Gosder Cherilus Released by Colts: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Indianapolis Colts announced the release of Gosder Cherilus on Sunday, leaving the team without its projected starting right tackle less than a week before training camp.
Cherilus, 31, has started 29 games at right tackle for Indianapolis over the last two
seasons. He missed the last two games of the regular season with a groin injury and missed the Colts' entire playoff run. The team initially expected him back in action in June, but it's pretty safe to say it was not satisfied with his progress given the timing of the move.

Cherilus was scheduled to make $4 million in base salary and counted $6.9 million against the cap, per Spotrac. Releasing him now actually puts a cap surcharge of $8.7 million on the Colts' cap for 2015, which doesn't make sense on the surface but may be a long-term play.
Indianapolis will likely be negotiating new contracts with Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton and a few others over the next 12 months. By taking the dead-money cap hit now, the Colts won't be stuck with the charge next season, when their cap situation will be tighter. Cherilus' dead-money charge would have been $5.8 million in 2016 and $2.9 million in 2017. Those fees will now disappear.For details