How Free Agent WR ‘Spark’ Joined the Atlanta Falcons and Became the Slot Favorite

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — As Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III stood outside IBM Performance Field at the end of mandatory minicamp in mid-June, his attention was caught by the hilltop ahead.

It was Falcons receivers coach Ike Hilliard, who was joking with McCloud as he spoke. McCloud looked up, smiled and yelled at his position coach.

“I’m talking bad about you,” McCloud joked.

In reality, he was doing quite the opposite – although the interaction gave a glimpse of the closeness and friendship that exists between the two men off the pitch.

Hilliard, who was hired by Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on Feb. 1, and McCloud, who signed a two-year, $7 million contract on March 18, began working together in Atlanta on April 2.

But their shared history goes back much further.

McCloud played under Hilliard with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020 and 2021, during which the 5-foot-9, 190-pounder had the most productive years of his career in terms of catches with 20 and 39, respectively.

In 2021, McCloud had a career-high 277 receiving yards while making five starts as a receiver. He had nearly as many targets that season (66) as the other five years of his career combined (68).

The result, McCloud said, was the most fun time of his life. He contributed to the offense for the first time in his professional career. He led the league with 38 punt returns for 367 yards in 2021. Football was everything, he said.

After his career season in 2021, McCloud signed with the San Francisco 49ers for the next two seasons. He handled punt and kick returns, but his offensive impact diminished, recording 26 receptions for 378 yards and his only career score on 40 targets during his time in the Bay Area.

This offseason, McCloud found himself in a familiar situation: looking for a new home. It didn’t take long, as he agreed to terms with the Falcons on March 14, three days after the legal tampering period began.

Hilliard has something to do with it, but only part of it — and he wasn’t necessarily in his former receiver’s earshot. McCloud, a native of Tampa, Fla., also has a history with Morris, who was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three years while McCloud played in the shadows of Raymond James Stadium.

Additionally, Morris led a workout with McCloud and Clemson teammate Deon Cain in Flowery Branch before the 2018 NFL Draft, when Morris was Atlanta’s wide receivers coach. Morris and McCloud had several phone conversations in addition to their private visit and stayed in touch afterward.

Familiarity with the coaching staff played a small, but not huge, role in Atlanta’s choice, McCloud said – but several other factors were at play.

“Coaches change every day, players change every day, so that was more what they were trying to do here,” McCloud told FalconsSI. “The culture they’re trying to build here. Knowing Raheem before he came to the NFL, the relationships I had here, being close to home from Tampa.

“Being close but far away allows my family to see me play more often. Out West, it’s a little tough. They can all see me play (here). It’s taken its toll.”

But for as many reasons as McCloud ventured to Flowery Branch, the Falcons had a number of their own.

When renovating their receiver room this spring, the Falcons wanted to add speed and versatility around No. 1 receiver Drake London. While he’s considered a slot-only player, McCloud can be used in a variety of ways offensively, whether as a runner or a gadget player.

During OTAs and mandatory minicamp, McCloud was Atlanta’s primary receiver. He took that position at the expense of another new acquisition, Rondale Moore, who was acquired in March from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Heading into the summer, many considered Moore the favorite to start at the position. Between McCloud’s strong start to the season and Moore’s absence with a hamstring injury, McCloud appears to have the edge heading into training camp.

Historically, Atlanta’s slot receiver hasn’t been a huge value in terms of snap count; in 2023, the Falcons have used three-receiver sets just 17% of the time, the lowest mark in the league. Of course, that doesn’t take into account that tight end Kyle Pitts has been lined up in the slot nearly 50% of his offensive snaps.

New Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said during OTAs that he plans to use more 11-man personnel, meaning more snaps with three wideouts, using Pitts as a true tight end, increasing the value of the slot role.

When Atlanta resumes training camp on July 24, Morris and his staff will have plenty of evaluation to do, especially once protections are in place. But Hilliard and Morris already know exactly who McCloud is, thanks to their past experiences.

Hilliard is grateful to Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and the rest of the management for giving him the opportunity to reunite with McCloud. Along with a return ability that Hilliard described as “fearless” and “very good,” McCloud now has the chance to compete exclusively to be an impact player on offense.

And in a receiving core led by London and fellow free agent Darnell Mooney, Hilliard sees an avenue for McCloud to be just that.

“We have guys outside of Drake and Mooney who have an opportunity to make a name for themselves in the passing game if they continue to have good days and do well,” Hilliard told FalconsSI. “So we’re all excited about Ray-Ray and his opportunity to play receiver.”

As for the room around him, McCloud said it is young, fun and eager to improve every day. The goal is to improve one percent in every workout and every meeting, fostering a fun environment.

Such enjoyment is reflected in Robinson’s system, which McCloud says focuses more on a single player.

“When you talk about offense, it’s a team game,” McCloud said. “You can see the details he puts into action day in and day out. On offense, you can see the team supporting him and trusting him.”

The same goes for McCloud, who is eager to shed his status as a return specialist and prove he’s a legitimate receiver. He has the opportunity to do so in Atlanta — and a clear plan for the role he wants to play.

“Spark,” McCloud said. “Be explosive.”