ALAMEDA, Calif. _ One year into a contract extension that would have carried him through the 2020 season, punter Marquette King was released by the Raiders Friday.
The move comes as a surprise, given King's status as one of the NFL's top young punters. The move was made without comment, grouped with the expected and previously reported release of tight end Clive Walford.
The Raiders also announced the previously announced re-signing of free safety Reggie Nelson.
In the world of NFL economics, King's release saves the Raiders $2.9 million in salary and $2.85 million against the salary cap.
King's rate of pay, as well as the restructuring of the special teams under coordinator Rich Bisaccia, appear to be contributing factors.
Wynn Silberman, the agent for King, told the Las Vegas-Review Journal "I think there's a little bit of a changing of the guard there, and there might be a repositioning of what's important in terms of what you're going to invest positionally."
According to an ESPN report, King drove to the team facility to meet some of the new coaching staff Friday but was greeted by general manager Reggie McKenzie, who gave him the news. Coach Jon Gruden is still in Orlando after the NFL owner's meetings.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012, averaged 46.8 yards per punt and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 156 times for his career against 33 touchbacks.
One of the NFL's most flamboyant punters, King played with flair and personality that occasionally crossed the line, with a penchant for picking up unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. King had four such penalties in 2016 and 2017. No other punter in the NFL had even a single unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
At the NFL owner's meetings, Gruden stressed the value of special teams and his hiring of Biscaccia, who came from Dallas and had worked for him in Tampa Bay. He discussed how crucial the losses of players such as Andre Holmes, Brynden Trawick and Daren Bates were to last year's team in free agency and talked up Kyle Wilbur and Keith Smith, players who were with Bisaccia in Dallas.
With King's position believed to be safe, his name was never brought up.
At present time, the only punter on the roster for the Raiders is Colby Wadman, a rookie from UC Davis.
Walford, originally a third-round draft pick out of Miami in 2015. He flashed moments of promise, catching 70 passes for 768 yards in 44 games with six touchdowns, but had issues with blocking and remaining healthy. With the signing of Derek Carrier _ another potential special teams player who was with Bisaccia in Dallas _ Walford became expendable.
