James Laurinaitis Released by Saints: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The New Orleans Saints reportedly elected to make a change to the NFL's 30th-ranked scoring defense before Thursday's game against the Carolina Panthers.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Saints waived linebacker James Laurinaitis from the injured reserve list, "freeing him to eventually sign with another team."

Herbie Teope of NOLA.com confirmed the report through a source.

The Ohio State Buckeyes product, who has not appeared in a game since Oct. 30, landed on the IR list after suffering a quadriceps injury, per Michael Triplett of ESPN.com: "The move was at least partly performance-related, since the Saints promoted veteran Craig Robertson into the starting middle linebacker spot while Laurinaitis was still playing through the injury."

Robertson has 81 combined tackles through nine games this year, while Laurinaitis has 17 in five contests.

Laurinaitis spent the first seven seasons of his career with the St. Louis Rams before signing a three-year deal with the Saints before the 2016 campaign. According to Triplett, this year's $3.25 million in salary and bonuses was the only thing guaranteed in the deal.

The linebacker commented on his injuries and inability to stay on the field, per Triplett: "It's definitely frustrating. You want to be out there and contribute with the guys any way possible. But I think my mindset now is just mentally staying engaged and just helping in any way, shape or form in the locker room."

Laurinaitis, who didn't miss a single game during his tenure in St. Louis, became the Rams' all-time leading tackler with 852, per Triplett.

At his best, Laurinaitis is a versatile linebacker who can drop back into coverage, rush the passer and plug holes against the run. A consistent force, Laurinaitis has topped 100 combined tackles in every season since the Rams drafted him in the second round in 2009:

Season	Team	Games	Combined Tackles	Sacks	Interceptions
2009	St. Louis Rams	16	120	2	2
2010	St. Louis Rams	16	114	3	1
2011	St. Louis Rams	16	142	3	2
2012	St. Louis Rams	16	142	0.5	2
2013	St. Louis Rams	16	116	3.5	2
2014	St. Louis Rams	16	109	3.5	0
2015	St. Louis Rams	16	109	1	1
2016	New Orleans Saints	5	17	0	0

Laurinaitis is still just 29 years old and had been durable throughout his career until this season. He would likely be a valuable addition and bring veteran experience to a team looking for depth down the stretch.