FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 10, wants to return to the team.
“I would like to, how do I put this . . . .Thomas (Dimitroff) especially, he really had a lot of confidence in me," Umenyiora told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution on Tuesday evening during a phone interview. "I can tell that when I talk to him. I just feel like it hasn’t panned out the way they had hoped. . . . I feel if they put me in the right situation, I think I will thrive. That’s pretty much all I can say. I just wasn’t in the right situation last year at all. I just kind of want to repay them. I feel like I owe them something.”
Umenyiora, who won two Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants, played the last two seasons for the Falcons.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Last season, he was used sparingly as a designated pass rusher. He played 347 snaps of 1,102 defensive snaps (31.4 percent). Despite the limited action, he was the team's second-highest rated defensive linemen behind Jonathan Babineaux.
“I haven’t talk to them yet,” Umenyiora said. “I haven’t really spoken with them. (Super-agent) Tom (Condon) said that he was going to have a couple of conversations with them, but I don’t know what the situation is as far as that is concerned yet.”
Umenyiora, 33, played in all 16 games last season and had 2.5 sacks. In 2013, he led the team with 7.5 sacks.
“I feel like I can still get it done,” Umenyiora said. “Last year, I didn’t like the way things went. I feel like I can do better than that and I feel like I can help the team in a better way, but I need to be on the football field.
“If a team is actually going to give me a chance to go out there and play -- not playing 10 plays a game – if they are going to give me a chance to go out there and play, I feel like I can go out there and help them. That’s what I want to do.”
Umenyiora was professional throughout the season and never complained as the Falcons tried to play younger and less productive players in a hybrid 3-4/4-3 amoeba defense, which finished ranked last in the league.
“It wasn’t good at all, but what can you do,” Umenyiora said. “I can’t just sit up there and complain about it and talk trash, especially during the season. That’s not the way to go. I’ve done that before.
“I found that wasn’t the way to go. I have so much respect for coach (Mike) Smith and Thomas, Scott (Pioli) and (Arthur) Blank. I wasn’t going to make any waves and let my true feelings be known. That wasn’t the way to go about things.”
Umenyiora has studied Seattle’s defense, which has been operated by new Falcons coach Dan Quinn for the past two seasons. Umenyiora believes he’s a scheme-fit.
“They’ve had some really good players there,” Umenyiora said. “ They had Chris Clemons. (Cliff) Avril is still there. These are guys who can really play. If I was to play in that defense, that would be really good. It all depends. We’ll see what happens.”
Umenyiora, who will likely enter broadcasting after his playing days are over, is not completing retirement.
“Honestly, it’s that I feel like I can (still play),” Umenyiora said. “When I (watched) the tape all of the things that went on last year, when I got a chance to play, I felt like I could still go out there and get a couple of things done. At least, that’s what the tape told me.”
Umenyiora hopes he’s in the Falcons’ plans for next season, but if not, he understands.
“At the end of the day, if that doesn’t work out, I’m completely OK going elsewhere,” he said.
FALCONS STORIES
Falcons to focus on adding another cornerstone
Quinn-Dimitroff partnership off to a strong start
Q&A with Falcons head coach Dan Quinn at the combine
Falcons coach Dan Quinn fired up to watch pass-rushers
Q&A with Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff on moving forward
Falcons to keep character filter on draft picks
Falcons close to re-signing kicker Matt Bryant
Falcons LT Jake Matthews recovering from offseason surgery
Falcons plan to extend WR Julio Jones contract
Falcons could target Denver TE Julius Thomas in free agency
Falcons' roster gutting could have big names (i.e. Steven Jackson)
Cutting the Falcons roster -- Should they stay or should they go?
COMBINE STORIES
Todd Gurley speaks about autograph-signing caper
Bucs appear set to cast future with Jameis Winston
Todd Gurley intriguing prospect to NFL teams
Chris Conley puts on a dazzling show at the combine
Waller, Smelter out to prove NFL standing at the combine
VIDEO DEPARTMENT
Watch: D. Led -- Falcons news at the combine
Watch: NFL Network's Mike Mayock at the combine
Watch: Todd Gurley has interviews set up with 24 NFL teams
Watch: Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff at the combine
Watch: Falcons coach Dan Quinn at the combine
Watch: Rams GM Les Snead on the pass-rush talent at the combine
FALCONS COMBINE MEETINGS
Oregon DE Arik Armstead talked scheme with the Falcons
Falcons met with Alabama quarterback Blake Sims
Falcons to meet with Florida DE Dante Fowler Jr.
Falcons met with Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson
Falcons met with Alabama safety Landon Collins
PHOTO GALLERIES
Photographs from the 2015 NFL scouting combine
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