Atlanta Falcons fans thought they had said goodbye to John Abraham for good. The defensive end who had spent a majority of his career as being a staple of the Atlanta defense entered free agency in March with the team originally having no intent on re-signing him. Now that Abraham has remained on the market and his value has decreased, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff believes the door remains open for the veteran to return.
Atlanta has already added Osi Umenyiora to fill the void created by Abraham's absence. They signed Kroy Biermann to a new deal and locked in Jonathan Massaquoi as a starter, so they no longer need Abraham to be an every-down type of player. that makes him a tempting target. His production has decreased over the years as he continues to get older. Abraham has led the team in sacks most years since arriving in 2006. He record 10 last season with 35 combined tackles. He had a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2008.
Dimitroff remained coy on the Falcon's interest in re-signing Abraham but said they are not ruling it out.
"We never say never...there is a lot on the horizon. We have some decisions to make across the organization, but we never say never as far as acquiring or bringing people back," Dimitroff said.
Most of the offseason moves made by the Falcons do not solve their need of a premier pass rusher. They have Umenyiora, but he is more of an all-around defensive player whereas the Falcons also want someone who's one job is to get at the quarterback. Abraham could still be that guy.
He was originally released because of cap space needs, so it is not likely the Falcons will consider bringing him back until after the NFL draft. The team will wait and see what kind of talent they are able to acquire during the draft weekend. If Abraham is still on the market when the draft is complete, there is a high likelihood he could find himself back playing at the Georgia Dome.
Abraham has garnered a lot of interest from multiple teams. The New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints have all brought him in to visit and workout for the team, but he has left without a contract both times. The Falcons would likely sign him to a low cost, short-term deal.