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The New York Giants, having released Brad Wing, need a punter. One of the best in the business, Marquette King is suddenly available.
Marquette King went over to the Raiders' facility today to meet some of the coaches. Never got the chance. GM Reggie McKenzie pulled him in, spoke to him and, in the end, informed King he was being released.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 30, 2018
Should the Giants be interested?
In my view, the answer is an unequivocal yes. I have no idea what Jon Gruden is thinking or trying to prove by releasing King, perhaps his flamboyance bothered the new head coach. Some team around the NFL, however, is going to be happy that he did. You would think the Giants, who have prioritized improving their special teams this offseason, would have to kick the tires.
In five seasons with the Oakland Raiders, the 29-year-old King averaged 46.8 yards per punt.
In 2017, he was sixth in the NFL with an average of 47.4 yards per punt. King was ninth in the league in percentage of punts inside the 20, at 40.6 percent. His touchback percentage was 8.7, 29th in the league. The Raiders were third in the NFL in net punting average at 42.7 yards per kick. The Giants were last in the league at 36.7.
King signed a five-year, $16.5-million contract extension with Oakland a year ago. His release saves the Raiders $2.9 million in cap room.