The Saints officially released long time running back Deuce McAllister.

The news comes as no real surprise, though it still will come as a blow to the Saints fan base.

McAllister, who turned 30 in December, had four years remaining on his contract. But his role was greatly diminished last season after he returned from his second major knee injury in three years. And he was set to earn $5.3 million in salary and bonuses in 2009.

The Saints will save more than $4 million in salary-cap space this year now that McAllister is off the roster. His “cap figure” will decrease from $7.3 million to roughly $3 million. The way the cap works, the Saints still need to account for $3 million of his signing bonus from the eight-year, $50.1 million contract extension he signed in 2005.

The team was projected to be about $4.5 million over the $123 million salary cap heading into the start of free agency Feb. 27, so other changes could be forthcoming as well.

As the article notes, this isn’t a surprise. The Saints freed up some cap space in the move, Pierre Thomas has emerged as a feature back and is the power to Reggie Bush’s flash.

Still, McAllister will be missed and he was the model pro in New Orleans.