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The Falcons have cut ties with Devin Hester after two years in Atlanta.
The Falcons have released WR Devin Hester after two seasons with the team. Atlanta’s roster now sits at 87 men. pic.twitter.com/ltulO2BF41
— FalconsKelsey (@FalconsKelsey) July 26, 2016
Hester is one of the greatest returners in NFL history, but the writing was on the wall after he missed most of 2015 and found himself as a non-factor in the offense once he returned. The Falcons can inarguably use the money they'll save from cutting Hester to improve other parts of the roster, and while Eric Weems, Devin Fuller, and Justin Hardy are nobody's idea of inspiring returners, they're solid enough competition for a gig Hester couldn't do because of injury in 2015.
The Falcons clearly felt that they had better options at receiver, were likely wary of Hester's long-term health, and felt they could get by on special teams, which I think is a fair take. We'll see if they're right about that starting Thursday in training camp.
We wish Hester well, wherever he may land, and we'll always fondly remember his awesome 2014 campaign.