Well it is official. The nightmare that was the Michael Vick saga is finally over for the Atlanta Falcons when they released him from the roaster on Friday. The Falcons had been trying to peddle the ex-franchise quarterback for as little as a late round draft pick, but they never found anyone willing to step up and take a chance on Mike. Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said in a statement, “In the very end, we came to a conclusion that it was time. It was best for both of us and Michael Vick to move on, to turn the chapter.”

Vick’s release comes as no surprise. Team owner Arthur Blank has made it known on numerous occasions that Vick’s time as with the Falcons was finished, and the proverbial nail was slammed into the coffin last season when the team handed over the keys to the franchise to golden-armed quarterback Matt Ryan out of Boston College.

Vick currently remains suspended from the NFL while he serves out the remainder of his prison term under house arrest in Hampton, Virginia. Vick will have to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell before he can be considered for reinstatement. Even though he is on the outside of the NFL looking in, he is able to begin negotiations with a new team while he is suspended. He is also free to pursue other options outside of the NFL such as the Canadian Football League and the fresh upstart UFL debuting in the fall. Goodell has said he would meet with Vick once he has satisfied his 23-month sentence on July 20.

When asked what criteria would be used to determine Vick’s reinstatement, Goodell has said, “Michael’s going to have to demonstrate to myself and the general public and to a lot of people, did he learn anything from this experience? Does he regret what happened? Does he feel that he can be a positive influence going forward? Those are questions that I would like to see when I sit with him.”

Michael Vick was once the highest paid player in the NFL, banking on a $130 million contract. Now he’s working construction for $10 an hour.

The Falcons have a salary cap hit coming in the form of a $7.11 million charge for the current season yet it has already been factored into management?s plans. The team currently sits $20 million under the $128 million salary cap limit.

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