Raiders cut standout P Marquette King

OAKLAND, Calif. — Marquette King is one of the most dynamic punters in the NFL.

He no longer is the Raiders’ punter.

The franchise saved $2.9 million in cash and $2.8 million in 2018 salary cap space Friday when making the surprise move to cut King. Like special teams standout Cordarrelle Patterson, he was compensated for a reason. King, a 2016 second-team All-Pro selection, was a Pro Bowl alternate last season who led all punters in fan voting.

King averaged 42.7 net yards per punt in 2017, third-best in the league. He was notified Friday morning of his release, agent Wynn Silberman said.

“I think there’s a little bit of a changing of the guard there,” Silberman said, “and there might be a repositioning of what’s important in terms of where you’re going to invest positionally.”

Indeed, the Raiders now have moved on from their two best — and most well-compensated — special teamers.

Patterson was traded earlier this month to the New England Patriots, as the Raiders swapped a sixth-round pick for a fifth-round selection. The wide receiver, who is a standout kick returner and gunner, was due a $3 million salary in 2018. He, too, was a Pro Bowl alternate last season.

King’s release created $150,000 in dead money versus the 2018 cap. He previously was under contract through the 2020 season following a 2016 extension.

Colby Wadman, a rookie from UC Davis, is the only punter on the roster. By the end of the April draft, that figures to change, given he’s never appeared in an NFL game. King, 29, also served as the Raiders’ holder.

Unlike his punts, King is expected to land shortly. He already has received interest, said Silberman, who credited the Raiders for making the transaction before the April 26-28 draft.

Also Friday, the Raiders officially re-signed safety Reggie Nelson and released tight end Clive Walford. Both moves were previously reported.

With Nelson aboard, five of the seven oldest members of the Raiders’ roster were signed in March. Nelson is 34. Cornerback Leon Hall is 33. Wide receiver Jordy Nelson and right tackle Breno Giacomini are 32, and quarterback Josh Johnson is 31. Sixteen of the 22 players on the roster who are 28 or older were signed during the month, too.

Returning left tackle Donald Penn, 35 in April, is the oldest team member. Coach Jon Gruden coached him from 2006 to 2008 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Running back Marshawn Lynch, 31, is three weeks older than Johnson.

After Gruden was hired in January, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia was plucked from the Dallas Cowboys’ staff to replace Brad Seely. The Raiders since have turned over Bisaccia’s department. Aside from parting with King and Patterson, the Raiders traded fullback Jamize Olawale to Dallas; they signed ex-Cowboys fullback Keith Smith days earlier.

Former Cowboys linebacker Kyle Wilbur signed as a free agent, too. Gruden said this week that he views Wilber as a potential special-teams captain.

Early in March, the team notified longtime long snapper Jon Condon that he wouldn’t be retained. Andrew DePaola, 30, was signed a couple weeks later.

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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.