"The Jaguars this afternoon officially released receiver Torry Holt, defensive tackle Rob Meier and offensive tackle Tra Thomas.

"After completing our postseason roster evaluation, we've made the decision in the best interest of the organization to release three veteran players with tremendous playing history in the league,'' said Jaguars general manager Gene Smith. "All three players have played 10 or more years in the NFL and have a made a positive impact on the Jaguars' organization. These decisions certainly weren't easy ones, as Torry, Tra and Rob have (made) over 350 starts between them, and they still have the ability to contribute for other teams in the league.''

Out of respect for Holt and Thomas, the club gave them advance notice about plans to move forward without the duo in order to allow time for them to catch on with new teams. The club decided against releasing them on the first day of the league new year (Monday)."