Ravens part ways with Leach, McClain
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Owings Mills, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - The Baltimore Ravens made a pair of roster moves Thursday in an effort to clear salary-cap space, with the team informing fullback Vonta Leach and linebacker Jameel McClain of their release.
Baltimore will save nearly $5 million by cutting the two veterans, both of whom saw diminished playing time last season after playing key roles on the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII championship squad. McClain was slated to count $4.4 million against the cap in 2014, while Leach had a hit of $2.33 million.
One of the NFL's premier lead blockers, Leach earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2010-12. He played less than 20 percent of the team's offensive snaps last season, however, and the Ravens took a possible successor in the 2013 draft by selecting Kyle Juszcyk in the fourth round.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}McClain, who has spent his entire six-year career with Baltimore, has been a starter since the 2010 season. The 28-year-old came back from a career- threatening spinal cord injury to appear in the final 10 games of the 2013 campaign, recording 52 tackles and one forced fumble.
As in Leach's case, the Ravens also have a potential replacement for McClain in Arthur Brown, the team's second-round pick in last year's draft.
The Ravens also released Leach, who has caught 123 passes for 796 yards and five touchdowns over 10 NFL seasons, last offseason before re-signing him during training camp.