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INDIANAPOLIS — One year after giving him a big contract, the Indianapolis Colts are parting with starting cornerback Pierre Desir.

The release, announced in a team release early Saturday afternoon, saves the Colts $6.85 million in cap space, according to spotrac.com.

Desir, 29, was rewarded before 2019 with a three-year, $22-million deal after starting in 12 of 16 games and making 79 tackles, all career highs. But he missed four games due to injury and played hurt sometimes — first with a hamstring issue and then a groin — and it affected performance as he was often beaten in coverage.

He made 50 total tackles in 12 games, 11 starts, with a career-high three interceptions last season. Two of the interceptions came against a rookie quarterback making a first start in a Week 16 home rout of Carolina.

Because Desir’s contract was front-loaded with $9 million paid in the first year, he was susceptible to being released as a cap casualty because none of the remaining two years will count as dead cap money.

The Colts were evidently looking to free up some money after spending so much this week. They started out with $86.1 million in cap space, second-most in the NFL, but gave offensive left tackle Anthony Castonzo $33 million over two years, acquired defensive tackle DeForest Buckner with an $84 million extension over four years and have reportedly come to terms with quarterback Philip Rivers on a one-year, $25-million deal.

The release of defensive tackle/end Margus Hunt, who had a similar front-loaded contract, saved $4 million. Hunt also had received a new deal before 2019, $9 million for two years, but underperformed and was an expected cap casualty.

Desir played three seasons for the Colts after starting out for two years with the Cleveland Browns and playing one season for the San Diego Chargers. He had started just seven games before joining the Colts, for whom he made 29 starts.

Releasing Désir makes cornerback more of an utmost team priority, either in free agency or the draft. The Colts drafted cornerback Rock Ya-Sin early in the second round last year, and he experienced the usual rookie issues with making the pro transition, which included being repeatedly flagged for penalties in the first half of the season.

The next cornerback options on the depth chart are former second-round pick Quincy Wilson, who has been a disappointment and didn’t start a game in nine appearances last season, and Marvell Tell III, a 2019 fifth-round selection who is a work in progress in making the transition from being a college safety. Tell started once in 13 games as a rookie with 26 tackles and five passes defended.