Arizona Cardinals release veteran linebacker Jordan Hicks

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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - The Arizona Cardinals released linebacker Jordan Hicks on Wednesday, freeing up salary-cap space.

The team will gain $6.5 million in cap room by cutting Hicks, who spent the last three years with the Cardinals after playing for Philadelphia from 2015-18.

Hicks had requested a trade a year ago, but was kept by Arizona and eventually beat out first-round draft pick Zaven Collins at inside LB. Hicks had a very solid season in which he made 116 tackles, a career-best four sacks, seven tackles for loss, had five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.

There’s expected to be strong free agent interest in Hicks, 29, who was a third-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2015.

"Jordan Hicks did a great job this year, especially under the circumstances he was in," Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said at the NFL scouting combine.

"Jordan was a guy that knew the defense inside and out. We benefited from that because of the complexity of some of the things that we were doing. But moving forward, there’s no doubt that we have to get those young kids involved more."

Arizona also tendered contract offers to exclusive rights free agents wide receiver Antoine Wesley and running back Jonathan Ward.