There's significant forward momentum on the NFL lockout front, which I'm going to attribute to players and owners reading my witty barbs and being so stung by them that they were forced into action.
Don't correct me.
Anyways, the expectation is that there's going to be an incredible amount of movement as soon as the lockout is lifted. Teams are going to want to fill their rosters, make cuts and just generally accomplish in the span of a couple of weeks what they would have otherwise done over several months. This is a good thing.
It does mean teams have to be in the saddle and ready to shoot, so to speak. D. Orlando Ledbetter assures us in the same article I've now linked three times that the Falcons have girded up a warhorse and have a healthy supply of ammo, again so to speak.
Why is this so significant? Because time will be a huge factor. Teams are going to be whipped into a frenzy by their desire to get some decent free agents before the well dries up, which will probably be within two weeks after free agency officially opens. After all, training camp is going to have to start immediately, and no one wants to be fielding half a team when it does.
So expect the Falcons to hit the ground running, talking to guys like vaunted defensive end Ray Edwards, less vaunted cornerback Eric Wright and perhaps even a Jared Gaither or two. As I've said before, I expect there to be one major free agent signing and a handful of little ones. I'm still hoping for Edwards, Wright, a safety and a little bit of offensive line help.
Who do you expect the Falcons to sign once this cursed lockout ends?