Coming off a disappointing 2018 season in which they won seven games and missed out on the playoffs altogether, the Atlanta Falcons are cutting some fat from their roster.
On Tuesday, Atlanta released longtime starting cornerback Robert Alford — saving a nice chunk of cap room in the process. Given Alford was among the worst starting corners in the NFL last season, this isn’t too much of a surprise.
Though, Wednesday’s news that the Falcons moved on from veteran kicker Matt Bryant was a bit surprising. He’s been among the most consistent placekickers in the NFL since latching on with Atlanta a decade ago.
Now comes this piece of information from pass rusher Brooks Reed’s Instagram account noting that he has also been released by the Falcons.
Per his IG account, the #Falcons have released veteran Brooks Reed. pic.twitter.com/UcMhQycgNc
— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) February 6, 2019
Combined, these three moves save the Falcons $15-plus million against the 2019 salary cap.
Reed, 31, signed a five-year, $22 million deal with Atlanta back in 2015 after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Houston Texans.
The veteran ultimately started 34 games in four seasons with the Falcons — recording a combined 20 quarterback hits and seven sacks.