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According to various media types, and Garrett Reynolds' agent, on Twitter--although it has yet to be officially confirmed by the team--the Falcons have released right guard Garrett Reynolds.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff was pretty clear about the right guard position when discussing Peter Konz recently, citing instability at right guard as a primary reason for Konz's ineffective play at center. The Falcons signed offensive lineman Gabe Carimi yesterday, a former first round pick who has spent time in Chicago and Tampa Bay and has the versatility to potentially play guard or tackle. Given the timing, we can surely expect Carimi to get a shot at right guard.
Reynolds spent much of last season on injured reserve after earning a starting role at right guard and looking promising early in the 2012 season. 2013 was a different story, as Reynolds struggled throughout. Reynolds surprisingly earned a positive overall grade from Pro Football Focus for the season, but was responsible for four sacks, three hits and 22 hurries on Matt Ryan, per PFF's premium stats.
These moves being made so early indicate that the offensive line is clearly a top priority for Atlanta this offseason, as it should be. Garrett Reynolds certainly wasn't the only problem along the offensive line last season, but he wasn't great by any stretch. This move saves Atlanta $1,628,750 in cap money, per Spotrac.
We wish Garrett Reynolds the best wherever he lands. What do you think of the decision to cut Reynolds?