FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Raheem Morris has worked since April’s draft to make Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker JD Bertrand’s nickname Captain America.
Morris refers to him almost exclusively in that way. Bertrand is a graduate of Notre Dame, where he was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy (college football’s academic Heisman Trophy) and a member of the AFCA Good Works Team. His whole vibe screams Eagle Scout, which he was.
So the nickname fits. In the inside linebackers room, though, they call him Jerry. There is no reason for this. The “J” in JD does not stand for Jerry. There is no reason to call him Jerry except that the team’s three other inside linebackers think it’s funny.
You have to understand his position mates to get it. The inside linebackers room is the most intimate in the Falcons building — just four guys who have found, to their delight, that they share a quirky sense of humor that is in direct contrast to their violent approach to the game.
“I hate to say meatheads, but they are — ‘Aargh, I saw that A-gap open up,’” Morris said. “It’s a fun room to go into, though.”
In addition to Bertrand, the room includes Kaden Elliss, Nate Landman and Troy Andersen, the trio that will handle most of the defensive snaps this season while Bertrand learns the ropes on special teams.
“We’re a super close group and a super competitive group,” Landman said. “I love coming to work with these guys. We all complement each other off the field, and it really translates when we’re on the field, too.”
Landman and Andersen are entering their third seasons in Atlanta. Elliss joined the group last year when he signed a free-agency deal with the Falcons. They became fast friends around shared sensibilities built out west. Landman, an undrafted free agent, played collegiately at Colorado, and Elliss, a seventh-round draft pick in 2019, played at Idaho. Andersen was a second-round draft pick but played at Montana State, so his development process was decidedly low-profile.
“They have cool backgrounds, and they have a lot of fun with each other,” inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud said. “It’s a fun group to be a part of.”
The Montana man is on the mic 🎙️@troy_andersen pic.twitter.com/MseAWVYSer
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 21, 2024
They’re the kind of guys who have their own weekly Bible study group and also wear baseball caps that read “CHOOSE VIOLENCE” in large block script. During training camp, the Falcons passed their downtime by having players give PowerPoint-style presentations about random conspiracy theories.
The linebackers got that going.
“Oh, that’s starting to get out, isn’t it?” Ruud said. “I would call them joking conspiracy theorists because, trust me, I know some real conspiracy theorists. I would not put those guys in that category. I would say they are a fun group. They take their jobs seriously, they don’t take themselves seriously, which is really important. They have great humility; they can laugh at themselves; they can laugh at each other.”
They can also play. Elliss and Landman started in Week 1 against Pittsburgh, but the Falcons consider all three starter quality. Elliss played all 68 defensive snaps against the Steelers and led Atlanta with nine tackles, while Landman (37 snaps) and Andersen (31 snaps) split time at the other inside position and combined for 12 stops. They were the Falcons’ top-graded defenders by Pro Football Focus.
Their next test is a big one. The Falcons take on the Eagles in Philadelphia on “Monday Night Football,” which means Atlanta’s inside linebackers will see a lot of Saquon Barkley. The Eagles’ newest offensive weapon had 109 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns in Philly’s Week 1 win over Green Bay.
“It’s just really the whole offense when you look at those guys, right?” Morris said. “They’ve got the biggest offensive line in the history of the game. They got a brand new center that’s going to create a real challenge for us.”
The style of game might mean more snaps for Landman, who Ruud says has “those great throwback qualities of a ’70s, ’80s linebacker who was a great box player.”
Andersen is the athletic freak of the room. He’s the only inside linebacker in the NFL to enter the league with a perfect 10 Relative Athletic Score, a number tabulated by combining strength, speed and agility testing numbers for players entering the NFL Draft.
“He looks like he could be in that movie ‘300,’” Elliss said. “There are times he will catch a guy, and you’ll be like, ‘How did he catch a guy that fast?’ It looks effortless. Everybody in the NFL has traits that are the reason they are here. Troy is blessed to have a few of those.”
Elliss, who is on the second season of a three-year, $21.5 million contract, falls in the middle of the two in physicality and athleticism.
“Those guys are really smart and physical, and we’re going to utilize them as much as we can on all downs,” defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said. “There’s going to be times when all three can be on the grass. It’s going to give us a lot of different things to do to cause confusion.”
The more value the Falcons’ inside linebackers, and inside linebackers around the league, can provide on the field, the more leverage the position group will have at the negotiating table, Morris and Ruud believe.
“It’s always about your skill set,” Ruud said. “I think what’s starting to happen now is the inside linebacker position, the versatility at that position is being valued more, which lets you be on the field more.”
Landman has been encouraged to see recent deals for inside linebackers Roquon Smith, Fred Warner and Tremaine Edmunds all top $70 million.
“The game is won up front with the big boys, and sacks are flashy and the secondary gets the picks, but I think we tie the front end and the back end together,” Landman said. “Slowly, you can see these ’backers getting paid. We are coming out of that devalued place, and they are setting the market pretty high.”
(Photo of Kaden Elliss: Brett Davis / USA Today)
