Keanu Neal "Feels Great" In His Return To The Field
Keanu Neal is back on the field after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury three games into last season.
“I feel great,” Neal said. “I’m happy to be in this space. It has been a lot of work but we’re back. ...I’m glad to be around the guys, so it’s an exciting time.”
The Achilles injury came on the heels of his missing the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL, which he suffered in the Falcons' season-opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“It was just getting hurt again and not being out there with the guys,” Neal said. “ That was the hardest part for me. You put in so much work to get back and then the season gets taken away from you again.”
Working His Way Back
One of the biggest changes for Neal this offseason has been his weight. He has slimmed down to 212 pounds to get closer to his playing weight from his rookie season.
“I slimmed down for a reason, just so I can move better,” Neal said. “It’s been working out well. I’m moving around a lot better, moving around like myself, so I’m excited with where I’m at.”
Neal has recovered from his injury from a physical standpoint, but he’s still catching up to speed of the game. There are times when he’s in a play and realizes that he's missed an assignment.
“It’s all coming back,” Neal said. “I think it takes reps, it takes just continuing to watch the film and growing.”
Crowded Safety Room
When Neal and Ricardo Allen went down with injuries in 2018, the Falcons moved Damontae Kazee from cornerback to safety. He filled in again last season after Neal's injury.
With the selection of Jaylinn Hawkins in the fourth round of the draft, the Falcons now have depth at the position, but they will need to be creative with how they deploy the safeties on the field.
“It’s just understanding different roles,” Neal said. “We’re all going to play different spaces, so it is going to be cool and unique how they use us this year. So I’m looking forward to it.”
There is an experience discrepancy between the cornerbacks and the safeties, but the Falcons will be counting on each of them to revamp the secondary after the team cut veteran corner Desmond Trufant earlier this offseason.
Darqueze Dennard has the most experience out of the corners and will play nickelback, with rookie A.J. Terrell and Isaiah Oliver manning the outside.
Kendall Sheffield, who started 11 games last season, should primarily see work in the slot, but he's been lining up outside throughout training camp.
“We are one unit,” Neal said. “The corners, the safeties, we all work together, so we have to be linked in that way.”
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