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Charles Grant to be released Friday

Charles Grant, a starting defensive end for most of the New Orleans Saints' first championship season, will be released by the only club for which he's played in his eight-year career.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis announced on Thursday that Grant would be released when free agency begins on Friday.

Loomis also announced that the Saints had released reserve offensive lineman Jamar Nesbit and linebacker Mark Simoneau. Simoneau, 33, has missed the past two seasons with injuries.

Grant, 31, was drafted out of Georgia in 2002, one of New Orleans' two first-round choices that year.

He is eighth on the Saints' career sack list with 47 and has started 106 games. He's also had one interception, 14 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

He started all 16 regular season games in 2009 and was credited with 53 tackles and 5½ sacks. However, he tore his triceps in the last game of the regular season, a game with no playoff implications. He then sat out the playoffs as the Saints advanced and won their first Super Bowl.

It marked the second straight season Grant had ended a season on injured reserve for a torn triceps.

Grant would have been due about $4 million in base salary for the 2010 season. Also still looming is the four-game suspension he received in 2008 for testing positive for the banned diuretic bumetanide. That suspension has yet to be enforced because an appeal in Minnesota state court involving Vikings players Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, who are not related.

Bumetanide is banned because it can be used to mask steroid use.

In between the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Grant was stabbed in the neck during a melee outside a bar in Blakely, Ga., during which a 23-year-old pregnant woman was fatally shot.

Releasing Grant could make the Saints a player in the free-agent market for another defensive end. During the playoffs, Will Smith and Bobby McCray were the Saints' starting defensive ends.

Simoneau spent four seasons with the Saints, starting 30 of 32 games in which he played. During the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he made 170 tackles with three sacks and an interception. A back injury sidelined the veteran for 2008 and a torn triceps during training camp ended his 2009 season.

Nesbit, an 11-year veteran, joined the Saints as a free agent in 2004 and started 35 consecutive regular-season games at left guard from 2006-08, plus two playoff games after the 2006 season. He lost his starting job to Carl Nicks in 2008 when he chose to serve a four-game suspension for the same bumetanide-related violation that Grant, Smith and since-retired running back Deuce McAllister all appealed.

Nesbit, 33, played in 13 games this past season, mostly on special teams.

New Orleans Saints press release
Justin Macione (New Orleans Saints)

New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Thursday that the club has released offensive lineman Jamar Nesbit and linebacker Mark Simoneau, and that the club will release defensive end Charles Grant on Friday.

Grant, one of the team’s two first-round draft choices in 2002, played in 118 regular season games for the Saints over eight seasons – starting 106 of them – and tallied 505 tackles with 47 sacks to rank eighth on the club’s all-time sack list. He also had one interception, 14 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. He started all 16 regular season games for New Orleans in 2009 and made 53 tackles with 5½ sacks before being injured in the regular season finale, ending the year on injured reserve for the second consecutive season.

Nesbit signed with the Saints as a free agent prior to the 2004 season after previous stints with the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars. The 11-year veteran lineman played in 84 regular season games for the Saints, including 43 starts – starting 35 consecutive games at left guard from 2006-08, plus two postseason contests. He played in 13 games for the Saints in 2009, seeing action primarily on special teams.

Simoneau spent four seasons with the Saints after being acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2006 preseason and started 30 of 32 games he played for New Orleans, making 170 tackles with three sacks and an interception. The veteran middle linebacker missed each of the last two seasons due to injury, losing 2008 to a back injury and 2009 to a torn triceps.

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Re: Charles Grant to be released Friday

Saints released DE Charles Grant, LB Mark Simoneau, and OG Jamar Nesbit.

Grant began last season playing strong run defense, but tailed off badly toward midseason and was a complete non-factor from a pass-rushing standpoint before tearing his triceps in Week 17. The Rams showed interest in Grant two offseasons ago, but he may no longer interest them due to the serious injury and scant production. Grant, 31, may struggle to pass physicals. Mar. 4 - 6:34 pm et

per rotoworld

Re: Charles Grant to be released Friday

Took them long enough, should of never, never gave him the big bucks when he was up for it. Thank god for the no cap next year so they can get rid of him with little to no penalty. Was never that big of a fan of his after the injuries started to pile up on him. This move frees up big money to go after free agents once the Saints start to loose some of their own

Saints release Nesbit, Simoneau; to release Grant Friday

Saints Release Nesbit and Simoneau

NewOrleansSaints.com,
Thursday, March 04, 2010 - 5:10 PM

Saints release Nesbit, Simoneau; to release Grant Friday

New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Thursday that the club has released offensive lineman Jamar Nesbit and linebacker Mark Simoneau, and that the club will release defensive end Charles Grant on Friday.

Grant, one of the team’s two first-round draft choices in 2002, played in 118 regular season games for the Saints over eight seasons – starting 106 of them – and tallied 505 tackles with 47 sacks to rank eighth on the club’s all-time sack list. He also had one interception, 14 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. He started all 16 regular season games for New Orleans in 2009 and made 53 tackles with 5½ sacks before being injured in the regular season finale, ending the year on injured reserve for the second consecutive season.

Nesbit signed with the Saints as a free agent prior to the 2004 season after previous stints with the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars. The 11-year veteran lineman played in 84 regular season games for the Saints, including 43 starts – starting 35 consecutive games at left guard from 2006-08, plus two postseason contests. He played in 13 games for the Saints in 2009, seeing action primarily on special teams.

Simoneau spent four seasons with the Saints after being acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2006 preseason and started 30 of 32 games he played for New Orleans, making 170 tackles with three sacks and an interception. The veteran middle linebacker missed each of the last two seasons due to injury, losing 2008 to a back injury and 2009 to a torn triceps.

New Orleans Saints - Saints Release Three Veteran Players