The Washington Redskins parted ways with two big-money players on Friday.
The team announced it released defensive linemen Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen after four years
Both were signed to sizable contracts in 2011. Cofield signed a six-year, $36 million contract that lured him away from the New York Giants. Bowen inked a five-year $27.5 million contract after five seasons in Dallas.
Cutting Cofield will save the Redskins about $4.12 million on the salary cap, while clipping Bowen saves $5.5 million.
Similarly, Bowen played in just eight games (starting three) after beginning the season on the PUP list after a 2013 knee injury that required microfracture surgery.
The releases come one day after Washington signed Ricky Jean Francois to a three-year contract worth up to $9 million, per NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.
Cofield currently sits at No. 88 in Around The NFL's Top 101 free agent list. He should have no trouble finding an eventual landing spot this summer in a league in constant need of hole-pluggers.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down the annual "Top 101 free agents" list and discusses the latest in league news. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.