Report: Falcons Will Work Out Jadeveon Clowney Today

With the NFL Draft fast approaching, the Falcons are doing due diligence on a ton of prospects. The Falcons may have legitimate interest in all of them, or there may be the usual draft subterfuge going on. There's simply no way to know, and my goal with any interesting reports is to pass them along and give you the chance to weigh them against your own notions of how this draft will unfold.

Whether it's a giant smokescreen or a sign of legitimate interest on the part of the Falcons remains to be seen, but the team will head to South Carolina to work out Jadeveon Clowney tomorrow.

What does this mean? In practical terms, simply that the Falcons are intrigued enough by Clowney to want as much information and face-time with the potentially gifted pass rusher as possible. It does not mean the Falcons will trade up to get Clowney, but it certainly does nothing to squash the persistent rumors that they may. This is a team interested in significantly upgrading its pass rush, and whatever fans and pundits may think, there aren't a ton of teams out there who don't view Clowney as a potential impact pass rusher.

What makes this a little more intriguing is that Clowney's agent indicated he was done with workouts, with the caveat that they might make an exception for one team. There's nothing particularly remarkable about a workout for a top prospect other than that.

I don't believe the Falcons will be willing to put together the package necessary to move up to the first overall pick, so even if they do want to move up, Clowney could be gone before they get the chance to do so. A jump up to #2 with the St. Louis Rams or #3 with the Jacksonville Jaguars has always seemed more likely, given the familiarity between general managers and the slightly lower cost of doing business with those two teams.

My bet is still that the Falcons stay at #6 and wind up with a tackle like Jake Matthews, but at this time of year, I wouldn't feel confident putting down much money on any outcome. As I've said since January, just don't rule a trade for Clowney out because you don't like it.

Your thoughts?