John Abraham's Return To Atlanta Is A Possibility, But No Lock

When the Falcons cut John Abraham loose this off-season, there was a mix of sadness and anxiety from the team's fans, and understandably so. Abe was the team's pass rush for most of his tenure, and letting him go felt like the end of an era at best and a mistake at worst.

Since the release, predictably, everyone has been calling for the Falcons to re-sign Abe. This chorus has only grown louder and stronger as Abraham has predictably found a soft market, with visits all over the place but no strong signs of interest from any one team. Everyone seems to either prefer the Predator to Osi Umenyiora or want to bring both back, understandable sentiments both.

There's only one problem with this building head of steam: It may wind up dissipating.

If the Falcons can get Abe back on the cheap, they will probably do so. They could still use pass rush help, and Abe's a part-time player who wouldn't really be blocking the team's young guys. But there are other teams who have at least had Abe in for a visit, t he Falcons are going to be running into a cap crunch soon and they did cut Abraham in the first place.

For the record, I think Abraham could be back, but if a team like the Patriots or Broncos offer him a better contract than Atlanta, there's no reason to think he wouldn't take it. If the demand doesn't coalesce after Elvis Dumervil and Osi Umenyiora have signed, I'd give it a better than 50% chance that he returns to Atlanta. But New England is a patient team, too, and the Broncos aren't going to be willing to let Abe go if they lose out on Dwight Freeney.

So what I'm saying is, have hope, but don't get your hopes too high. What do you think the odds are of Abe returning?

Related Links

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