The Washington Commanders want to begin the era under their new name with a winning team. Head coach Ron Rivera wants a veteran quarterback to lead the way. But before they build, they have made some decisions to shed salary, even though it comes at the cost of some of their better players.

One such move, which was first reported by NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, is the release of safety Landon Collins. According to Ben Standig of The Athletic, the move will save Washington nearly $12 million.

Collins joined Washington three years ago. In 35 total games across those seasons, he recorded 153 total tackles, six sacks and three interceptions. He was one of their biggest free-agent splashes of the past few years but failed to play at the Pro Bowl level he reached with the New York Giants.

The Commanders also cut defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis, offensive lineman Ereck Flowers and safety Deshazor Everett per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Ioannidis appeared in 16 games last season, recording 11 quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks. He had recorded at least seven sacks in two straight seasons as a defensive end in 2018 and 2019. Cutting him saves Washington roughly $7 million. Everett played 14 games last season, recording 10 total tackles and spent seven years in Washington.

After losing Brandon Scherff to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, the Commanders are losing another key piece of their interior line. Flowers performed very well after transitioning from tackle to guard. Washington is coming off of a 7-10 record and has created more holes to fill as free agency officially opens up.