During the soft opening to NFL free agency, the Atlanta Falcons have adhered to their plan to remain on the sidelines and let the market settle.
The Falcons, while in contention for three key free agents, they have not completed any deals. They have apparently lost linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who reportedly will accept a one-year, $4 million deal from the Arizona Cardinals.
Teams could start negotiating with agents on Saturday. Deals can be signed at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the start of the new league business year.
The Falcons are in a three-team race to sign Houston outside linebacker Brooks Reed. They have also been linked to Washington linebacker Brian Orakpo and Kansas City safety/cornerback Ron Parker.
The Falcons would not comment about the prospective personnel moves.
The Falcons elected to watch as Miami snapped up Detroit defensive tackle Nadamukong Suh, Philadelphia reached a mega-deal with cornerback Bryon Maxwell and Buffalo completed a deal with outside linebacker Jerry Hughes.
The Falcon haven’t exactly been idle as they did re-sign place-kicker Matt Bryant, reserve defensive end Cliff Matthews, wide receiver Eric Weems and fullback Patrick DiMarco after releasing running back Steven Jackson, wide receiver Harry Douglas, left guard Justin Blalock and defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi, who was claimed off waivers by Tennessee.
Entering free agency, the Falcons want to add pass-rush help, a tight end and safety.
They had hoped to sign Weatherspoon, but the negotiations hit a snag late last week.
Weatherspoon missed all of last season with an Achilles’ injury. Since being selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2010 draft, he has played all 16 games in a season just once.
Weatherspoon, 27, was coming off a tough campaign in 2013. He spent part of the 2013 season on injured reserve/designated to return with a foot injury before making it back, only to exit again with a knee injury.
The Falcons have been down this road before and things didn’t turn out so well.
After cornerback Brent Grimes suffered a torn Achilles while playing on the franchise tag at the start of the 2012 season, the Falcons couldn’t reach an agreement on his value and he signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency in 2013.
With the Dolphins, Grimes has made two Pro Bowls after the Falcons developed the former undrafted free agent.
The Cardinals must be comfortable with Weatherspoon’s medical report. He has started running and working on his change of direction on the surgically repaired Achilles.
Orakpo, an oft-injured three-time Pro Bowler, could be the destructive force that Falcons have been missing on defense since parting ways with defensive end John Abraham.
He’s played six seasons, but has been healthy for four and has played all 16 games just twice. In the four healthy seasons, he’s averaged 9.6 sacks. He had double-digit sacks (11) in 2009 and (10) in 2013.
Reed could soften the blow of losing Weatherspoon.
“He likes their defense,” said Ken Zuckerman, Reed’s agent, on Monday. “He can play all of their linebacker positions and they like his pass-rushing ability.”
Reed was selected in the second-round of the 2011 draft (42nd overall) by the Houston Texans out of Arizona.
Reed, 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, is durable. He has started 52 of 60 games over his career and has played in 16 games in three of the four seasons.
Last season for the Texans, Reed, 28, had 41 combined tackles, three sacks and one interception in 16 games (13 starts). He had six sacks during his rookie season, but hasn’t had more than three in a season since.
The Falcons believe that Reed’s numbers can improve dramatically like Connor Barwin, another former Texan. Barwin left for Philadelphia after the 2012 season and had five sacks in 2013 and 14.5 last season for the Eagles.
The New York Jets, Chicago, Arizona and Oakland also expressed interest in Reed.
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