FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - Peerless Price knew that NFL teams would make two rounds of cuts this week, so he asked coach Jim Mora to gauge his future with the Atlanta Falcons.

Not good, Mora said.

Less than 2½ years after sending a first-round draft pick to Buffalo and rewarding the receiver with a $37 million contract, the Falcons waived Price on Tuesday.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , Price said “I hate y’all,” before speeding out of the team headquarters parking lot.

Price and Mora met in the coach’s office before the team began practice. According to Mora, Price wanted to know if he would be with the team when Atlanta opens the season against Philadelphia on Sept. 12.

“I knew what was coming, so I’m not going to lie to him,” Mora said. “I’m not going to say, ’Hey, put your stuff on, go out there and give it your best. Nothing’s been decided.’ I’m not going to lie to the guy. It’s not fair to him.”

The Falcons also waived quarterback Bryan Randall, receiver Kendrick Mosley and defensive ends Gabe Nyenhuis and Erik Flowers to reach the 65-man limit. Teams must release 12 more players by Sunday.

When Price arrived in March 2003, he was coming off a career season in which he caught 94 passes for 1,252 yards and nine touchdowns. He was expected to give quarterback Michael Vick a go-to receiver, but the move never worked out.

Vick was injured and couldn’t play in the first 11 games of Price’s first season. Backup quarterbacks Doug Johnson and Kurt Kittner combined for a 2-10 record.

Dan Reeves was head coach and Ron Hill the vice president of player personnel when the Falcons acquired Price. In the final month of his first season, Price watched as owner Arthur Blank fired Reeves and hired Rich McKay as president-general manager.

Mora arrived as coach on Jan. 8, 2004, bringing coordinator Greg Knapp with him from San Francisco. Price never meshed with Knapp’s version of the West Coast offense, but even worse was his inability to adjust routes that complemented an improvisational quarterback like Vick.

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With Vick healthy last year, the Falcons advanced to the NFC title game behind the league’s No. 1 rushing attack, but Price’s 45 catches ranked him 51st among wide receivers.

Price started 17 of 18 games, including two in the playoffs, but coaches promoted Michael Jenkins, the 29th overall draft pick in 2004, as the starting flanker when training camp opened last month.

When Price suffered a concussion in a preseason game Aug. 19, his fate was sealed.

“Had he not come up to my office, then we might not be talking about this now,” Mora said. “We might be talking about this tomorrow or next week, but I have too much respect for Peerless, or any other player, to lie to them when you’re dealing with their livelihood.”

The Falcons (3-1 preseason) visit Miami (1-3) Thursday night, but Jenkins and Brian Finneran are the only experienced receivers who are healthy.

Starting wideout Dez White practiced Tuesday but won’t play because of a sprained knee. Rookie Roddy White, the 27th overall pick, will miss his third straight game with an ankle sprain, but Mora believes he can return in time for the Eagles.

Asked why the team didn’t wait to release Price when other receivers felt better, Mora indicated that option wasn’t considered. Price’s departure gives the Falcons a $2 million savings under this year’s salary cap, but he will cost $5.7 million in dead money next year.

“In fairness to him, once we make the decision, let’s go,” Mora said. “Let’s give the guy a chance to go somewhere else and have success. We’re not spiteful, we’re not vengeful and we’re not out to see him fail. I don’t think anyone in this organization feels that way. We hope he lands a job.”

Price, who didn’t immediately return phone calls placed to his home, wasn’t available for comment. Finneran and Dez White were surprised to hear the news.

“It’s disappointing,” Finneran said. “I feel like he’s a guy who could have helped this team. I’m going to miss him. We’ve been together a few years now.”

Added Dez White, “It hurts everybody because we’re a tight-knit group of players on this team. And in our unit of receivers, we stay tight. We stay close. It’s tough to lose somebody like that. I spent at least a year with him and Brian’s been with him a couple years. It’s hard to lose somebody like that.”

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