The Saints continued to tinker with their secondary Thursday, releasing 11-year veteran CB Mike McKenzie. The move reportedly will clear $4.575 million in salary-cap space.

McKenzie, 32, had suffered two serious knee injuries in each of the past two seasons, and heplayed in only seven games during the 2008 campaign. The addition of CB Jabari Greer in free agency helped to make McKenzie expendable.

McKenzie spent the past five seasons in New Orleans after coming over in a trade with the Packers.

The Cardinals announced the signing of four free agents Thursday afternoon, including TE Anthony Becht, who recently was released by the Rams, and UFA OG Elton Brown, who just completed his fourth season with the team. The Cardinals also signed DT Rodney Leisle and C Donovan Raiola. All four players signed one-year deals, the terms of which were undisclosed.

Becht, a first-round pick of the Jets in 2000, registered 11 starts for the Rams last season and was used mostly as a blocker, catching only six passes for 39 yards. Brown has played both guard and tackle for Arizona and performed in all 16 regular-season games and four playoff games last season.

Leisle, a fifth-round draft pick out of UCLA by the Saints in 2004, was released by New Orleans following training camp in 2007 and spent training camp with the Giants in '08 before being released Aug. 31. Raiola, the brother of Lions C Dominic Raiola, spent the last three weeks of the '08 season on Seattle's practice squad after signing with the team on Dec. 10.

The Chiefs terminated the contract of LS Jean-Philippe Darche on Thursday. Darche played in 23 games for Kansas City from 2007-08.

The Browns signed Ravens UFA CB Corey Ivy on Thursday, a move that bolsters their depth in the secondary. Terms were not disclosed.

Ivy, who turns 32 on March 29, is entering his ninth NFL season. He played the previous three seasons with Baltimore. He saw action in all 16 regular-season games in 2008, notching 52 tackles as well as 2½ sacks.

The Vikings had some clear needs - kickoff returner, depth at cornerback and special-teams coverage - and attempted to fill those with a pair of signings on Thursday.

The team signed WR-KR Glenn Holt and CB Karl Paymah, the Vikings announced.

Holt led the Bengals in kickoff returns each of the past three seasons and caught 20 passes for 172 yards and two TDs in 42 career games.

Paymah, a third-round pick by the Broncos in 2005, has started five of his 60 career games and has been a strong special-teams contributor the past four seasons.