Oakland Raiders: Releasing CB Stanford Routt Becomes GM's First Big Move

The possible release of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will not be the first big splash of the NFL offseason. 

That move belongs to the Reggie McKenzie and the Oakland Raiders, who released cornerback Stanford Routt Thursday in the organization's first important personnel move since hiring McKenzie to be the team's first general manager after the passing of Al Davis. 

Routt, who signed a five-year, $54.5 million contract with the Raiders that kept him from becoming a free agent less than 12 months ago, spent seven years in Oakland and was considered a defensive cornerstone by the previous regime. 

Routt emerged as one of the NFL's up-and-coming cornerbacks in 2010. With the Raiders likely to lose Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency that coming summer, Oakland kept Routt in-house with a contract offer he couldn't refuse.

Of course, the late Davis led the Raiders when the team both drafted and re-signed Routt. Keep in mind, Routt has sub 4.3-speed—an attribute Davis cherished as the lead decision-maker in Oakland. 

With McKenzie, a disciple of Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers organization, now running the Raiders show, the Raiders are obviously looking in a much different direction.

McKenzie obviously didn't agree with how the contract numbers and performance lined up.

In 2011, Routt was part of a Raiders secondary that allowed the most passing touchdowns and yards in franchise history. Routt also led the NFL in penalties with 17 on a team that broke the NFL record for infractions in one season.

Still, Routt is far and away the best overall cornerback on a team that desperately needs more help in pass defense, not less. What was once a hole is now a crater on the Raiders roster. 

Routt's release won't be the last big move McKenzie makes this offseason. When Thompson first came to Green Bay in 2005, he released both Darren Sharper and Mike Wahle—cornerstones to division-winning Packers teams—to get the salary cap where he wanted, both in the present and future. 

Maybe McKenzie won't follow exactly in Thompson's footsteps, every GM has his own style. If I had to bet on anything he took from Thompson, it would be his dealing with the salary cap. 

The Raiders' cap situation isn't as dire as the Packers' was in '05, but expect McKenzie to make a move or two more to help him get to a comfortable cap number.