11:00 am – Team officials released a short statement on Babineaux’s arrest… “We are aware of the situation concerning Jonathan Babineaux and are in the process of gathering information. Because this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”

8:20 am – The Falcons beleaguered roster took another hit this morning, when news of standout defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux’s arrest hit the wire.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, police in Gwinnett County made a routine traffic stop of Babineaux late last night, and arrested him after the officer noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The officer then discovered three bags of the drug, weighing in at about 40 ounces, which is well above the dividing line between simple possession and possession with the intent to distribute.

Babineaux is currently out on bail, but the charges the are likely coming from the incident could bring a significant punishment from the league along with enough jail time to cause him to miss a fair amount of playing time next season.

As always, we’ll post any updates as they break.