Conflicting Reports On Falcons' Interest in DE Greg Hardy

With the open tampering period of free agency having started, the Falcons have not been mentioned in connection with many players. All seemed quiet around Flowery Branch. Too quiet.

Enter Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, who reported the Falcons are interested in Greg Hardy. Per the video:

"Expect that the top five teams that are going to be looking at Greg Hardy are San Francisco, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Tennesse, and Indianapolis. Those are not in any order, but those are the five teams that have projected themselves out from the rest of the NFL."

Hardy, of course, was suspended for the last 15 games of the 2014 season due to a messy domestic abuse situation. Always considered a bit of a wild card, in the previous seasons he turned into one of the best defensive ends in the league, tallying 26 sacks in 2012 and 2013.

Hardy's status for the 2015 season is expected to be cleared up very soon, and he will easily be the top pass rusher available in free agency. He is generally expected to come at a discount thanks to his risk for future suspensions. Hardy could help turn around one of the most putrid defenses in the league, and could just as easily be a bigger headache for the team and fans.

New head coach Dan Quinn does not seem to be sticking as closely to the Falcon filter as the prior regime.

Update: The Atlanta Journal-Consitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter received word from the team, that can best be summed up as, "Jason Cole said WHAT?"

The Falcons have reportedly called the interest in Greg Hardy "inaccurate" and we can return to our normally scheduled free agency. The team may, of course, change their mind after the market dries up and Hardy is officially allowed to play in 2015.