The Falcons have officially released quarterback Michael Vick, ending an eight year marriage that started with Vick being selected with the number one overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft and ending with him spending the past two years in a federal penitentiary for dog-fighting.

The release of Vick was just a formality for the Falcons, who had zero plans of honoring the rest of his contract. The remainder of Vick’s signing bonus ($8 million) will count against the team’s cap this season but after that, all financial ties will be severed.

Atlanta tried trading Vick this past offseason and unsurprisingly found no takers. The Rams, Redskins, 49ers, Jets and Raiders were all mentioned as possible trade suitors at one point or another over the past couple months, but most teams declined having any interest in the end.

Vick is now free to sign with any team he wants, but he’s waiting to see if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will reinstate him first and if he does, whether or not another suspension is forthcoming. Once Vick was indicted on federal charges, Goodell suspended him indefinitely, but it remains to be seen if the troubled quarterback will receive any more suspension time.

Assuming he does get reinstated, I don’t think a GM with half a brain would take the risk of signing Vick. Not only will he probably be suspended again, but nobody knows what kind of shape he’s in and whether or not he’s even mentally ready to play football. Not to mention whichever team does sign him, they better be ready for the national media storm that will certainly blow in upon his arrival.

Oakland is about the only place I could see Vick winding up in. Al Davis doesn’t care what anyone thinks and if a player has talent (which Vick certainly does…or did), then Davis will find a spot for him. The only problem is that JaMarcus Russell is the team’s quarterback, so would Vick be willing to move to another position or take a backup role? Considering what he’s done, he better be willing to take whatever a team gives him, but who knows.

Let the Vick speculation begin.