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“Roddy will forever be part of the Falcons family and I’m confident our fans will always remember and be grateful for the exemplary way he has represented them over the last 11 years,” said owner Arthur Blank. “We wish him nothing but the very best and, on a personal level, we look forward to a lifetime relationship with Roddy and his family."

White was originally selected by the Falcons in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He is Atlanta’s all-time leading receiver, amassing 808 catches and 10,863 receiving yards in 11 seasons with the team.

But his production dropped dramatically last season. He finished the 2015 season with 43 receptions for 506 yards and one touchdown.

He leaves holding the franchise record for receiving and overall touchdowns with 63 scores during his career. Among active players, White ranks seventh in targets (1,376), eighth in receiving yards (10,863), ninth in receptions (808), and 10th in touchdowns (63). He is one of 33 players in NFL history to catch more than 800 passes, and one of 45 players to record at least 10,000 receiving yards. The veteran wide out was named a first-team All Pro in 2010 and went to four straight Pro Bowls from 2008 to 2011.

“Decisions like these are always difficult, but this was one of the most difficult decisions I have been a part of in my years of football,” said general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

“Roddy is one of the best competitors and warriors I have ever been around,” head coach Dan Quinn stated. “He was one of the first players I reached out to when I was hired here, and I want to thank him for his professionalism and leadership. Although this was a difficult decision, we feel this is best for everyone as we continue to put this team together, not just for the 2016 season, but for the future as well.”

White has previously said it would be a "tragedy" if he didn't finish his career with the Falcons. Now that he won't, look for the Buccaneers and head coach Dirk Koetter, formerly Atlanta's offensive coordinator, to have some interest in White.

White texted Josina Anderson of ESPN after receiving the news of his release and told her that he needs to find another job

White said that he hopes to play “another year or two” before dropping the calling it a career. ...

The Falcons, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, will now be in the market for a new No. 2 receiver to work opposite Julio Jones in free agency.

That said, Justin Hardy will be a player worth watching in coming months.

The NCAA's all-time leading reception leader, Hardy finished his rookie season with 21 catches for 194 yards.

A fourth-round draft pick, Hardy, who's 5-10 and 188 pounds, is clearly in the Falcons' plans moving forward. His coach is certainly impressed.

"Justin Hardy made a significant impact," Quinn said. "One of the things that I most respect about him was that he was a guy who was really working to develop himself."

Quinn noted that he'd walk past the wide receiver's meeting room and notice that Hardy would be watching tape with Jones and discussing beating man-to-man coverage.

"That's a guy who was digging to find it," Quinn said. "He's made a huge impact on us already. The toughness that he displayed on special teams was certainly evident for a guy who had no special teams experience. For him to come in and contribute in that way. His run through the catch ability is exactly what we hoped for. We are expecting big things from Justin in 2016."

White's departure won't hurt his chances of contributing. In fact, the Sports Xchange believes he'll be in the mix for that spot opposite Jones.