Raiders release Nate Allen

The Oakland Raiders released veteran safety Nate Allen on Tuesday, the team announced.

Allen joined the Raiders on a four-year, $23-million contract ahead of the 2015 season, but injuries limited him to just five games and three starts.

Though the initial deal appeared to carry significant financial totals, its pay-as-you-go structure gave the Raiders an opportunity to cut ties and save his entire $5-million cap hit without any penalty.

According to ESPN's Adam Caplan, Allen's base salary would have become guaranteed were he still on the roster by Wednesday.

Parting ways with Allen, in tandem with the retirement of Charles Woodson, makes the safety position one of the Raiders' most pressing needs heading into the offseason.

However, a significant amount of salary cap flexibility, and a full crop of draft selections, give the team a number of avenues by which it can address that area.