1. Free agency for Babineaux

Falcons longtime defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux will be allowed to become an unrestricted free agent after 12 years of service, general manager Thomas Dimitroff said Wednesday. Babineaux, drafted in the second round out of Iowa in 2005, has said he wants to continue playing.

Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux will be allowed to become an unrestricted free agent after 12 years of service, general manager Thomas Dimitroff said Wednesday.

Babineaux, 35, played 12 seasons with the Falcons, starting 133 games, but only 10 in the past two seasons combined. He was a second-round draft choice of the team in 2005. He became a full-time starter in 2008 and from that season through 2014, he played in 107 games, all starts.

“Just the fact that end of the year, we had the same three captains,” coach Dan Quinn said. “That was a sign of respect and how we feel about Babs. He was one of those guys who played lots of roles. Those are roster decisions that are never easy.”

The Falcons also are waiting to hear from veteran guard Chris Chester as to whether he wants to keep playing, and the team will try to re-sign safety Kemal Ishmael, Dimitroff said.

Taylor Gabriel and Ben Garland will receive tenders from the Falcons, but Dimitroff said the team is not sure at what compensation level.

Also, wide receiver Julio Jones is still contemplating having offseason surgery on the foot that slowed him last season. “He’s going to visit with the docs again coming up next week,” Quinn said Wednesday. “It hasn’t been determined when or if (he’ll have surgery) at this point. But it’s something that he is definitely going to consider.”