Pat Angerer

Pat Angerer Works Out For Falcons

As training camp nears, the Falcons still have two openings on their 90-man roster, and it appears they’re considering a veteran defender for one of those open spots. According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, free agent linebacker Pat Angerer worked out for Atlanta today.

Angerer, 27, racked up 226 tackles in his first two NFL seasons but has played more sparsely over the last two years, in part due to foot and knee injuries. Back in April it was reported that the 27-year-old had received interest from multiple clubs but wanted to make sure he was back to 100% health before working out for anyone. The audition for the Falcons appears to be Angerer’s first of the offseason.

The Falcons have been on the lookout for veteran help at the linebacker spot since receiving word that Sean Weatherspoon ruptured his Achilles tendon and will miss the 2014 season. The club signed former Texan Tim Dobbins to compete for a roster spot and was said to be considering Angerer several weeks ago.

We’ll have to wait to see whether or not the ex-Colt receives a contract offer from Atlanta, but regardless of whether Angerer signs, the club is likely to fill its 90-man roster by Friday, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter).

Falcons Eyeing Vilma, Angerer, Dobbins

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.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Holmes, Angerer

The contract details on Will Montgomery‘s deal indicate that he won’t necessarily be the starter, but he will have a chance to compete with Manuel Ramirez to be the Broncos‘ primary center, writes Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Klis looks at Denver’s new offensive line options and the different combinations that they might use. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..

  • Receiver Santonio Holmes likely will wait until after the draft to pick his next team, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Holmes spent the last four years with the Jets before being released earlier this offseason.
  • Free agent running back Chris Johnson is in New York tonight but he’s not visiting the Jets on this trip, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
  • The Patriots are still the frontrunners to sign defensive end Will Smith, who was released by the Saints earlier this offseason, writes Florio. Smith, who is seven months removed from a torn ACL, had 13 sacks in 2009 but hasn’t had more than 6.5 in any given year since then.
  • Colts free agent linebacker Pat Angerer said he had interest from several teams earlier this offseason but wants to be 100% healthy before taking free agent workouts, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1.
  • Browns tight end Jordan Cameron says he’s excited about playing in new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan‘s offense since, traditionally, he prominently features tight ends, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.
  • Browns left tackle Joe Thomas said he’s confident center Alex Mack will return to Cleveland next season despite his recent visit with Jaguars, Ulrich tweets. Meanwhile, owner Jimmy Haslem told reporters, including Ulrich (on Twitter), that he’s optimistic that the team will retain the restricted free agent.

FA Rumors: Talib, Allen, Carroll, McClain

While one prospective free agent cornerback, Brent Grimes, re-upped with his team earlier this week, we probably shouldn’t expect Aqib Talib and the Patriots to reach an agreement before Talib hits the open market, says Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Howe hears from a source that Talib “wants to be paid as a top-of-the-market corner” in free agency, meaning he’s unlikely to accept any offer from the Pats before he sees what else is out there. New England has made the veteran cornerback a priority since the team’s season ended, but it looks like the Pats will have to compete with other suitors if they want to bring Talib back for 2014.

Here’s more on this year’s free agent class:

  • Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Jared Allen said that when he hits free agency, he’ll be looking for a good organization with a chance to win – as well as a fair contract – and expects to be very involved in the process. The longtime Viking didn’t sound bullish on the idea of joining the Raiders, suggesting that Oakland has a lot of things to “correct” and may not be looking for a veteran defensive end (all Twitter links).
  • The Vikings are “expected to take a strong look” at cornerback Nolan Carroll if and when he becomes available, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. We heard last week that the Dolphins have interest in bringing back Carroll, who anticipates testing the open market.
  • Jack Bechta, the agent for linebacker Pat Angerer, tells Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star that the Colts will let his client hit the open market next week without attempting to re-sign him. Angerer’s looming departure helps explain the club’s interest in signing free agent linebacker D’Qwell Jackson.
  • After visiting with the Bills today, free agent linebacker Jameel McClain will move on to meet with the Giants, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR550. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), the Bills and Giants are two of the five teams interested in McClain.
  • The Redskins continue talking to linebacker Perry Riley but aren’t particularly close to reaching an agreement, reports Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
  • Seth Walder of the New York Daily News expects the Jets to add a quarterback in free agency, and identifies Josh McCown, Michael Vick, and Tarvaris Jackson as a few potential targets for the club.
  • According to head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have “aggressive” offers out to all the pending free agents they want to keep (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press takes a look at some free agent options for the Lions as the team hunts for a slot receiver to replace Nate Burleson.