Saints Release Wide Receiver Lance Moore

The New Orleans Saints have until Tuesday to lock in whichever free agents they want to keep, and are strapped for the cap space with which to do it.  League sources had said that the team was shopping both WR Lance Moore and RB Pierre Thomas this week.  In a tweet early Friday morning, Moore let us in on part of their plans for clearing up some cap room.

Thank you New Orleans for an amazing nine years. Who Dat Nation, the best on earth!!!

— Lance Moore (@LanceMoore16) March 7, 2014

On Thursday, Moore had the following to say about being possibly traded or released:

It's news to you, it's news to me people. Guess we wait n see. Appreciate the love and support from everyone tho

— Lance Moore (@LanceMoore16) March 7, 2014

Friday's tweet indicates he got his answers.

From the Cleveland Browns to the Saints, to the Berlin Thunder and back to New Orleans, Moore was the longest-tenured player on the 2013 Saints squad.  The 30-year-old would be due $3.8 million in salary and bonuses with two years remaining on his contract if he remained on the team; and his roster bonus on March 25 would be $500,000.  The beloved wide receiver's role diminished somewhat in the Saints offense last year after he missed three games with a hand injury early in the season. He played fewer than 50 percent of the offensive snaps in 2013, and finished with 37 catches for 457 yards and two touchdowns. In 2012, he had 65 catches for a career-high 1,041 yards and six touchdowns.

Four years after winning Super Bowl XLIV, the Saints are dropping several of their remaining players from that squad.  Those that remain include:

QB Drew Brees
RB Pierre Thomas
WR Marques Colston
G Jahri Evans
P Thomas Morstead
WR Robert Meachem (Free Agent)
OT Zach Strief (Free Agent)
CB/S Malcolm Jenkins (Free Agent)