Yesterday, in the wake of Sean Weatherspoon‘s season-ending Achilles injury, I examined the Falcons’ options for potential linebacker replacements. While Atlanta isn’t likely to find a player capable of replicating Weatherspoon’s production, there are several in-house candidates to play more snaps. Still, I concluded that the Falcons would probably increase their pursuit of an outside option, perhaps bringing in a veteran via free agency. It didn’t take long for reports to confirm that the club was exploring that possibility, with a story last night suggesting Pat Angerer, Jonathan Vilma, and Tim Dobbins were among the Falcons’ potential targets.

Here’s the latest from out of Atlanta:

• Dobbins, who last played for the Texans, is expected to pay a visit to the Falcons today, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Even if Atlanta is impressed by Dobbins and signs him to a contract, that doesn’t mean he’ll be penciled in as Weatherspoon’s replacement, according to McClure, who points out that the club has been impressed by rookies Prince Shembo and Marquis Spruill.
• The Falcons have signed third-round safety Dezmen Southward to his four-year rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release. Southward, the 68th overall selection last month, was the last of nine Atlanta draftees to ink his deal, so the club now has all its picks under contract.
• Kicker Sergio Castillo has also signed a contract with the Falcons, according to the team’s Twitter account. As McClure notes in a tweet, the move means there’s now one opening left on Atlanta’s 90-man roster, potentially for a veteran linebacker like Dobbins or Vilma.