The Atlanta Falcons have mandatory minicamp running from June 10 to June 11. They will depart for a few weeks before returning in late July for training camp.
They lost a few key players this offseason, including center Drew Dalman. He signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency, and Atlanta handed over the job to Ryan Neuzil. He landed a two-year, $9.5 million extension in late May. That included $6.5 million guaranteed.
When speaking to Sports Illustrated, Neuzil made his first comments since signing that deal.
Ryan Neuzil Discusses New Extension and Culture
He said, "It was really nice. To finally get it done, it was definitely a nice thing."
Atlanta placed a right-of-first-refusal tag on Neuzil this spring as an unrestricted free agent, and he was unsigned for nearly three months. Despite that, he was focused on staying with the Falcons, and the culture played a big role in that.
The Florida native stated, "Just the culture. Being with the guys, (I) was able to just stay here and develop throughout the four years I was here. So, it was really nice, just being able to know the system, know the guys, and just have good relationship with everybody."
The 27-year-old is heading into his fourth season with Atlanta and has 12 starts under his belt. Last season, he posted a 58.5 overall grade, a 63.6 pass-blocking grade, and a 60.5 run-blocking grade per PFF. In 578 offensive snaps, he allowed 10 pressures and one sack.
He clearly has earned some trust from the coaching staff and front office, which is why they gave him a two-year deal.
Replacing Dalman won't be an easy task, as he was one of the best players at his position in 2024. He had a 78.8 overall grade (4th among 64 graded centers), a 66.6 pass blocking grade (21st among 64 graded centers), and a 79.8 run-blocking grade (5th among 64 graded centers) per PFF.
Regardless, he has the tools the Falcons are looking for at the center position, and Neuzil hopes 2025 will be his best.