On the same day ESPN hired Cris Carter to be an NFL analyst, the network and longtime analyst Sean Salisbury will part ways.

Both moves were announced in network released announcements.

Salisbury was with ESPN for 12 years. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that his contract was up and ESPN decided not to renew it.

“I want to thank ESPN for 12 great years of talking football on TV and the radio. I have grown as much as I can at ESPN and decided to expand my horizons. I have created a brand and it’s time to expand into other opportunities in TV, radio, Internet, publishing, movies and public speaking, among others. My resume speaks for itself as a football analyst, and I believe I can talk all sports with the best of them,” Salisbury said in a statement.

ESPN’s issued this statement: “Sean Salisbury has made many contributions to our efforts for the past 12 years. We thank him and wish him all the best.”

Carter, who was part of the recently canceled Inside the NFL on HBO, will have similar duties to Salisbury. He'll appear on SportsCenter, NFL Live, ESPNews and ESPN Radio and one of his first jobs will covering the NFL draft in April.

"I am very excited to be joining ESPN and their talented group of NFL analysts,” Carter said in a statement. “I have always felt connected to ESPN since they gave me an opportunity to do some television work during my playing career, and even while working at HBO, I have always admired and respected how they do things. I look forward to getting started in April.”

Carter will appear as an analyst on the network’s flagship program, SportsCenter, as well as on NFL Live, ESPNews and ESPN Radio. One of his first duties as analyst will be covering the 2008 NFL Draft at the end of April.

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