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epared for Black Brandon Fusco Jersey , Matt Bryant shared on Twitter that the Falcons have cut him, bringing a legendary career in Atlanta to a close. Bryant, who will turn 44 in May, has been the team’s kicker since taking over for Jason Elam back in 2009. He leaves Atlanta holding every significant franchise kicking record, having made huge kicks throughout the regular season and in the post-season, and doing it all at an exceptionally high level at all times despite his age. It was a remarkable career and Bryant will deserve every bit of praise and mythologizing coming his way in the days, months, and years ahead. This move hurts, especially coming on the heels of the release of Robert Alford, another longtime quality Falcon. But it hurts especially because Bryant was so good and so beloved in Atlanta, where he made 88.7% of his kicks, nailed 250 field goals, converted 372 of 375 extra points, and was a comfort to nervous Falcons fans nearly every time he trotted out to try the kick. We’re going to miss him, full stop.The release will save the Falcons close to $3 million this year and close to $4 million in 2020 Brandon Fusco Jersey 2019 , and they’ll turn the reins over to Giorgio Tavecchio. Italian Ice, as he’s known, was excellent in limited action in 2018, and the Falcons clearly saw their future kicker in Tavecchio, who is much younger than Bryant. He’s under contract at a very affordable salary for 2019 and will be a restricted free agent in 2020, giving the Falcons two years of cost-controlled kicking. The question is obviously whether he’ll be 90% (or jeez, even 75%) of the kicker Bryant was all of these years, because if he’s not the Falcons are going to get dragged hard by this fanbase for the foreseeable future.The Falcons moving on from Matt Bryant has 2019 NFL Draft implications, as well. As ESPN’s Vaughn McClure notes, the Falcons elected not to exercise Bryant’s 2019 team option, rendering his release a case of an expiring contract. Should he sign elsewhere, the Falcons are in line to potentially receive a late-round compensatory pick. We’ll have more thoughts and memories about Bryant’s stellar Falcons career soon, as well as a breakdown of what’s ahead for Tavecchio, but suffice to say this is sad news and we wish Money Matt well wherever he lands next. Reminisce about the Falcons of old with a legend gone too soon." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesThe Falcoholic homepageHorizontal - WhiteThe Falcoholican Atlanta Falcons communityFollow The Falcoholic online:Follow The Falcoholic on TwitterFollow The Falcoholic on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchThe Falcoholic main menuFanpostsFanshotsLibraryFalconsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Library FalcFans Podcast on The FalcoholicContact The FalcoholicFalcons StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Falcons NewsYahoo Falcons Team PageYahoo Falcons ReportYahoo Falcons Depth ChartYahoo Falcons TransactionsYahoo Falcons PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Falcons Throwback Thursday: OG Bill FralicNew,5commentsReminisce about the Falcons of old with a legend gone too soon. EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Falcons Throwback Thursday: OG Bill FralicTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailHey Falcoholics Black Terrell McClain Jersey , I’m back with another edition of The Falcoholic’s Throwback Thursday series. This weekly segment highlights a former Atlanta Falcons player and discusses their life and what they did for the franchise.Whether you’ve been a fan since the inaugural season, or just became a fan recently, this series will give insight on players from the past. This week we will be focusing on offensive guard Bill Fralic.William P. Fralic Jr was born on October 31, 1962 in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania. Fralic attended Penn Hills High School where he played football and eventually graduated in 1981. He received many accolades at Penn Hills, including being named the male high school athlete of the year by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and being named to the All-Century team by Pennsylvania Football News. After graduating, Bill Fralic stayed local and attended the University of Pittsburgh on a football scholarship. As an offensive tackle at Pitt, Fralic was named a consensus All-American his junior and senior seasons, and finished twice in the top-10 of the Heisman Trophy balloting (eighth in 1983 and sixth in 1984), the first ever for an offensive lineman.Bill Fralic’s style of blocking helped coin the term “Pancake” block, for knocking down opposing defensive lineman. His impact at Pitt was so meaningful that the school retired his No. 79 jersey during his last home game for the Panthers. In 1998, he would be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.With the second pick in the 1985 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Bill Fralic. The Falcons originally held the fourth pick in the draft, but wanted Fralic so badly, that they traded their 1st round pick (fourth overall) and 3rd round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the 2nd overall pick. The trade worked out well for the Minnesota Vikings also Terrell McClain Jersey 2019 , who selected Pro Football Hall of Famer DE Chris Doleman. He should be no stranger to Falcons fans, as Doleman played for the Falcons from 1994-1995.Right away, Fralic made an impact for the Falcons. He was a starter and went on to be an All-Pro selection in 1986 and 1987. From 1986 to 1989, Fralic was selected to four straight Pro Bowls, and even made a playoff appearance in 1991. Benn Utt, Mike Kenn, and Bill Fralic using bicycles during practice.Bill Fralic built a reputation around the league as a prolific run blocker, despite the Falcons not being very good. Fralic helped pave the way for running back Gerald Riggs and protected quarterbacks Dave Archer and Chris Miller. He played on some very good Falcons offensive lines, which included players such as Jeff Van Note, Mike Kenn, Jamie Dukes, and Chris Hinton. He was also selected to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.During his NFL career, Bill Fralic strongly opposed the use of steroids in sports and was a big advocate for random drug testing to detect steroid usage. In 1989, Fralic testified in a U.S. Senate hearing about the rampant use of steroids in the NFL. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time Jordan Miller Atlanta Falcons Jersey , said Fralic’s testimony was “refreshing and believable.”Bill Fralic, Jeff Van Note, and Wayne Radolff after practice (1986)At the end of his NFL career, Fralic was one of the first players to take advantage of the new free agent system and signed with Detroit Lions, where he played for one season. He was involved with the WWE where he participated in Wrestlemania 2, and had a brief stint with the WWE in 1993. You can view one of his WWE interviews above.After retiring from action, Bill Fralic worked as a color commentator, whilst also running his own insurance service. Sadly, Bill Fralic passed away at the age of 56 on December 13, 2018 from cancer.Bill Fralic will always be remembered as an all-time great Falcon. He’s one of many players who should be inducted into the Atlanta Falcons’ Ring of Honor someday. Let me know in the comments below some of your favorite Bill Fralic memories. As always, you can find me on Twitter @EvanBirchfield. Thanks for reading, Falcoholics!