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Wednesday brought word that the Saints are releasing running back Pierre Thomas and shopping linebacker Curtis Lofton in a trade and their cap-related maneuvering will continue with a restructured deal for safety Jairus Byrd.

Field Yates of ESPN.com reports that the team will convert Byrd’s $6 million roster bonus into a signing bonus in order to drop his 2015 cap number from $10.3 million to $5.5 million. The money will be pushed into the remaining four years of the six-year, $54 million deal that the safety signed with the team last year.

Byrd’s first year with the Saints was a rough one as preseason back surgery and an in-season knee injury made for very little immediate return on the team’s investment. They’ll be looking for better results this time around since Byrd’s restructure will make cutting him in the near future will come with financial penalties on a cap that’s been doing annual gymnastics to get themselves in compliance with the salary cap.

Things are off to a decent start on that front as Byrd announced Wednesday that he’s been cleared for a full return to action. He should be on the field for offseason workouts as he and the team try for better defensive results.