FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Near the end of the Atlanta Falcons' fourth OTA practice Monday, Beastie Boys hit single "Fight for Your Right" blared over the loudspeakers at IBM Performance Field in Flowery Branch.
Half an hour earlier, the Falcons fought, but they didn't get to party. Instead, head coach Raheem Morris stood in the middle of a close-to-full 90-man roster, delivering an impassioned speech to his team.
Here's the latest from Monday's pad-free OTA session ...
What started as a normal inside run to the left side of the Falcons' offensive line turned into a large gathering of most of the 22 players involved in the snap. It briefly broke free but then resumed -- with gasoline poured onto the fire.
Shoves strengthened. Voices rose. Language darkened.
A row of Falcons players watching from behind the play blocked a clear view of what -- and who -- started the scrum, with the second effort lasting around five seconds before it was broken up.
Defensive tackle David Onyemata was the defender nearest the Falcons' offensive players by the end of the scrum. It's unclear the role or extent Onyemata played.
Left guard Matthew Bergeron had to be pulled away and held back by teammates. Morris called a team huddle, and Bergeron, who said he was fine, took a knee behind the group. Morris requested Bergeron join him in the huddle, and Bergeron obliged.
With players standing in a circle around him, Morris addressed his team for over one minute before the Falcons resumed practice. Bergeron stood off to the side for several plays while chatting with general manager Terry Fontenot.
Bergeron eventually returned to the Falcons' offensive line, and the final 35 minutes of the session went without incident.
The Falcons had only three quarterbacks on the field Monday: Michael Penix Jr., Easton Stick and Emory Jones. For the second consecutive open OTA session, Kirk Cousins -- currently the team's backup signal caller -- did not attend the voluntary workout.
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson previously said Cousins was "in and out" of the team's facility during the first two phases of the offseason program. Cousins has expressed interest in starting in 2025, while Atlanta is moving forward with Penix under center.
Aside from Cousins, the Falcons were without tight end Kyle Pitts and right tackle Kaleb McGary. Pitts is dealing with an injury, the specifics of which Morris declined to say, but is in the building. Neither Pitts nor McGary have participated in either of the open sessions.
Elsewhere, receiver KhaDarel Hodge, tight end Nikola Kalinic, inside linebacker Troy Andersen and outside linebacker Bralen Trice were not present. Andersen and Trice are both dealing with injuries but are expected to be ready for the season.
Receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III and defensive line Morgan Fox were both back on the field after missing the first day of OTAs on May 27.
Monday was Atlanta's last voluntary session open to the media. The Falcons' next open practices -- June 10 and 11 -- are mandatory for players to attend.
Atlanta's offense took the field with personnel as expected. Aside from Pitts and McGary, the usual suspects were present -- Penix, running back Bijan Robinson, receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney, tight end Charlie Woerner and offensive linemen Jake Matthews, Bergeron, Ryan Neuzil and Chris Lindstrom.
Entering OTAs, the defensive depth chart wasn't as clear. Onyemata, inside linebacker Kaden Elliss, cornerback A.J. Terrell and safety Jessie Bates III are returning spales, while cornerbacks Mike Hughes and Dee Alford re-signed with the team this offseason.
Free agent signees in outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, inside linebacker Divine Deablo and safety Jordan Fuller figure to see significant snaps. The Falcons expect second-year defensive tackles Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus to take steps forward, and the same applies to third-year defensive lineman Zach Harrison.
Yet for as much as one could place personnel expectations on a defense with a new coordinator, new scheme and bevy of new faces, the Falcons met them.
Atlanta's down defensive linemen included Harrison, Onyemata and Orhorhoro, while Floyd and Arnold Ebiketie were the first off the edge. At inside linebacker, Elliss often aligned next to Deablo, while JD Bertrand, Caleb Johnson and DeAngelo Malone worked with the second-team defense.
In the secondary, Terrell and Hughes held down their spots at outside corner, while Alford saw the most reps at nickel. Bates and Fuller were the two starters on the back line.
Last season, the Falcons kept their rookies lower on the depth chart during OTAs -- which appears to be happening once more this summer. First-round edge defenders Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., third-round safety Xavier Watts and fourth-round defensive back Billy Bowman each saw the field, though not in the initial starting lineup.
As for success in seven-on-sevens and 11-on-11s, the Falcons' offense and defense produced split results. Penix made several impressive throws with his usual high velocity left arm, and he didn't make any fatal mistakes.
A few notable plays: Receiver Jesse Matthews made perhaps the most impressive catch of the day -- a leaping grab through contact deep down the left sideline. Earlier in the practice, Ebiketie covered running back Tyler Allgeier on a wheel route and knocked the ball away. Stick threw multiple tight window passes, including one where receiver Jamal Agnew made a sliding snag.
The Falcons' next open session is June 10 -- the start of mandatory minicamp. In actual scheduling news, Atlanta will host joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 12 and 13 at IBM Performance Field in Flowery Branch.