...What?!
Let me note that cutting Jackson was one of the few moves of the Petrino era which made any kind of sense. Despite his considerable talent, he's old, heavy and got in a legal battle with the Falcons. There's also that pesky "let's get younger" thing that I just sort of assumed we were doing here. Maybe Steve Wyche has this on good authority or something, but I'm completely baffled by this bit of news.
Even at a reasonable price, I see no point in signing Grady to a team that's hardly likely to contend next year. I'd rather see the Falcons use a stopgap like Tim Anderson until Trey Lewis comes back. Hell, draft a talented defensive tackle. I'll put on a fat suit and play it. Just don't sign a guy who doesn't fit with the organizational plan in any way, shape, or form.
There's other interesting tidbits in this article, though. Wyche indicates that the Falcons are likely to replace Crumpler through free agency, which only makes sense if the replacement is fairly cheap. The Falcons will also look to lock up Tyson Clabo as a starter, which is the kind of news that makes me say whatever. He's the definition of solid, and we do have plenty of needs along the line. I'll take him.
Right now, this is all just speculation, albeit way more informed speculation than I could offer from my underground lair. I'm keeping my faith in Dimitroff and Smith high, but please don't sign Grady unless it's for dirt cheap. I don't want to be agnostic about this brave new team before it even starts to come together.