HEADLINES

London Fletcher

Falcons Eyeing Vilma, Angerer, Dobbins

June 11th, 2014 at 7:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Falcons coach Mike Smith says the club is going to look in-house to replace the injured Sean Weatherspoon, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t evaluate their options in free agency. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that the Falcons are looking hard at former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma. They’re also keeping an eye on fellow free agent veterans Pat Angerer and Tim Dobbins, according to Rapoport’s source.

If Vilma’s medicals look good, the Falcons may bring him in for a visit soon (link). The addition of Vilma could help shore up Atlanta’s linebacking core while also giving them some needed leadership in the locker room. Vilma is also being considered by the Cowboys, along with Brian Urlacher, as a potential replacement for Sean Lee. The former University of Miami star played only 12 snaps in 2013 following a knee injury.

Back in April it was reported that Angerer had interest from multiple clubs but wanted to make sure he was back to 100% health before auditioning for anyone. Angerer, 27, recorded 126 tackles in his first two NFL seasons but has played in just 12 games over the last two. Dobbins, 31, saw just three games of action last season for the Texans.

While Vilma, Angerer, and Dobbins will be considered by Atlanta, Rapoport says (link) that ex-Steelers LB James Harrison and the recently retired London Fletcher won’t be looked at. Earlier today, our own Luke Adams gave a thorough breakdown of all of the Falcons’ options and mentioned Vilma and Angerer as two of the top possibilities.

London Fletcher Still 99% Sure Of Retirement

February 13th, 2014 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

When London Fletcher announced in December that he expected to retire at season’s end, he left the door slightly open for a potential return, suggesting that he was “99% sure” he’d call it quits. Nearly two months later, Fletcher continues to stick by that assertion. Speaking to Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com, Fletcher said of his retirement odds: “It’s still 99%. You have to leave that one percent out there.”

Fletcher, who will turn 39 this May, told ESPN.com’s John Keim toward the end of the 2013 regular season that the only scenario in which he’d return in 2014 would be on a playoff contender that had a few games left on its schedule. For now, as he tells Klemko, the longtime Redskin appears to be focused on transitioning into a television role.

“I still want to be around the sport, and I think I can give some insight about the game, because I’ve been around it so long. I think I could provide some good analysis,” Fletcher said. “I’ve done enough in the last four or five years to know how it goes. Coaching was a thought, and I’ll never say never, but I have three young kids, so the demand and hours that would come with coaching is not what I want to do.”

While Fletcher still started all 16 games for Washington this season and recorded 110 overall tackles, advanced metrics suggest that he’s slowed down significantly over the last couple years. Pro Football Focus ranked his performance 55th among inside linebackers in 2013 (subscription required).