AP

When the Jets were looking for somebody to take tackle Wayne Hunter off their hands, the Rams were more than willing to step up to the plate.

It wasn’t so much about getting Hunter for their team as it was about dumping former second overall pick Jason Smith after three dismal seasons. The Rams kept Hunter on the roster for the entire season before reaching the same conclusion as the Jets that they’d rather live life without Hunter on their roster.

They didn’t bother waiting to find a trade partner. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Rams are releasing Hunter. The move was expected as dropping Hunter will save them $4 million under the salary cap, money that they can use to sign a tackle more skilled than Hunter to help them on the offensive line in 2013.

Hunter hasn’t played well as a starter and his combination of back and knee injuries make him a fairly unreliable choice as a reserve at this point. He might get a look down the road this offseason, but Hunter’s probably not going to be competing for a starting job at this point.