As recently as three months ago, I opined that the Falcons wouldn't and couldn't let Tyson Clabo leave in free agency. Each passing week has eroded my faith in that.
Why, you ask? Largely because it's becoming a sort of whispered consensus that Clabo will be the first one out the door, paired with the fact that if a new collective bargaining agreement actually surfaces, Clabo's seven years of service make him a no-doubt unrestricted free agent. With a 2010 Pro Bowl berth under his belt, he's not going to come cheap.
Clabo was plenty effective last season, so it's not like I want to boot him out the door. But the Falcons clearly cannot re-sign all three of the trio of Harvey Dahl, Justin Blalock and Tyson Clabo, and given his position and production of late, Clabo's likely to be the most expensive. With big contracts approaching for Julio Jones and (insert free agent defensive end here), that could be a deciding factor.
I'm on record preferring that the Falcons lock up Justin Blalock and Clabo and let Harvey Dahl walk, given that they have a pair of talented young guys in Andrew Jackson and Mike Johnson who could probably start at right guard without embarrassing themselves.
As you can probably tell, I'm conflicted here. What are your thoughts?