WASHINGTON -- Stephen Davis, one of the NFL's top running backs for the last half-decade, was cut Wednesday by the Washington Redskins in a long-expected move to help get the team under the salary cap.

	Davis

The Redskins also released former starting safety Sam Shade and tight end Walter Rasby as they beat a Friday deadline to get under the $75 million cap.

Davis, who turns 29 Friday, leaves as the Redskins' No. 3 all-time rusher with 5,790 yards, just 85 yards behind second-place Larry Brown. He is the only player in franchise history to run for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.

But Davis' bruising, straight-ahead style didn't mesh with Steve Spurrier's pass-happy Fun 'n' Gun offense. Grumbling at times over the offensive game plan, Davis had just 207 carries for 820 yards in 2002, compared with an average of 326 carries for 1,385 yards in his three seasons before Spurrier's arrival.

Davis also missed four games and parts of two others with knee and shoulder injuries, but his per-game carries and yards were down some 20 percent even when factoring in the injuries.

The Redskins either had to cut Davis or renegotiate his contract, which would have counted $11.4 million against the cap in 2003. Under the cap's complex rules, the team saves $5.2 million by cutting Davis and $1.6 million by cutting Shade.

Davis, a fourth-round pick from Auburn in 1996, could be an attractive free agent for several teams, including the Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins' archrival will need a running back if Emmitt Smith doesn't return.

The favorite to take Davis' spot in Washington is Ladell Betts, a second-round pick from Iowa who ran for 307 yards as a rookie last year.

Shade was a three-year starter in Washington before losing his job to Ifeanyi Ohalete seven games into last season. Rasby played two seasons with the Redskins, catching 18 passes for 206 yards in 20 starts.

The Redskins also cut rookie punter Craig Jarrett, who played in the last four games last season after Bryan Barker was injured.

Meanwhile, the Redskins might be losing two players they had planned to keep. Negotiations have stalled with defensive linemen Daryl Gardener and Carl Powell, with both set to become free agents Friday.

Gardener was a find late in training camp last year, adding run-stopping force and locker room leadership to the defensive line. The Redskins targeted him as their top pending free agent to re-sign, and agent Neil Schwartz offered to include safeguards in the contract in case Gardener missed games because of back problems that have recurred over the past few years.

But there was been little progress in recent weeks, and the sides have no plans to talk again.

"Nothing's scheduled,'' Schwartz said. "But you never know.''

Powell was a solid backup on the defensive line last year.