The Steelers opened up more salary-cap room by releasing offensive lineman Willie Colon, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This move was expected ever since the Steelers re-signed Ramon Foster on Monday.

Pittsburgh is expected to designate Colon as a June 1 cut, which helps this year but hurts the team next year. By doing this, the Steelers free up $5.5 million in cap room in 2013 and they push $4.3 million in dead money onto the 2014 cap.

The Steelers couldn't pay Colon his $5.5 million salary this year because of durability concerns. Injuries caused him to miss the entire 2010 season, all but one game of the 2011 season and five of the final six games last season.

The release of Colon and linebacker James Harrison opened up $10.6 million in cap space. Combine that with the four restructured contracts (quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, linebackers LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons and wide receiver Antonio Brown) and the Steelers created $29 million in cap room this offseason.