"Less than a year ago, Al Davis made Stanford Routt one of the cornerstones of the Raiders' defense with a lavish contract that kept him from free agency.

Thursday, Routt became the first player casualty under the new regime.

Routt was released one year into a $54.5 million, five-year contract, ending his seven-year tenure in Oakland.

The move by new general manager Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen signifies a change of approach from when Davis ran the team and was fiercely loyal to players he drafted.

Davis died Oct. 8, setting the stage for a busy offseason. McKenzie was hired in January and fired coach Hue Jackson on his first official day on the job. He then began a coaching search that ended up with Allen, and now changes are being made to the roster.

Routt got the big contract after grading out as one of the league's top cover cornerbacks in 2010. The opposition's 39.4 percent completion rate when throwing at him was the lowest of any player targeted at least 60 times.

Davis gave Routt the big contract, while letting Pro Bowl player Nnamdi Asomugha test free agency."