Sean Weatherspoon signs 5-year, $17.5 million contract
00509 Flowery Branch - Atlanta Falcons linebackers coach Greg Pires works with first round draft pick rookie linebacker # 56 Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri, during day 3 of minicamp in Flowery Branch on Sunday, May 9, 2010. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons first-round pick Sean Weatherspoon agreed to five year contract on Thursday, the team confirmed.
Weatherspoon, a linebacker from Missouri, is set to sign the deal before the team meeting which is scheduled for 7 p.m. He was the 19th player selected in the 2010 NFL draft.
Most of the Falcons pulled up to the amenities building in their luxury cars to check into the living quarters for training camp earlier in the day.
But Weatherspoon was not one of them because the team and his agent were still hammering out his contract.
With Weatherspoon in the fold, the Falcons have all of their rookies signed and will have all 80 players when they hit field for their first practice Friday morning.
Earlier in the week, Falcons coach Mike Smith said he was optimistic that the Weatherspoon deal would get done
Elwanda Weatherspoon and her son, Sean, the Falcons unsigned first round draft pick. (Brant Sutherlin/AJC)
before camp opened.
Progress was made during the negotiations on Wednesday and with a big push Thursday morning, Weatherspoon’s deal was completed.
“There hasn’t really been a lot of action throughout the first and second rounds,” Smith said. “But of course, the closer that you get to the reporting date, you’ll start to see more and more guys sign.”
Under the current regime, three of the four first round picks have been signed in time for the opening of training camp.
With the owners’ meeting in town, the Falcons signed Matt Ryan in May of 2008, months before training camp opened.
Last year, Peria Jerry was signed on the Thursday just before the start of camp on Saturday.
However, in 2008, Sam Baker’s first-round deal hit a last minute snag. He agreed to a contract late Friday night, but the contract was not approved by the league in time for Baker to start practice early Saturday.
Baker had to go upstairs and wait in an office until his contract was approved.
Baker joined the team one hour and 12 minutes after the first practice started. He was selected with the 21st pick, two picks behind where Weatherspoon was selected.
Over the offseason, the Falcons trained Weatherspoon at both outside linebacker positions. He will be expected to compete for a starting position.
“When you start to add the talent level and skill set of a first round draft pick to the linebacker corps, that position is going to be very, very competitive,” Smith said. “I think Sean can play all three, but right now we have basically spent our time training Sean at our outside linebacker position.”
Smith said the team will no longer make a distinction between the strongside or weakside linebacker position. Last season, Mike Peterson started at the weakside position and Stephen Nicholas started at the strongside position.
Peterson turned 34 in June, but played for Smith in Jacksonville. Nicholas was a first-time starter last season, but was drafted as a weakside linebacker by the previous regime.
“Is he a (strongside) or (weakside)?” Smith said. “He’s an outside linebacker. By cross training him and giving him that workload in (the offseason) is going to be beneficial because you’ve got to be able to do the same techniques if you are (strongside) linebacker or (weakside). I think more and more you’re seeing more team developing their outside linebackers to be able t play multiple spots.”
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137 comments Add your comment
truth
July 29th, 2010
5:15 pm
Why would I want to check out the Colts? Really……..I could careless.
Mr.Phil
July 29th, 2010
5:16 pm
You mean to tell me that we are going into camp with everybody signed and healthy. No distractions.( other than that little Babineaux thing which I don’t think will be a big problem). I gotta say things are starting out really good.
Hot Bird
July 29th, 2010
5:16 pm
Yeah colts fan- go away .. You are only here because you know we’ll make a whole lot more t.d.s’ than your team!
colt fan
July 29th, 2010
5:19 pm
Good Luck… this season
You will need it them Saints are still good !
falcon4ever
July 29th, 2010
5:20 pm
Hey colts fan- The Saints showed you what a real team looks like didn’t they? Wait till you get a load of us
Birdword
July 29th, 2010
5:21 pm
Nah, we’ve beaten the Saints 45 times. No chance they can repeat.
colt fan
July 29th, 2010
5:21 pm
One Tip… get better attitudes its a long season – the real season start in December.
http://www.colts.com
colt fan
July 29th, 2010
5:22 pm
Hey colts fan- The Saints showed you what a real team looks like didn’t they? Wait till you get a load of us
___________________
The Saints won… good team we had our chances – we would have rather played you guys. Ha Ha
falcon4ever
July 29th, 2010
5:24 pm
You and your team will be watching us try to get to the big game GO TEAM!!!
colt fan
July 29th, 2010
5:25 pm
Again Good Luck !!!
