Raiders Cut Fan Favorite Punter Marquette King
ALAMEDA (CBS SF) -- The Oakland Raiders continued to rebuild their kicking game Friday, releasing long-time punter Marquette King, whose on-field antics made him a fan favorite in his six years with the team.
King had formed a formidable 1-2 punch with long-time Oakland place kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who missed the 2017 regular season with an injury.
Janikowski was cut by the Raiders after 17 years in February. The left-footed Jankowski, who was known among Raiders fans by the nickname "Seabass," is the franchise's all-time leader in points (1,799) and games played (268).
King also was a standout in his years with the team.
Originally signed by the club as an undrafted free agent in 2012, King played in 80 games, recorded 426 punts for 19,941 yards (46.8 avg.) and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 156 times with 33 touchbacks.
The Raiders also announced Friday that they have re-signed free agent safety Reggie Nelson.
Nelson spent the last two seasons manning the secondary for the Raiders, starting all 32 games. In 2017, he posted the second-most tackles on the team, totaling 96 stops (71 solo), one interception, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles.
Since joining the club in 2016, he has recorded a team-best eight takeaways and was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl during his first season as a Raider.
Over his 11-year career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals and Raiders, Nelson has played in 170 games and made 157 starts, totaled 820 tackles (594 solo), 6.5 sacks, 36 interceptions with one returned for a score, 91 passes defensed, 10 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round (21st overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. After playing his first three seasons with the Jaguars, Nelson spent six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2010-15. His stint in Cincinnati was highlighted by a 2015 campaign in which he would lead the league with 10 total takeaways and also tie for the NFL lead with eight interceptions en route to earning his first career Pro Bowl honor.
