This kind of got lost in the shuffle the other day, but it's very much worth spending a moment on.
Todd McClure has been a Falcon forever. To go from a seventh-round pick to one of the finest centers in the game is a journey poorly summed up in a short blog post, but suffice to say he's a hell of a guy and an impressive football player. He's just one who also happens to be getting older.
This may well mark the last year in a Falcons uniform for McClure, and it will almost certainly be his last year as a starter even if he stays. Peter Konz is prepared to take the reins after one more year, and McClure
It's a testament to just how classy McClure is that in spite of all that, he's embracing a role as a leader. As easily the longest-tenured member of the offensive line, it's going to fall partially on McClure to be a role model and mentor for guys like Konz, Lamar Holmes and Joe Hawley, as he's been doing for a while now.
I think leadership and chemistry can be overstated, but a guy like McClure clearly is a positive force on the team. Considering that the Falcons drafted Konz to be their center of the future, everything he can learn from McClure this season will be valuable.
What do you think of McClure and leadership?