UPDATE: According to Jason La Canfora, the Baltimore Ravens are still hopeful that they will be able to re-sign Todd Heap, Derrick Mason and Kelly Gregg.
EARLIER:
The Baltimore Ravens wasted little time once the NFL lockout ended on Monday and started making significant moves.
According to Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun, tight end Todd Heap and wide receiver Derrick Mason have been released.
Last year, the Ravens had plenty of depth at the receiver position with Mason, Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. But as Gregg Rosenthal of ProFootballTalk points out, Baltimore has a hole at the position now that Mason is gone and Houshmanzadeh is unlikely to resign.
Mason, 37, didn't appear to be too upset when he spoke to WBAL on Monday night.
"I understand the business of football, and I understand what has to be done in the business of football," he said. "It was good while I was there. I can't hang my head down. I think I did everything above and beyond what they asked me to do when I came in there six years ago."
Baltimore also cut running back Willis McGahee and defensive tackle Kelly Gregg. Aaron Wilson of Ravens Insider noted that Baltimore slashed "about $18.6 million in payroll."