The Kansas City Chiefs released defensive tackle Vance Walker on Friday and reportedly re-signed linebacker Josh Mauga to a three-year deal worth about $8 million.

The release of Walker, coming a day after the team cut linebacker Joe Mays, saved the team $1.7 million against the salary cap and left the Chiefs about $1 million over the $143.3 million threshold four days before the league year begins.

That was before the deal for Mauga, reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Mauga, 27, originally signed with the Chiefs last July and tallied 103 tackles in 16 starts. He would have been an unrestricted free agent Tuesday.

Mauga, an undrafted free agent out of Nevada in 2009, played 29 games for the New York Jets from 2010 to 2012 and was on injured reserve in 2013.

Walker has played in 88 games with the Atlanta Falcons (2009-12), Oakland Raiders (2013) and Chiefs (2014). He languished at the bottom of the depth chart last season in Kansas City, finishing with 19 tackles and two sacks.