Quarterbacks Ryan Leaf and Doug Flutie became free agents and three-time Super Bowl champion Ken Norton Jr. was released Wednesday as NFL teams sliced their payrolls as a salary cap deadline approached.
More players will be released as teams get down to the $67.4 million salary cap before free agency begins Friday.
"We are preparing for free agency and the draft and this allows these players to catch on with another team," Chargers general manager John Butler said after getting rid of Leaf and four others.
In other salary-driven moves, Pittsburgh released center Dermontti Dawson and the Carolina Panthers released three players who were with George Seifert when he won a Super Bowl with the 49ers in 1995.
They cut cornerback Eric Davis, fullback William Floyd and linebacker Lee Woodall. The moves were not unexpected for the Panthers, who also released offensive lineman James Dexter.
More prominent players could be released today. Six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman John Randle is expected to be released by Minnesota because he wouldn't agree to restructure his contract.
The Chargers began reshaping the NFL's worst team by waiving Leaf, who had been in constant trouble during his three seasons.
The Bills ended months of speculation by announcing that Rob Johnson will be the quarterback next season. The Bills had to cut almost $8 million off their payroll and saved $3 million by cutting Flutie, who went 21-9 as a starter but turns 38 in October.
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