The Facts: Gabriel wants to continue his career with the Falcons. "Of course, I want to be a Falcon forever," Gabriel told ESPN.com. The feeling from the team is mutual. "It's going to be positive for him," GM Thomas Dimitroff said of Gabriel. "Yes, we want him back as well."
Diehards Line:
The wide receiver is a restricted free agent, meaning the Falcons have the upper hand with him even if another team has the intent to sign him to an offer sheet. However, it seems unlikely to reach that point, considering the Falcons can decide to place a higher tender on Gabriel, which would discourage another team from giving up a first- or second-round pick along with awarding Gabriel a new contract. Gabriel showed his value this past season after being claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Browns at a price of $600,000. The former undrafted player from Abilene Christian, who just completed his third NFL season, tied Julio Jones for the team lead with six touchdown receptions. The 5-8, 165-pound speedster averaged 42.7 yards on his touchdown receptions, which was the second-highest among receivers with five or more touchdown catches behind New Orleans' Brandin Cooks (44.1). Gabriel finished the regular season with 35 catches for 579 yards, then had nine catches for 171 yards in the playoffs. He also had four rushes for 51 yards and one touchdown during the regular season.