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Ravens make it official, announce that Jameel McClain and Vonta Leach have been released

Ozzie Newsome stated both players could come back.

By Jason Butt
The Ravens made it official, announcing Vonta Leach and Jameel McClain have been released.
The Ravens made it official, announcing Vonta Leach and Jameel McClain have been released.
USA TODAY Sports

The Ravens made Thursday's news official, that linebacker Jameel McClain and fullback Vonta Leach have been released from the organization.

By cutting both players, the Ravens will save $4.95 million in cap space.

The Ravens released a statement from general manager Ozzie Newsome on twitter. Here's what he had to say:

FULL STATEMENTS FROM THE TEAM:

Ozzie Newsome:

"Vonta and Jameel are two of our most important players over the last few seasons, helping us to the playoffs and giving the Ravens the Super Bowl win after the 2012 season. Vonta proved to be one of the best fullbacks in the league, plus he added leadership and toughness to our offense. Jameel is a Ravens' success story who came to us as a rookie free agent. He changed positions from playing on the defensive line and outside to becoming a good inside linebacker and starter. People close to our team understand his commitment to being the best he can be and the leadership he gave on and off the field. There could come a point later on when we would consider bringing back Vonta and Jameel. They are our types of players."

John Harbaugh:

"[Leach is] the big, physical fullback you like to have when you pound the ball and are on special teams. And, who doesn't like Vonta? He's fun to be around, and his personality helped lift the energy at a lot of practices. People know we like to be physically dominating, and when we did that in recent years, Vonta was a big part of that. There is so much to like about Jameel, the player and the person. He's a true leader, and his story from rookie free agent to NFL starter is one of the best in the league. You give him so much credit for finding a way to become the player he is. He's one of those guys who gets the most out of his ability. He has a lot of football left, and maybe, that could be with the Ravens down the line. Both of these men helped the Ravens win a lot of games and the Super Bowl Championship. We are thankful for all they gave us."


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