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Not surprisingly, the Atlanta Falcons have released suspended quarterback Michael Vick, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

While the Falcons sought a willing trade partner, it was unlikely that another team would have given something up to get all that comes with Michael Vick - the suspension, the media circus that would follow him, the rust at QB, etc.

“It’s a situation that we have been thinking about for quite some time,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “We did our due diligence. We’ve been searching around the league and were looking for some interest as far as a trade.

“In the very end, we came to a conclusion that it was time. It was best for both us and Michael Vick to move on, to turn the chapter.”

Now that he has been released, he is free to sign with any NFL team even though he is currently suspended by the league. Or, perhaps he will end up with a Canadian Football League (CFL) or United Football League (UFL) franchise.

Vick, the 2001 overall top pick by the Falcons, last played a football game on December 31, 2006.

In Falcons' team history, Michael Vick ranks...:

Fourth all-time in passing yards (11,505)
Fifth all-time in rushing yards (3,859)
First all-time in rushing average with a minimum of 300 carries (7.29)
Third all-time in passing attempts (1,730)
Fourth all-time in passing completions (930)
Fourth all-time in passing touchdowns (71)

The Falcons will take a $7.11 million salary cap hit this year for releasing Vick, but they are well below the salary cap of $128 million.