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A familiar face is finally returning to Atlanta after an offseason of speculation.
O’Brien Schofield told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure he expects to rejoin the Falcons sometime this week, and now we have confirmation from veteran NFL reporter Adam Caplan.
#Falcons agreed to one-year deal with DE/OLB O'Brien Schofield, source said.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) September 21, 2016
O'Brien Schofield just told me he expects to rejoin the Falcons this week. Paperwork not official yet but it's... https://t.co/2y5QVCI5hy
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) September 19, 2016
The Falcons desperately need a boost for their anemic pass rush, and while Schofield wasn’t a major asset there a year ago, he is probably a better option than most of the players currently on the roster.
Schofield appeared in all 16 games for Atlanta last season and started 10 of them. He finished the year with 30 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. We’ll hope he can improve on those numbers in 2016 and key a resurgent pass rush. While we’re hoping, we’d also like a pony.
There hasn’t been any announcement of a corresponding move just yet, but stay tuned, because the team will probably make something official shortly.
As McClure noted, the six-year veteran will likely spend time at the strong side linebacker spot. He’s also a vocal locker room leader, and will likely push the likes of Brooks Reed, Sean Weatherspoon, and even Philip Wheeler for playing time going forward.
Are you excited for Schofield’s return?