Tue 2/19/13 5:48 PM

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports the Falcons are not expected to use the franchise tag. It's a surprise, since the Falcons have a readymade candidate in free agent SS William Moore, whom they consider a priority to re-sign. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently reported Moore was "interested in testing" the open market. The Falcons must be confident they can reach a long-term deal before the deadline to apply the tag on March 4. If not, Moore could be heading for a bidding war in free agency.