7:42pm: The Falcons offered Vital a different position, but he declined it, deciding instead to move on, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“I just felt, we felt that it would just be fairer for the new guy, who is going to be doing that duty, to deal with fresh people,” Vital said, per Ledbetter. “I don’t want to be staring at him and I don’t want him staring at me. I think it works out for both parties. The Falcons have been good to me. That’s how I want to leave it.”
6:07pm: The Falcons and director of player personnel Lionel Vital have parted ways, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Atlanta is only a year removed from increasing the workload of Vital, whom the team awarded additional pro scouting responsibilities and a role in college scouting last January. However, after a third straight non-playoff season, the Falcons and Vital are going in separate directions.
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Vital, who has racked up 25 years of experience working for various organizations, has strong ties to newly hired Titans general manager Jon Robinson, reports ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky (Twitter link). That could make the 52-year-old a fit to join Robinson in Tennessee.