Hot Bird
July 29th, 2010
5:25 pm
Why don’t you just leave before Spoon starts handing those t.d.’s out right now little pony boy
Birdword
July 29th, 2010
5:26 pm
The Saints won… good team we had our chances – we would have rather played you guys. Ha Ha
I know what you mean. Those Saints have a losing record againts us.
truth
July 29th, 2010
5:29 pm
Enter your comments here
DW
July 29th, 2010
5:43 pm
This from NFL.com
“The Atlanta Falcons and first-round draft pick Sean Weatherspoon have agreed to a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $17.5 million, a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora on Thursday.
Weatherspoon, a 6-foot-1, 239-pound linebacker from Missouri, was drafted 19th overall by the Falcons in April. His contract contains $10.5 million in guaranteed money, the source said.”
The silver “Spoon” just turned platinum.
phoenix falcon
July 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
Outstanding!!!!! lets get this thing started!!!!!!!
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
July 29th, 2010
5:49 pm
ALRIGHT ….. ALREADY…..This is going to be the year of the ATLANTA FALCONS!!!!
falcon4ever
July 29th, 2010
5:51 pm
Thanks DW but we already knew that from the headline on the blog. Way to be on top of things anyway and GO TEAM!!
BullDawg Rick
July 29th, 2010
5:59 pm
Great news & this speaks volumes about the new direction Smith, Dimetroff & Blank are taking.. Getting all on board before camp starts!!
Good Job Dirty Birds!!
falcon4ever
July 29th, 2010
6:02 pm
I was just looking at the Bleacher Report and the Spoon is expected to be one of the 10 bust from the 2010 draft. They say he is to small for his position in the NFL. They say undersized and linebacker never goes to well together! ????????????????????????????????????????
allycks
July 29th, 2010
6:09 pm
Carolina has never had back-to-back winning seasons. Look it up.
crackbaby
July 29th, 2010
6:15 pm
falcon4ever – Ever heard of Jessie Tuggle? Undersized LB from Valdosta State. The “Hammer” anchored the Falcons D for something like 13 years.
Key ingredient in a LB is a large bad attitude! Lofton has the middle so Spoon can rage off the edge.
Also, all you doubters and haters, Matty Ice is going to have his best year yet if he stays healthy. Better defense, re-dedication to the run game and Harry Douglas is back.
Colts Fan is a fag
July 29th, 2010
6:23 pm
Here is a hotdog and a roadmap. Take your ass to Indi and stay off the AJC, thx. Watch out dog or U might get SPOON-ed. Ur a clown. Get a life.
northwinds
July 29th, 2010
6:25 pm
I’m glad he’s in camp….but thank goodness he didn’t have to pass the “ugly” test to be in the NFL.
falcon4ever
July 29th, 2010
6:26 pm
I would like to think that way but can we be lucky enough or is to early to say if he’s gonna be another Jessie Tuggle. I’m not hatin- just didn’t pay him any attention in college so I don’t know. I agree about Ryan. If he can throw about 5-8 more td passes and lower the # of picks he’ll be up their with Brees , Manning and Brady but I don’t think we payed enough attention to our offensive line this offseason. We can’t afford to run Turner into the ground again this season
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July 29th, 2010
6:30 pm
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ToccoaBird
July 29th, 2010
6:33 pm
Thanks DLed for keeping on top of this for us. Now lets get to the Dome and scream our lungs out. we have our spoon.
Falcon Jim
July 29th, 2010
6:39 pm
Thanks for the phone #. Without paying any fees, we know you live just off Lawrenceville Hwy just between Tucker and Lilburn. A little bit of cash would refine this. (Why be adversarial and put out your number?)
falcon4ever
July 29th, 2010
6:43 pm
@ Hot Bird-Actually we don’t want “The Spoon” handing out the “td’s” to the opposing teams. His job is to take td’s away from the other teams. Just sayin…
Paddy
July 29th, 2010
6:43 pm
Dr Ken, where are you??????? No remarks about that greedy sob Weatherspoon??? Thought so!
JK
July 29th, 2010
6:47 pm
OK, I have to admit. I am a Falcons fan and have never seen Spoon play. Does he hit hard?
DJ Sniper
July 29th, 2010
6:50 pm
Finally! This is the news I’ve been waiting to hear! Over the past 2 seasons, the Falcons have had a good track record with getting all their picks signed prior to camp, so I wasn’t worried, but still. It’s great to go 3 years straight with this streak.
