According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the Falcons signed Gonzalez to a one-year, $7 million contract extension on Saturday, meaning the future Hall of Fame tight end will return in 2012.

Before the season began, Gonzalez was thought to be heavily considering retirement, but a $1.25 million increase in base salary might’ve helped sway his mind.

Gonzalez, in his third season with the Falcons, turned in another sparkling campaign, hauling in 80 receptions for 875 yards and seven touchdowns.

The 35-year-old was voted to his twelfth Pro Bowl, and is a good bet to earn All-Pro honors for the tenth time.

What more is there to say about Gonzalez, who, like a fine wine, seems to improve with age. Statistically, he’s the best to ever play the position and will get another chance to pad his numbers — and potentially achieve that allusive Super Bowl championship — before riding off in the sunset.

Per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the Falcons and Ray Edwards have come to an agreement on a five-year contract. According to Adam Schefter, the deal is worth $30 million, including $11 million in guarantees.

Edwards, the former Viking of five years, has been a target of the Falcons for seemingly the entire offseason. Other teams, such as the Eagles and Browns, were in the running for his services, but Edwards — who’s currently en route to Hotlanta — landed with the team that presumably had him atop their wish list.

This could prove to be an excellent addition to an Atlanta defense that was already solid in most aspects. Edwards is a pass-rushing extraordinaire, accumulating 16.5 sacks in the last two seasons, and will form a scary tandem with John Abraham at the defensive end slots.

Similar to Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney in Indianapolis, this duo has the chance to wreak havoc on opposing offenses week in and week out.

Falcons coach Mike Smith told NFL Network’s Scott Hanson that the team will not be starring on this year’s edition of Hard Knocks. The organization had “internal discussions” about the show, but the braintrust decided to pass on the potential offer.

The speculation started on Friday when general manager Thomas Dimitroff said he was open to HBO’s Emmy-winning show, and didn’t rule out the Falcons being featured.

With Atlanta’s latest rejection, this marks the fifth team to turn HBO down. The others being the Bucs, Jets, Lions, and Broncos.

In the wake of the NFL’s longest work stoppage in history, it’s not a surprise that the network is having trouble finding an organization willing to tackle the responsibility.

Having cameras constantly film every aspect of the team can be unnerving and most clubs view it as one giant distraction. Fans love the inside look, but it’s a pretty big strain when training camp is in full force and a new season is on the horizon.

Hopefully HBO can get one club to commit to them, because there’s still 27 other clubs that haven’t said no — yet.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the Atlanta Falcons and general manager Thomas Dimitroff are open to the idea of being featured on the newest edition of Hard Knocks.

Appearing on Sirius NFL Radio Friday, Dimitroff did not dismiss the possibility that the Falcons could glean the national spotlight this summer.

“I truly believe that an organization has to be in the right spot to jump into something like Hard Knocks,” Dimitroff said. “I think it sheds a lot of light on our league.  This is a league of entertainment. There are some traditionalists that struggle with it, but they have to work against the grain a little bit and see that this is about entertainment. Hard Knocks is a good show for the fan base.”

It’s a totally different approach from Dimitroff, who declined an offer for the team to appear on the show two years ago.

“Two years ago we were approached and decided that it wasn’t right for us at that point,” Dimitroff said. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t go down that road if it was presented to us at another time. We are much closer to being in that spot where it’s not going to be as much of a distraction as it would have been another time.”

If there is a training camp and preseason — which Hard Knocks covers over five episodes — the Falcons would be a good choice to follow up last year’s Emmy-winning installment with the New York Jets.

In the wake of bold decision making this offseason, including a blockbuster deal to acquire receiver Julio Jones in last month’s Draft, Dimitroff and the rest of Atlanta’s brass presumably feel the team is championship-caliber and ready to win now.

With a mix of talented youth and experienced veterans, along with a bevy of different personalities, the Falcons have the pieces in place to deliver the network another hit. If owner Arthur Blank thinks the team can overcome the potential distractions of having their daily lives exposed for all to witness, HBO’s cameras might be coming to Hotlanta this August.

According to CBS Sports, the Falcons are expected to target Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards when the NFL’s free agent period finally begins.

After moving up to draft wide receiver Julio Jones with the No. 6 overall pick, Atlanta gave up this year’s second and fourth-round selections — in addition to next year’s first and fourth-round picks — in a blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Browns.

They might’ve acquired a nice complement to Roddy White in the deal, but are now left without the ability to address their biggest need — defensive end — with an elite draft prospect. That’s where Edwards comes into play for the Falcons.

Edwards, a sixth-year veteran, is set to become one of the most sought after defensive players on the open market. Displaying productivity and pass-rushing ability, Edwards racked up 16.5 sacks in the last two seasons as a member of the Vikings stout defensive line.

In Atlanta, he’d be the bookend to John Abraham, who recorded 13 sacks last year en route to his fourth Pro Bowl appearance. Along with the other players in the rotation — including Kroy Biermann and Jamaal Anderson — the acquisition of Edwards would propel the position from a weakness to a definite strength.

However, as this report mentions, pursuing Edwards would be “tricky” after the Vikings tendered him as a restricted free agent. With the 2010 rules set to remain in place when free agency starts, Edwards won’t get to choose his next team. Minnesota would control whether he stays or goes.

