Ravens cut return man, playoff hero Jacoby Jones

Jacoby Jones was cut Tuesday by the Baltimore Ravens. The wide receiver and kicker returner was a major contributor to the Ravens' Super Bowl championship.

The 30-year-old Jones played three seasons with Baltimore after a five-year run with Houston.

Jones' most memorable plays with the Ravens both occurred in the 2012 postseason. He caught a 70-yard touchdown throw from Joe Flacco to force overtime against Denver and a returned a kickoff 108 yards to spark a Super Bowl win over San Francisco.

He returned a kickoff 108 yards last season against Pittsburgh, but he had only nine catches compared to 37 in 2013.

"We don't win (the) Super Bowl without Jacoby," general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "Jacoby was an outstanding Raven and a good teammate on and off the field."

The move makes some salary-cap room for the Ravens and gives Jones a few months to latch on with someone else.

"We think he can still play in the NFL," Newsome said, "and releasing him now allows him a better opportunity to land with another team."

Jones was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 2012 season. In 44 games with Baltimore, he returned six kicks for touchdowns and owned franchise-record a 30.1-yard career kickoff return average.

He also caught 76 passes for 992 yards and three touchdowns in regular season play.

"He was invaluable to our success," coach John Harbaugh said. "Opponents, especially on special teams, schemed to stop him. What a compliment to him."