Raider Camp : Flores Gives State of the Team Address

The Raiders Thursday began winding down their practice in preparation for Saturday’s exhibition opener against the San Francisco 49ers, and Coach Tom Flores gave an informal state of the team address.

Highlighted were the positions that are most up for grabs. Inside linebacker, where Matt Millen was thought to be safe and Jack Squirek is chasing Bob Nelson:

“There’s a real battle going on. Millen and Nelson are the incumbents. Jack Squirek, I thought he was going to make himself felt last year before he broke his jaw. And then we have a couple of young players who’ve done well, Reggie McKenzie (a 10th-round choice) and Jamie Kimmel.

“Matt was hurt last year. This year he’s healthy and he’s looking like the Matt of old.”

Center, where Dave Dalby has started for 10 seasons and Don Mosebar was just switched:

“I think Dave has an advantage. He is the incumbent. He is more experienced. We feel more secure with him. We just haven’t seen Don do it that much at center. But Don is coming very fast.”

Wide receiver, where Cliff Branch, Malcolm Barnwell, Dokie Williams, Jessie Hester, Tim Moffett and Cle Montgomery are fighting for five positions:

“Barnwell and Branch will start Saturday. You have to have a starting point and that’s where we ended last year.”

Quarterback, where Jim Plunkett is No. 1, Marc Wilson is No. 2 and Flores is trying to stay away from anything resembling a controversy:

“We think of him (Plunkett) as No. 1. We won the Super Bowl in Tampa (with Plunkett at quarterback) and someone asked me, ‘Who’s your starting quarterback?’ Boy, there’s no justice.”

Raider Notes

Houston inside linebacker Greg Bingham, 34, a Pro Bowl alternate last season, has taken a front office job with the Oilers after having been told by Coach Hugh Campbell that he wasn’t going to make the team. Bingham and Campbell had problems last season, and Bingham had first asked to be traded to the Raiders or Redskins. Bingham said he twice talked to Raider owner Al Davis by telephone and then took the front office job. The Raiders, apparently, weren’t interested. . . . Atlanta defensive end Don Smith, a holdout, has asked to be traded to either the Raiders, Tampa Bay or Houston. . . . The Raiders waived three free agents, center Mark Mannon from UCLA, wide receiver DeWayne Jett from Hawaii and kicker Bill Turner from Cal Lutheran. They’re now down to 89 and will suit up 79 or 80 players Saturday.. . . Tom Flores on the return of Marc Wilson to the Coliseum, where he was booed loudly last season: “I’d probably be kidding myself if I said it didn’t bother him. It would have bothered me. I don’t know why, but these things happen. Fans will be fans. . . . It’s the nature of the position. You have to learn to live with it. He’s not the first person who was booed in that stadium and he won’t be the last. . . . I remember, when I was playing, I got booed. Fortunately it was in Candlestick Park and there were only about 600 people there.”