The Atlanta Falcons have released wide receiver Harry Douglas.
Douglas took to Twitter to thank the organization and its fans.
Thanking @AtlantaFalcons for my 7 years in ATL & the opportunity to play in the city I grew up. First class organization. Much luv 2 fans
— Harry Douglas (@HDouglas83) February 27, 2015
Following a breakout 2013 season, Douglas played in a career-low 12 games last season due to a bruised foot in 2014. He finished with 51 catches for 556 yards and two touchdowns for an underwhelming Falcons team that finished 6-10.
By releasing the veteran, the team will save $3.5 million off the salary cap.
New Falcons coach Dan Quinn addressed the release of both Douglas and running back Steven Jackson while appearing at a community event on Friday. He said both were tough decisions to make.
"Especially guys that you hold in such high regard," Quinn said. "Coached against them both a bunch and know how tough and competitive both are. So again, it's always hard."
Defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux expressed his respect for Douglas.
"Harry was more like a little brother to me," Babineaux said. "Coming in his rookie year, he got hurt. But to see him battle back from it and he came back better than ever. Coming back, he wanted to make sure that he could prove to everybody that he was the same person he was when he came out of college. Harry's done a lot for us his seven years here in Atlanta. I just wish him the best. It's unfortunate that he can't stay here. That's just that side of the business that we all don't like."
Center Joe Hawley was surprised to learn of Douglas' release.
"That's tough," Hawley said. "Harry has been around for a long time. He's been a great guy in the locker room. It's kind of sad. I feel for him. He stepped up when we had injuries and was a reliable target. So hopefully he finds a spot to land quickly."
The Falcons also released starting left guard Justin Blalock and defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi.
Blalock, who had two years left on his contract, started 125 games over eight seasons after being drafted in the second round out of Texas. He would have counted $7.9 million against the cap in 2015.
New Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan brought with him a new outside-zone blocking scheme which relies on lighter, quicker offensive linemen to help initiate the run game. Such a system doesn't cater to Blalock, who is a heftier player at 326 pounds and better known for his pass protection than run blocking.
Massaquoi, a fifth-round pick out of Troy in 2012, started seven games in three seasons, including three in 2014 when he had two sacks. Massaquoi had a career-high four sacks in 2013.
Information from ESPN.com's Falcons reporter Vaughn McClure and The Associated Press contributed to this report.