Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford made a large leap this offseason, according to assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray.
' assistant head coach/defense who also helps with the secondary, mentally returned to his three-year stint as the defensive backs coach of the Green Bay Packers.Gray's last year in Green Bay - 2022 - was Nixon's first. When Gray left, Nixon began working hands-on with several coaches, including quality control coachThe result, Gray said, is a two-year process of continual growth for Nixon - one in which Gray feels has been mirrored by Alford.
Yet once the season began, Alford was no longer in the spotlight. He appeared in 16 games, missing a Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with a hamstring injury, but played only 23 percent of the Falcons' defensive snaps.Alford entered the 2023 offseason seeking a larger role and found it; he was the Falcons' starting nickel out of camp, a role he held for the first 13 games.
Alford spent part of this spring playing basketball, something Gray encouraged each of his defensive backs to do to help train their eyes. Alford plays with a pair of second-year corners in Clark Phillips III and Natrone Brooks at a local gym; the trio recently took down a squad comprised of players on Georgia State's men's basketball team.
"Every play, I'm communicating with the linebackers, the safeties, the D-line, just different guys all around," Alford said last week. "We're all just coming with the mindset of, 'It's a simple defense.' We want to be able to line up fast, play fast, play free and play physical.
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