An interesting report came out of Atlanta this afternoon that could see bigger implications in the near future. According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris sent wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud home from practice today. Few details were provided as Morris called it “a private matter between the team and McCloud,” but the head coach indicated that “he doesn’t know if McCloud will return.” 
Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney added that McCloud has already been ruled out for the team’s Sunday night trip to San Francisco. This will be the second game in a row in which McCloud will be a healthy scratch. After missing Monday’s win over the Bills, McCloud has been a non-participant at practice all week for the Falcons. Despite the rough look of today’s departure, it doesn’t appear to be a punishment for the veteran receiver.
“I sent him home, an excused absence,” Morris told reporters. “We are working through some things that are private with the young man, and we will get those things figured out.”
Morris made sure to stress that, whatever McCloud is dealing with, this isn’t a reaction to the team’s decision to fire wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard back in September. “This is between Ray-Ray, the organization, and us,” Morris continued. “…I wouldn’t say it is a disciplinary thing, more of a football thing with something we have to get straightened out.”
McCloud’s absences have been difficult for Atlanta as fellow wide receiver Darnell Mooney has missed two games this year, as well, the most recent with a hamstring injury. Mooney has been limited in practice all week as he deals with the ailing hamstring, and he didn’t participate at all today. If Mooney, once again, can’t go on Sunday, the receiving corps Atlanta takes cross country will be a thin one.
Last week, behind leading receiver Drake London, it was second-year pass-catcher Casey Washington and converted college quarterback David Sills taking up most of the available snaps on offense. They seemed to serve mostly as decoys, though, as London drew 16 targets to Washington’s two and Sills’ zero, and all other passes were directed at running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and tight end Kyle Pitts.
It may be more of the same this weekend with McCloud out and Mooney trending in the wrong direction. As for McCloud, hopefully more details will emerge to give some insight into his path moving forward. After breaking out last year for by far a career-best 62 catches for 686 yards in his seventh NFL season and with his fifth NFL team, this has been an extremely disappointing follow up for the 29-year-old. He and the team will now work to get things back on track.