Saints release 3-time Pro Bowler Warford

The New Orleans Saints released starting guard Larry Warford on Friday after he had made the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons with the team.

The move was likely made due to cap considerations, as the recent signings of quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston left the Saints with a little over $2.8 million in cap space. Though New Orleans paid Warford a $750,000 roster bonus this spring, his release saves the club $7 million against the cap, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Warford may have also been pushed out when the Saints signed fellow guard Andrus Peat to a five-year, $50-million deal in March, then used their first-round pick on interior lineman Cesar Ruiz.

The 28-year-old now hits the free-agent market, and he's no longer tied to draft-pick compensation.