FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons owner Arthur Blank said his football men were ready to sprint out of the gates when the lockout was lifted.
With 11 free agents and six draft picks to sign, the team has started in slow motion by re-signing linebacker Stephen Nicholas and bailing out of the Charles Johnson bidding.
The pace certainly will pick up with the start of practice at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
The Falcons made a little headway when they agreed to a five-year, $17.5 million contract with Nicholas on Wednesday.
“I’m just excited and ready to play football, that’s the main thing,” Nicholas said.
Nicholas can’t sign until 6 p.m. Friday.
The Falcons have eight other unrestricted free agents: right tackle Tyson Clabo, right guard Harvey Dahl, left guard Justin Blalock, linebacker Mike Peterson, running backs Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling, kicker Matt Bryant and punter Michael Koenen.
They will not be allowed to practice until Aug. 4, when the NFL’s new business year starts. There is a possibility that Nicholas and the other unrestricted free agents could practice earlier — if re-signed — and if the NFL Players Association recertifies as a union and the new 10-year collective bargaining agreement is ratified sooner.
The Falcons, looking for defensive-line help, pursued Johnson, a former Georgia standout from Hawkinsville, but bailed out when Carolina dropped a six-year, $72 million deal with $32 million in guarantees on the table.
Clabo is talking with the Buffalo Bills. “That’s a possibility,” Clabo said via phone Wednesday evening. “But nobody has agreed to terms or anything like that.”
Negotiations to sign rookie first-round pick Julio Jones are underway.
Nicholas, 28, elected not to sign a tender offer before the lockout started because he wanted a long-term deal.
“I was going to test free agency anyway,” Nicholas said.
About five teams were interested in signing Nicholas. But in the end, Tampa Bay was the major competition for his services. Nicholas, who is from Jacksonville, played collegiately at South Florida in Tampa.
“Atlanta stepped up to the plate, and we got things done,” said Nicholas, a fourth-round pick in 2007 who has started 25 games over the past two seasons and has played in 65 games in his career.
“I know I’m going to be on the field,” Nicholas said. “That was pretty clear that they wanted me on the field. I’m just excited and ready to get back to football.”
The Falcons still want to re-sign Peterson, one of the team leaders.
Last season, Nicholas started 11 games and finished with 87 tackles, including a season-high and career-high 13 tackles against San Francisco on Oct. 3. He also had an interception against Cleveland on Oct. 10.
In 2009, he started 14 games and had 82 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two passes defensed. In 2008, he played in all 16 games and was a standout on special teams. As a rookie, Nicholas finished with 37 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery in 13 games.
The Falcons may also be without Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes when they open practice Friday. Grimes is a restricted free agent and did not sign the tender offer he received before the lockout.
“He can’t practice [before Aug. 4] unless he is signed or if the [collective bargaining agreement] is ratified before then,” his agent Ben Dogra wrote in a text. “RFA’s can show up since the lockout is lifted.”
Wide receiver-returner Eric Weems is an exclusive rights free agent.
The Falcons signed 22 undrafted rookie free agents, including fullback Lucas Cox, formerly of Georgia Tech, and defensive tackle Kiante Tripp, formerly of Georgia and Westlake High.
Others who signed: WR Doug Beaumont (Louisville), DB Kirk Belgrave (Kent State), WR Drew Davis (Oregon), C Paul Fenaroli (Stony Brook), QB Adam Froman (Louisville), WR P.J. Gore (Mars Hill), DB Matt Hansen (Rhode Island), DE Tom McCarthy (Yale), T Rob McGill (Louisiana Tech), DB Kamaal McIlwain (Newberry), C Ryan McMahon (FSU and Darlington School), FB Thor Merrow (North Alabama and Buford High), G Matt Murphy (UNLV), LS Andrew Schulze (Iowa), RB Philip Sylvester (Florida A&M), LB LaMarcus Thompson (Tennessee and Redan High), DB Suaesi Tuimaunei (Oregon State), DB Darrin Walls (Notre Dame), TE Ryan Winterswyk (Boise State), and RB Youri Yenga (SMU).
