Flowery Branch, GA (Sportsbooks) - The
Atlanta Falcons began revamping their roster Friday, releasing seven veteran players, including tight end Alge Crumpler, defensive tackle Rod Coleman and quarterback Byron Leftwich.
Left tackle Wayne Gandy, cornerback Lewis Sanders, linebacker Marcus Wilkins and wide receiver Jamin Elliott were the other four players let go by the team, which recently named former Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mike Smith as its new head coach following a tumultuous 3-13 season.
"This is a difficult day for the entire organization," said Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. "A number of these players have contributed to this organization on and off the field at a high level, and we greatly appreciate their efforts. These decisions weren't easy, but we felt they were necessary to build a team in the long-term best interest of the Falcons and its fans."
Crumpler missed four games in 2007, but still caught 42 passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns after returning from offseason knee surgery. The four-time Pro Bowl selection is the only Atlanta tight end to lead the team in receiving yards and receptions three consecutive seasons. In seven seasons with the Falcons, the former second-round pick out of East Carolina totaled 216 receptions for 4,212 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Coleman came to the Falcons prior to the 2004 season as a free agent, and entered the 2007 season with 50.5 career sacks - the most among defensive tackles since 2001. But he played in just five games before being placed on injured reserve November 20 with an arm injury, and totaled only eight tackles and two sacks on the season.
Both Crumpler and Coleman were key members of Atlanta's 2004 squad, which reached the NFC Championship game.
Leftwich was signed by Atlanta September 18 after being released by Jacksonville, but ended up playing in just three games for the Falcons. The 6- foot-5, 250-pounder started under center October 21 at New Orleans and passed for 279 yards and a score, but injured his right ankle on the first series of the second half and was subsequently inactive for seven of the last nine games of the season.
Gandy, a 14-year veteran was acquired from New Orleans prior to the 2006 season and at one point in his career started 94 consecutive regular season games, while the Falcons were Sanders' fourth team in the past three seasons. Both players finished the 2007 campaign on injured reserve - Gandy with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and Sanders due to a partially torn right pectoral muscle.
Wilkins made five special teams tackles for the Falcons in 2007 - his only season with the club - and Elliott was on injured reserve for the duration of the schedule after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.
