Atlanta Falcons: William Moore, Justin Durant cut

With the 2015 season officially over, the Atlanta Falcons have begun making cuts for the 2016 season. Veteran safety William Moore and linebacker Justin Durant were the first to go.

On yesterday afternoon the Atlanta Falcons parted ways with veteran safety William Moore and linebacker Justin Durant after just his first season with the team. Fans could feel the cut of Moore coming since the offseason for the team began. Durant came as a bit more of a surprise. Moore was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2009 draft, while Durant signed with the Falcons this past offseason after stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Detroit Lions, and the Dallas Cowboys.

Oct 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson (82) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons strong safety William Moore (25) during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

William Moore (6 ft, 223 lbs) was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons out of Missouri with the 55th overall pick in the NFL draft. While at Missouri Moore notched 280 tackles with 17 tackles for a loss, 11 interceptions (4 returned for touchdowns), 30 passes defended, and 6 forced fumbles.

Moore battled injuries during most of his time with the Falcons, starting only one full season, but provided stability at the strong safety position for the Falcons when on the field. While with the team he posted 365 tackles, 16 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles, and 4 fumble recoveries. Moore’s hard hitting presence and valuable leadership in the locker room will most definitely be missed. His absence shines light on a new glaring need at safety for the team.

Sep 27, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle (21) runs with th ball against Atlanta Falcons linebacker Justin Durant (52) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

Justin Durant (6 ft 4 in, 230 lbs) was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2007 draft out of Hampton University. Durant posted 353 tackles, 47 tackles for losses, and 10 sacks. As stated earlier, Durant had stints with Jacksonville, Detroit, and Dallas before arriving in Atlanta for the 2015 season.

Durant, like Moore, has had trouble battling injuries since entering the league and has been unable to play every game in a season for a team in that span. Durant provides leadership that you can’t teach in a player that is sometimes more valuable than the mass production on the stat sheet. He and Moore should have no trouble finding jobs in the 2016 season.

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With both Moore and Durant gone, the Falcons needs in free agency and the draft are beginning to take serious shape. The linebacker position was already a priority before the roster moves, and the safety position, behind Moore, didn’t have much quality depth. The Falcons will need to add playmakers to both positions this offseason to not only fill the gap, but to surpass Moore and Durant’s production while in Atlanta.

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