The Baltimore Ravens are no stranger to shedding veteran contracts in the offseason.
It's not on the level of last year's purge, but the Ravens released fullback Vonta Leach and linebacker Jameel McClain on Thursday, according to the team's official website.
The move was first reported by The Baltimore Sun.
The Ravens save $1.75 million in cap space by parting ways with Leach and $3.2 million by cutting McClain.
Leach returned to the Ravens last year after a long, winding courting process last offseason. He appeared in 16 games but was part of the Ravens' horrific backfield that averaged a paltry 3.1 yards per carry. Leach played just 33 snaps in the final five games of the season, per Pro Football Focus, as the Ravens went away from two-back sets.
"I understand. It is what it is. It's a business. I had a good three years with the Ravens," Leach told The Sun's Aaron Wilson.
McClain spent the first six weeks of the 2013 season on the physically unable to perform list after suffering a bruised spinal cord in 2012. He compiled 52 tackles and one forced fumble in 10 games as a starter. However, his play didn't match what the Ravens save by cutting him.
Wilson reported the Ravenswould like to re-sign McClain at a lower rate. General manager Ozzie Newsome didn't rule out either player returning to Baltimore in the future.
"There could come a point later on when we would consider bringing back Vonta and Jameel," Newsome said in a press release issued by the team. "They are our types of players."
Neither move comes as a shock as the Ravens need to clear cap space. Their priority is to re-sign Dennis Pitta (or possibly franchise tag the tight end), upgrade the offensive line and surround Joe Flacco with more weapons on offense.
The latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast" discusses the top 101 free agents and forecasts the offseasons of the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.
