McAlister had been with the Ravens since the team drafted him in 1999 and made the Pro Bowl in 2003, 04, and 06. However, he had missed significant time due to injury over the past two seasons and didn’t seem to fit in with new coach John Harbaugh.

The Ravens, with several high profile defensive players including Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Bart Scott set to hit free agency, is in need of all the salary cap space they can get, and McAlister’s $8 million is a good start. However, with Ray Lewis openly proclaiming that he won’t be signing for the hometown discount that Suggs had suggested, the Ravens will likely be forced to make even more cuts if they hope to retain the anchors of their impressive defense.

You can read more about Baltimore’s move at over at TotalGridiron.com