Edmonton Eskimos cut veteran Adarius Bowman, re-sign receiver Vidal Hazelton

The Edmonton Eskimos have released veteran wide receiver Adarius Bowman, who was due to be paid a $140,000 bonus.

The team also re-signed American receiver Vidal  Hazelton to a one-year deal.

A source told The Canadian Press last week that Bowman, 32, was due the bonus Monday.

Brock Sunderland, Edmonton Eskimos general manager, made the move on Sunday after he spoke with Bowman.

"It would have been easy if he was a jerk," Sunderland said. "He made it as smooth and easy as can be, and that made it all that much harder. Because he's a great person. He's been the face of this organization for years. I love football. I'm still a fan first and foremost. I'm well aware of what he's meant to this town and organization."

The move comes three days after the Eskimos traded fan favourite Odell Willis, a defensive lineman, to the Ottawa RedBlacks.

Bowman set club record in 2016

The six-foot-three, 215-pound Bowman had a club-record 120 catches for a league-high 1,759 yards and nine touchdowns in 2016. He then signed a contract extension through 2018 that at the time made him the league's highest-paid non-quarterback.

Last year, Bowman had 45 catches for 534 yards and five TDs in 12 regular-season games. He added five receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns in two playoff contests.

Bowman reportedly earned $260,000 last season and was scheduled to make $265,000 this year, including the bonus.

He now becomes a free agent.

"You can't pay everybody," Sunderland said. "And unfortunately there comes a point where you have to turn it over."

The Eskimos currently have a plethora of wide receivers, including Hazelton, Bryan Mitchell, Derel Walker, Duke Williams, Kenny Stafford, Speedy Noil, and Shaq Hill.

Team deep at wide receiver

"Our depth at the international wide receiver would have to be one of the strengths of our team," Sunderland said. "We're fortunate to have younger guys with an arrow up.

"I'm making the decisions that aren't easy but that we feel are right to win. What it comes down to is us trying to win a championship. If we kept people around for sentimental value or for reasons we didn't believe, I didn't think we'd be doing justice to the fan base or this organization. Tough decisions are needed, and really that's why I was hired."

Bowman is the president of Adarius 4 Autism, a not-for-profit organization that assists young people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

He cracked the 1,000-yard plateau three times during his six CFL campaigns with Edmonton.

The six-foot-three, 212-pound Hazelton appeared in 11 games last year with Edmonton, registering 55 catches for 709 yards and four touchdowns. Hazelton has appeared in 35 games over three CFL seasons, accumulating 152 catches for 1,873 yards and 13 TDs.

Fans show appreciation for Bowman

On Monday, fans showed their appreciation for Bowman on Twitter.