Jamaal Anderson released by Cincinnati Bengals

Defensive end Jamaal Anderson, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, has been released, the Cincinnati Bengals announced Wednesday.

A rotational defensive lineman specializing in stopping the run, Anderson played in just two games last season before undergoing quadriceps surgery.

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The Bengals have plenty of depth up front after picking up Margus Hunt in the second round of this year's draft. It would have been hard to find snaps for both Hunt and Anderson, so the Bengals opted to save $2.5 million by cutting the latter.

Anderson now will have a chance to catch on with another team before training camp, though he'll have to settle for a lesser salary. Anderson played four years under former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, who's now linebackers coach with the New York Jets.

Drafted by the Falcons to be a difference-making pass rusher, Anderson managed just 4.5 sacks in 60 games with Atlanta before his 2011 release. He's a reminder of how far the Falcons' personnel department has come since general manager Thomas Dimitroff took control in 2008.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.