The Facts: The Falcons hold their first practice of training camp on Thursday morning, which doesn't leave much time for Freeman and the team to agree on a contract extension before camp gets underway. But GM Thomas Dimitroff said on Monday that getting a deal done with Freeman remained a priority because the team views him as part of their core. He was asked if there was a chance of wrapping it up before Thursday and said he'd like to see that happen without offering any odds on how likely that timeline might be. "I've always said that I think it's going to be a fairly expeditious negotiation, but you never know," Dimitroff said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "That's a tough thing to say. I'd love it to happen. If it doesn't, we're not throwing up a caution flag at all."

Diehards Line: As PFT notes, both sides have shared their desire to strike a deal several times since Freeman’s camp first broached the subject in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, but things have not progressed to the finish line. We’ll see if the start of camp provides the last push or if the wait will linger on in Atlanta. ... Stay tuned.