What to watch for as Falcons begin OTAs

The Falcons, who will have their full allotment of 10 organized team activities sessions this season, started the glorified practices Monday. Here are five things to know about the OTAs: 1.

Where’s Julio? Falcons AllPro wide receiver Julio Jones has spent most of the offseason working out in Alabama and sometimes back in Atlanta while tending to his wide-ranging business portfolio. He’s expected to maintain the once-a-week OTA schedule that was taught to him by Roddy White. Wednesday’s session will be partially open to the media. There’s a report that he wants his contract “updated,” but no one has talked to Jones about the matter. 2.

The master plan. These are the first steps in the Falcons’ master plan to spruce up the offense and start getting their timing down on offense. They want to

fix their big-play ability and scoring in the red zone. The young defense must continue to improve and the special teams must make a major leap for the Falcons to overtake the Saints in the NFC South in 2018. 3.

Non-contact. The Falcons were penalized with the loss of three sessions last season for allowing too much contact in 2016. The other OTAs will be held Wednes- day and Thursday, May 30-31, June 1, June 4-5 and June 7. That’s just nine dates, but the team has the option to add the 10th session. The Falcons’ mandatory minicamp will be held June 12-14. 4.

Phase 3. The Falcons’ “voluntary” nine-week offseason program is conducted in three phases and this is the final part. Phase 3 consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of OTAs. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on- 7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted. 5.

Due diligence. Before last season’s sessions, coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff went to New York to review their film and see where they violated the rules. Last season, they toned down the OTAs because they didn’t want to be in the league’s repeat-offender program.

Seattle was cited as a repeat offender, lost a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft and was fined $400,000, and coach Pete Carroll was fined $200,000.

CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM Falcons head coach Dan Quinn (left) and general manager Thomas Dimitroff take in the first day of rookie minicamp Friday in Flowery Branch.