FLOWERY BRANCH — For much of the offseason, it appeared John Abraham was a player the Atlanta Falcons could not afford to re-sign. As it turned out, Abraham was someone the team could not afford to lose — and the defensive end says Atlanta was a place he never wanted to leave. After proving he remains productive by leading the team with 9 1/2 sacks in 2011, Abraham signed a three-year, $16.72 million contract in March.