by the Falcons, prompting them to trade up in the draft to select him. Still, not everyone shared that evaluation, with some questioning the cost of the move.
“This isn't about the player; it's about the price the Falcons paid to move up for him. Atlanta needed edge rush help and already got some earlier in the round with Jalon Walker. Trading next year's first-round pick to get Pearce felt like a massive overpay,” said ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Atlanta reportedly decided to go all in on Pearce after his pre-draft workout, which was canceled, but Pearce insisted on the staff meeting his family and getting a workout in. While most of the training camp buzz around him has been positive, the recent scuffles have cast a slightly different light. Still, D. Orlando Ledbetter sees it as a sign of Pearce’s impact on the field.
“Falcons James Pearce Jr. is a beast — not a Wasted Draft Pick! Pearce’s speed and tenacity got under the skin of the offensive linemen,” AJC’s Ledbetter wrote.
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Pearce has been a disruptive force throughout camp, and by the final practice before the off day, it seemed the offensive line had enough. With padded practices beginning Tuesday, all eyes will be on Pearce to see if he continues to create problems for the offense—especially by getting to the quarterback.
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