5 Falcons Who May Be Let Go This Offseason
By Jake Bennett
Jan 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas (54) celebrates a tackle for a loss in the first quarter of the NFC divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
STEVEN NICHOLAS, LOLB
Nicholas caught flak in the 2012 playoffs for his inability to cover Tight Ends, but I was never one to criticize him for that. Nicholas’ true talents lie in stuffing the run, so when Mike Nolan has Nicholas schemed to cover Vernon Davis in the NFC Championship Game, it was an automatic mis-match. Since then, the emergence of UDFA Joplo Bartu and his coverage abilities have led to the benching of Nicholas. With a 5.5 million dollar cap hit in 2014, the writing is literally on the wall for one of the most underrated Linebackers in the NFC South.
Since Atlanta already has solid Linebacker depth behind our current starters, I cannot see the Falcons taking a high round prospect to fill Nicholas’ shoes unless it’s a late Day 3 selection.
UPDATE: Steven Nicholas has been released.