O'Brien Schofield to the Falcons is the rumor that won't die

I predicted a long time ago that the Falcons would re-sign O'Brien Schofield, but as the months went by, I felt it had become unlikely. Now we're in May, though, and Schofield is lingering on the open market and people are still writing stories about a potential reunion, so who knows.

To wit:

"As far as opened or closed, it’s never closed with Scho," Quinn said. "There’s never a time where we close it on a player that we’re connected with, if that makes sense. I’m not going to say we will sign him, but we’ll always have conversation because of our respect for him.

"Not only do I understand what he stands for as a ballplayer, I understand what he stands for as a man. That’s the big thing. So whether he’s here or not here, my connection with him is life-long. That’s why my feelings for him are so strong, and my respect for him is that way."

These strong words don't guarantee a signing, but there may come a point where Schofield's contract demands and the team's needs mesh in a way that enables it to happen. Schofield was a moderately productive player and locker room leader for the Falcons, and the team hasn't addressed its pass rush beyond Derrick Shelby, re-signing Adrian Clayborn, and hoping for a lot of improvement on the roster.

I think Schofield will wind up somewhere else, but there's a lot of uncertainty here right now, and you can't rule out Atlanta bringing in the veteran if they suffer an injury at defensive end or linebacker deep into the summer. We'll see what happens, but don't think this is the last story you'll see about Schofield.