“Catch the ball as much as you can”

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson set the bar high in his sophomore season, aiming for 2,000 yards.

And Robinson’s new head coach, Raheem Morris, plans to give him the opportunity to produce at a high rate.

“In the simplest form possible, it’s about getting the ball to Bijan as much as possible in as many ideal situations as possible,” Morris said. “For him, he’s so talented. You don’t want to limit the things he can do, but you also don’t want to dilute him to the point where he doesn’t do anything he can do well.”

Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | iHeart

Robinson, the No. 8 overall pick by the Falcons in 2023, finished fifth in NFL Rookie of the Year voting after rushing 214 times for 976 yards and four touchdowns. He also made an impact through the air, catching 58 passes for 487 yards and four more touchdowns.

His total statistics rank him 10th in the NFL in rushing yards.

Robinson, 22, missed the first six practices of OTA with an ankle injury that lingered since late last season. Despite Robinson’s relative inactivity, Morris already has an advanced understanding of his No. 1 running back’s character traits.

“When you have the ball in his hands, he makes people miss, he gets extra yards, he’s able to fight for extra yards, he breaks tackles, he’s fast, he’s explosive, he’s strong,” Morris said. “He can do so many things (that) you can get overwhelmed sometimes, maybe as a playmaker or even as a designer. For him, I really think he enjoys the whole process.”

Robinson fanned the flames for another step in production this fall by saying he would be used in a role similar to San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 2,023 rushing yards last season.

Morris heard the comparison and wasn’t concerned. He said he would never take away a player’s confidence; on the contrary, Robinson’s “youthful arrogance” is exciting.

During his first tenure as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-11, Morris coached Hall of Fame cornerback Ronde Barber, who had the motto, “It’s always a mentality before it’s a reality.”

Whether the goal is realistic or not, Morris said players need to have a certain mentality. Robinson clearly has that.

So, can this translate into McCaffrey’s numbers? That story will be written over the coming months – and Morris is eager to see it unfold.

“If we can get close to the great player that Christian McCaffrey is,” Morris said, “I think we’ll all be excited.”