After nine years with the St. Louis Rams, veteran running back Steven Jackson has decided to make a change by voiding the final year of his deal with the team. With Jackson set to become a free agent, the Atlanta Falcons have emerged as the leading candidate to sign him according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as of March 10:
As for running back Steven Jackson, there weren’t a lot of phone calls inquiring about him Saturday according to those close to Jackson. But Atlanta still is regarded as the frontrunner for his services, and the Falcons aren’t the only team interested.
Recently, the Falcons parted ways with veteran Michael Turner. The team was unwilling to pay Turner $6.9 million owed to the back in the final year of his deal. Along with Turner rumored to on his way out on of Atlanta before his release, the veteran reportedly failed his physical resulting in his inevitable release.
With the Falcons coming only one game shy of the Super Bowl in 2012 losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, Jackson may be the missing piece to the puzzle in Atlanta. Although injury prone in his early years with the Rams, Jackson has been able to stay healthy over the past few years while posting solid numbers on an annual basis.
Another priority for the Falcons will be re-signing tight end Tony Gonzalez. The veteran tight end has been reluctant to come back from one more season, but may ultimately return rather than choosing to retire.
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