Raiders News: Punter Marquette King, TE Clive Walford Cut

The Oakland Raiders waived punter Marquette King and tight end Clive Walford, the team announced on Friday.

King, who joined the Raiders in 2012 as an undrafted free agent, spent the first six seasons of his career in the Bay Area. He averaged 46.8 yards per punt over the past five seasons and was rewarded for his rise with a five-year, $16.5 million extension in February 2016. 

Last season, the 29-year-old ranked third among all players at his position with a net punting average of 42.7 yards. 

Cutting King frees up $2.9 million in cap space. 

According to RaidersSnakePit.com's Bill Williamson, new head coach Jon Gruden made the move to send his team a "message," though Williamson didn't specify what that message was. 

Walford, meanwhile, had been a member of the Raiders since they selected him in the third round of the 2015 draft. He's tallied 70 receptions for 768 yards and six touchdowns over the past three seasons. 

The University of Miami product looked like a possible breakout candidate following his rookie season, when he caught 28 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns. However, he suffered a knee injury in an ATV accident the following spring, and his production failed to spike.

In 2017, Walford managed just nine catches for 80 yards. He played 12.9 percent of the team's offensive snaps with Jared Cook and Lee Smith ahead of him on the depth chart.