According to Fontenot, the goal of these next set of conversations is to peel back the layers further to understand how a player ticks, how he ingests information and how best to teach him.
At the pro days and within the closed doors of top-30 visits, scheme reigns supreme.
“We do spend a little bit of time getting to know them more, but then you really get to delve into football,” Fontenot said. “Our coaching staff does a really good job talking to the player, watching some of their film, watching some of our film and really assessing where they are.”
It’s not that the Falcons are trying to figure out if a player is smart enough to play in Atlanta, because as Fontenot said, “they all are.” It’s more about figuring out what is best for the player.
“It’s learning how the player learns and how we can coach this player,” Fontenot explained. “You’re getting kind of a head’s start on – if he does end up in the building – you know exactly how to utilize him and what his capacity is and how he’s going to learn. So, it’s important in those (conversations) to really dig into the football part.”
That’s where Arthur Smith, in particular, really shines.
Fontenot said at the combine this year that watching Smith conduct interviews when ball is involved is notable. He’s completed his research, Fontenot said of Smith, so the head coach knows exactly what clips he wants to pull up when a player sits down in front of him, whether that’s within the scope of 15 minutes in Indianapolis, on a college campus after a pro day workout or in his own office at the Falcons facility in Flowery Branch.
“Just like players who get in their zone watching tape?” Fontenot said. “That’s how Arthur is. He loves it.”
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