After trading up with the Cleveland Browns, the Falcons selected Alabama WR Julio Jones with the No. 6 overall pick.

Atlanta gave up its 2012 first-round pick, a 2011 second-rounder, and a fourth round pick next year to acquire the draft’s second-best receiver in a shocking, blockbuster deal.

Jones is a complete player — more than capable of scoring downfield or sealing the edge on a run play. He’ll pair with Roddy White to form a downright scary receiving corps for the Dirty Birds.

Matty Ice should be clicking his heels right about now.

It’s been revealed that middle linebacker Curtis Lofton underwent surgery on both of his knees after last season. Though he began running for the first time on Monday, he is still rehabbing in the evenings.

Lofton, who played through knee discomfort during the season, still managed to rack up 118 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception as a force in the Dirty Birds’ defense.

The 24-year-old should be fine for the beginning of training camp and the upcoming season — whichever comes first.

All’s not well and good for safety William Moore, who was arrested Tuesday in Gwinnett County, Georgia. He was charged with speeding, driving with a suspended license and failure to appear. Moore was booked into the county jail around 2 p.m., and released about seven and a half hours later on $1,040 bond.

Moore is entering his third season with the Falcons. A second-round pick in 2009, he was among the team’s leaders in interceptions last year with five.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the team has signed GM Thomas Dimitroff to a multiyear extension. In similar fashion to coach Mike Smith’s extension, the terms haven’t been announced, though they’re both expected to remain under contract for the same time period.

“This extension of Thomas’ contract ensures that he and coach (Mike) Smith, whose contract was extended last month, will be able to continue to work together on solidifying the long-term sustainability and success of our football team,” said Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank.  “Thomas has proven himself to be a highly-skilled and talented general manager of our club, and I look forward to the Falcons reaping the benefits of his work for many years to come.”

Before joining the Falcons, Dimitroff cut his teeth as the New England Patriots’ Director of College Scouting for five seasons. In 2008, Dimitroff took over as the Falcons general manager and has assembled a roster that’s earned two trips to the playoffs, while posting three consecutive winning seasons — a first in the franchise’s history.

Last season, Atlanta finished with a 13-3 record – good for the NFC’s number one seed. Although they fizzled in the postseason, Dimitroff was named the Sporting News’ NFL Executive of the Year.

Dimitroff is responsible for acquiring high-end talent, such as QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, and TE Tony Gonzalez, among others. Like every other GM around the league, his sights remain set squarely on bringing home a championship.

“First, I would like to thank Mr. Blank for the confidence and support he has shown in me and in Coach Smith over the past three seasons,” Dimitroff said in the statement announcing his extension. “I look forward to working with Smitty and his coaching staff as we continue our journey of bringing NFL championship caliber football to Falcons fans and to the city of Atlanta.”

Thomas Dimitroff

The Atlanta Falcons finished the 2010 regular season as the NFC’s best squad, sporting an impressive 13-3 record heading into the playoffs. For that, one of the men who made it all possible was recognized for his accomplishments.

According to ESPN, general manager Thomas Dimitroff has been named the Sporting News’ NFL Executive of the Year. This is the second time in the last three seasons that he has taken home this award.

Before winding up in Atlanta, Dimitroff spent six years in New England — first as a national scout, and then as their director of college scouting. He had full control of the Pats’ college scouting operations up until the end of the 2007 season.

In 2008, Dimitroff was hired by the Falcons to be their new GM. Since then, he’s been doing a great job building up the team’s talent – infusing youth with veteran production. He single-handily selected their franchise quarterback, Matt Ryan, and found their long-term answer at running back in Michael Turner. Not to mention the crafty acquisitions of tight end Tony Gonzalez and defensive end John Abraham, among others.

For the first time in the organization’s history, they’ve had three winning seasons in a row (33-15 record); most of the credit goes to Dimitroff for achieving such a feat.

As long as he and head coach Mike Smith are at the helm, the Falcons should be among the NFL’s elite.

Tony Gonzalez

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez isn’t ready to end his Hall of Fame career just yet.

Gonzalez was a guest on ESPN’s Jim Rome Is Burning today and announced that he will return to the NFL for a fifteenth season — his third with the Falcons. Denise White, Gonzalez’s publicist, confirmed the news via Twitter.

You heard it on “rome is burning”, like I said, @TonyGonzalez88 is DEFINITELY coming back next season!!

Gonzalez admitted that he considered retirement following the Falcons’ 48-21 loss to the Packers in the Divisional Round last Saturday. As the week went on, speculation ran rampant that he’d call it quits. Remember, before the season began, there was a 50-50 chance he’d walk away from the game at the end of the year.

However, being the competitor that he is, Gonzo obviously feels like he has another season left in the tank.

Despite the quick exit in the playoffs, many thought his production this year would be enough for him to hang ‘em up. Gonzalez finished his 2010 campaign with only 70 catches for 656 yards, the third-lowest total in his career. Impressively, he still finished as the second-leading receiver for the Falcons and was named to his 12th Pro Bowl.

Since being shipped to Atlanta in 2009, Gonzalez has racked up 153 receptions for over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns in those two seasons. Holding nearly every record for a tight end in NFL history, he will find himself in Canton once his playing days are over.