Atlanta Falcons

Falcons release LB Justin Durant, S William Moore

Published Feb. 8, 2016 3:25 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Atlanta Falcons have parted ways with two veteran defenders, as they announced the releases of linebacker Justin Durant and safety William Moore on Monday afternoon.

Falcons head coach Dan Quinn praised both Durant and Moore upon their departure from the team.

Via the Falcons' official website:

We want to thank both of these guys for their commitment and work ethic. They battled through injuries to give everything they had for their teammates this season and I will always be appreciative of that.

Durant and Moore are both former second-round draft picks who are now 30 years old. Moore had the team's fourth highest cap number for 2016 at $6.5 million, and Durant was not much cheaper at $3.2 million. By terminating their contracts, the Falcons will save more than $5 million against the cap.

The Falcons ranked 16th in the NFL in terms of total defense in 2015 (347.6 yards per game allowed). That is a disappointing ranking for a team coached by Quinn, who coordinated the league's best defenses while with the Seattle Seahawks.

By releasing two veteran contributors in Durant and Moore, the Falcons are freeing up money and opening the door for younger players to break into the starting lineup.

*All salary cap information courtesy of OverTheCap.com.