Season Saved: Joey Harrington Could Be Back With the Falcons in 2008

On Wednesday, the Falcons released Joey Harrington. Not surprising, really. Three days later, in less predictable news, the Falcons could be interested in re-signing the former third-overall pick in the 2002 draft.

So why bring Harrington back if you're Atlanta? Well, for starters, they're not exactly brimming with Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Currently, it's Chris Redman, D.J. Shockley and ... well, that's it. Second, Harrington signed a two-year, $6 million deal last off-season and was due a $1 million roster bonus next week. If the Falcons can save a little money, why not?

Long term, Atlanta still needs a quarterback. There's no question they'll take one in the 2008 NFL Draft, it's just a matter of when.

The Falcons are expected to select a quarterback at some point in the April 26-27 NFL draft. However, with gaping holes along the offensive and defensive lines, they might use the No. 3 overall pick to solidify those interior positions. This means waiting before taking a quarterback they hope will stabilize the sport's most important position.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Steve Wyche writes that new general manager Thomas Dimitroff "has expressed concerns about playing a young quarterback without the proper parts in place to protect him." Not having the "proper parts in place" describes the Falcons perfectly, I think.

This doesn't mean that Matt Ryan isn't a possibility with the third pick, just that Atlanta has so many other needs that Jake Long, for example, might be more attractive at that point in the proceedings. Whomever they take, it looks like Falcons fans are in for at least one more year of Joey Mania. Awesome.