Curry, the Raiders leading receiver in 2006 and 2007 with 117 receptions, was de-emphasized after a spate of dropped passes, with the Raiders giving increased time to second-year man Johnnie Lee Higgins and rookie seventh-round draft pick Chaz Schilens.

Curry was himself a seventh-round pick out of North Carolina in 2002. The Raiders looked at him as a safety before he settled in at wide receiver, eventually playing well enough to force out Tim Brown.

Curry and quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo, a 2001 second-round draft pick who played in 2007 with the New York Jets but spent the rest of his time as a Raider, is an unrestricted free agent.

Kickers Shane Lechler and Sebastian Janikowski are the longest tenured Raiders, arriving in 2000.

--Aside from safety Gibril Wilson, the only mild surprise in the pre-free agency roster purge was the release of fullback Justin Griffith.

Also cast aside were tackle Kwame Harris and defensive end Kalimba Edwards.

Griffith was rehabbing nicely from an ACL injury and had a $1.1 million salary in 2009 with a roster pro-ration of just $334,000.

Given that fullback Oren O'Neal sustained a more serious knee injury and may not be ready for camp, with Luke Lawton and converted tight end Marcel Reece the only fullbacks on the roster, it's conceivable Griffith could return at a later date.

Cable coached with the Falcons when Griffith was there, and he considers him a leader and an excellent role model, not to mention a cut blocker who fits in into the Raiders zone blocking scheme.

--Third-year tackle Mario Henderson and second-year defensive end Trevor Scott received votes on confidence with regard to the releases of Harris and Edwards.

With a $2 million salary and a $6 million roster bonus, Harris' contract was that of a player who would only return if he had succeeded in proving he was the left tackle of the future.

Instead, Harris struggled mightily in pass protection and with false starts, and ended up being benched in favor of Henderson for the three games of the season. Owner Al Davis noted during the press conference announcing Cable's hire that Henderson had effectively controlled New England's Richard Seymour, Houston's Mario Williams and Tampa Bay's Gaines Adams.

The second year of Edwards' deal carried a $2.25 million salary and a $500,000 roster bonus. Edwards piled up five quick sacks in 2008 for the Raiders but faded badly, with none in the last six games plus two more games missed due to injury.

Scott, a sixth-round pick out of Buffalo who had been a defensive end for two years in college after beginning as a tight end, had five sacks to lead all NFL rookies and was better at the end of the season than he was at the beginning.

--A spate of stories which had wide receiver Jerry Porter returning to the Raiders have been summarily dismissed by the organization.

"It's not happening," a team source said.

Although the Raiders have brought players back in the past -- wide receiver Doug Gabriel comes to mind -- Porter's reputation for being moody as well as injury-prone isn't a fit alongside young receivers such as Higgins, Schilens and 2008 draftee Arman Shields who the Raiders consider their future.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Rob's time out in Oakland was a setback, but he'll overcome it. He's got a good job with the Browns. He'll make that job better than it was," -- former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, talking to ESPN about his son's tenure as Raiders defensive coordinator.