What are they smoking on the Bleacher Report? Weatherspoon a bust? I hardly think so. He may not start right away, but rest assured that he will be a starter before it’s all overwith.
falcon4ever
July 29th, 2010
6:51 pm
I’m the same way JK. I never watched him play but even if he hit hard in college , it’s a whole different thing in the NFL and that Bleacher Report article was un-nerving about him being expected to be a draft bust
DW
July 29th, 2010
6:59 pm
falcon4ever, I thought some people might want to know to financial aspects of the deal.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
July 29th, 2010
7:08 pm
Falcon’s management has it’s act together. Strong leadership at the top has been lacking in past years. Hopefully they are right about this guy and he will be starting material. They still need a DE but that won’t happen this year unless they make a trade. The defense should be 7 points a game better than last year. However, there may be a dropoff on the offense as they didn’t add anyone significant on that side. The o-line is questionalbe.
NOLA
July 29th, 2010
7:15 pm
Just like typical ‘con ritual he will pull up lame during training camp and be done for the year.
‘cons are just cursed. if you chosen a dove rather than a “dirty bird” as your mascot things would have been different.
No you folks chose a “dirty bird” as your mascot and the “gods” have put a hex on your club and city forever.
TEAMPLAYER
July 29th, 2010
7:18 pm
Why are all these “HATERS” on our blog?…….Go away
NOLA
July 29th, 2010
7:19 pm
god don’t like ugly and your mascot is ugly. you do the math ‘con fans.
TEAMPLAYER
July 29th, 2010
7:22 pm
To Nola….Whats a mascot got to do with the game?…….you must be a female…Nola
NOLA
July 29th, 2010
7:22 pm
John Koncack
July 29th, 2010
5:06 pm
Really, $120 million for Joe Johnson? Well they did pay me $13 million….
—–
y’all could have had ronnie brewer and anthony morrow for $30 million and that would have been an upgrade.
Joe johnson has worn out his welcome in the atl. everyone knows this except the spirit group.
NOLA
July 29th, 2010
7:23 pm
god don’t like ugly and your mascot is ugly. you do the math ‘con fans.
LinkReport this comment.TEAMPLAYER
July 29th, 2010
7:22 pm
To Nola….Whats a mascot got to do with the game?…….you must be a female…Nola
——-
Everything read the scriptures.
NOLA
July 29th, 2010
7:28 pm
Oh No, The ‘cons are done. Your star dLineman is more interested in fame than football.
http://blogs.ajc.com/the-buzz/2010/07/29/kim-the-housewife-and-her-new-falcons-honey/?cxntlid=thbz_hm
DJ Sniper
July 29th, 2010
7:30 pm
While I will give the Saints credit for winning the Super Bowl, I find it quite hilarious when Saints fans come in here talking like that franchise has a proud history of winning titles like the Packers or Steelers. For years, both the Saints and Falcons were the definition of mediocrity and futility. That has changed for the Saints, and despite what people may think, it’s changing for the Falcons.
TEAMPLAYER
July 29th, 2010
7:34 pm
Great points DJ Sniper…and as you know we always play the Saints tough
Yulee Falcom
July 29th, 2010
7:35 pm
SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!!!!!!!
TEAMPLAYER
July 29th, 2010
7:40 pm
I’LL SEE EVERYONE TOMORROW AT TRAINING CAMP ……..I’LL BE ON TOP OF THE HILL….JUST YELL MY NAME “TEAMPLAYER”….I’LL WAVE MY HAND IN THE AIR…AND WAVE LIKE I JUST DON’T CARE….
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
July 29th, 2010
7:55 pm
LJ- it’s Dr. Kenneth Noisewater & yes PADDY, i’m happy now that Spoon and his agent have finally signed a deal. Now, let’s get training camp started on the right foot, no injuries, and kick some butt this year.
RockyMtnFalcon
July 29th, 2010
8:08 pm
Lets ROCK AND ROLL!!! The Cinci game or the Baltimore game will be this years Superbowl preview!!
Grady Jackson Barber Shop
July 29th, 2010
8:12 pm
Does “spoon” have a luxury car yet ?
cash for clunkers
July 29th, 2010
8:14 pm
I still say the Falcons should have drafted Jonathan Dwyer.
Nuke Nawlins
July 29th, 2010
8:22 pm
Spooooon……………
Yeah DJ Sniper, it is funny how suddenly everyone has been a saints fan their entire life and they have all this team gear…they were close to moving the team before Katrina
Shady