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Thursday, November 8, 2007
Boley headed toward free agency?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Falcons outside linebacker Michael Boley, who leads the team with 90 tackles and is an emerging star, will be a restricted free agent this spring unless he reaches a contract extension with the team before then. So far, no talks have taken place in that regard, according to his agent, Zeke Sandhu.
That’s not to say the team won’t try to lock up the former fifth-round pick before season’s end but Sandhu said he’s been given no indication from the team that contract talks are on the horizon.
Since Boley is only a third-year player, the Falcons have the ability to place a one-year tender on him that would require any team that signed him to an offer sheet to offer compensation if Atlanta opts to not match the deal. The Falcons did as much with Matt Schaub (before trading him to Houston) and outside linebacker Demorrio Williams last season. No team signed Williams and he signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with Atlanta.
Williams will become an unrestricted free agent this spring unless the Falcons offer a contract extension, which they might not because they like rookie OLB Stephen Nicholas and MLB Keith Brooking could be moved back outside next season.
In terms of Boley, he seems to fit the criteria of the type of player Atlanta wants to have for it’s foreseeable future. He’s a solid citizen and an ascending talent who’s already approaching Pro Bowl caliber.
Starting free safety Chris Crocker also will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. He said he would like to return, but the Falcons have not approached his agent about an extension.
