Report: Falcons free agent target Pernell McPhee to sign with Washington

The Atlanta Falcons had a level of interest in pass rusher Pernell McPhee, per multiple reports, even after Derrick Shelby re-signed. It now appears they won’t land the veteran defender, however, which qualifies as a bit of a bummer.

McPhee was a sensible target because he’s not the most productive pass rusher on the market and has dealt with injuries of late, which should make his final contract a bit more manageable. He would have fit in as a quality third pass rusher in this defensive end rotation, right ahead of Brooks Reed, but the Falcons will have to roll on and keep looking for a rookie or free agent target to take on that role, if this report proves true.

It sounds like the Falcons could still potentially convince McPhee to sign, but I’m guessing they’re not interested in getting in a bidding war, because they don’t really do that. Chances are McPhee is headed to Washington, and the Falcons will look to draft a fifth defensive end to add to the rotation. If they fail at that, they could look at a player like Robert Ayers to fill the spot in early May. Either way, they’ll not dwell on McPhee.

That’s a little unfortunate, because McPhee in a limited role might have meant production without the injury woes. We’ll never know now, though, and I’ll wait to see how the offseason plays out before I get too upset about that.