Raider Camp : Hannah May Negotiate Himself Into a Trade

The missing Raider, starting left guard Charley Hannah, is still home in Tampa, Fla., waiting for the Raiders to increase their offer.

The Raiders are still here, waiting for Hannah to drop his price.

They’ve been at this impasse for two weeks. The Raiders are generally regarded as the easiest National Football League team to deal with--up to a point. When they reach the figure they had in mind, they stop.

Hannah, 31, is from the proud Alabama Hannahs. His brother, John, had several long holdouts with the New England Patriots.

Both sides agree they’re not too far apart--some $35,000 in annual salary by one account.

And they might end up that way, too.

Said Hannah Thursday from Tampa: “I don’t like to process these things in the papers, but Steve Ortmayer called me today.” Ortmayer is the Raider assistant coach who is also in charge of signing players.

“He said the offer they made me several weeks ago still stands,” Hannah said. “He mentioned maybe we should start thinking about a trade. It was nothing I asked for.

“I told him: ‘I don’t want to negotiate with you over the phone. That’s why I have an agent. And it’s not my decision if you want to make a trade.’

“I didn’t think two-three weeks ago there was going to be a gap that couldn’t be bridged. Now I’m not so sure.

“I don’t know, maybe this week . . . I never thought it would come to this. It’s kind of like a piece of property. You set a price in your mind. If you don’t get it, you walk away. So here I am. . . . If there’s no more movement, I guess I’m an ex-Raider.”

Anyone still on the Raiders’ Fred Dean watch can stand down. If the Raiders want to keep tabs on Dean, they’d better put up a reconnaissance satellite.

Two weeks after trying out here, the former San Francisco 49er and San Diego Charger pass-rusher remains home in San Diego.

Dean is 34 and hasn’t been working out. According to the 49ers, who waived him, and a source in San Diego, Dean isn’t just playing coy. He isn’t playing any more football, either.

“Fred is convinced he can’t play anymore,” the source said. “A career has got to end somewhere. Apparently he’s convinced this is the year to do it.”

Dean was set to retire earlier and negotiated a going-away settlement with the 49ers.

Then, however, he informed them that he wanted to report to camp, after all. Dean’s contract has a $125,000 reporting bonus. That was when 49er Coach Bill Walsh called Al Davis and asked if he was interested.

The Raiders tried Dean out and offered him a contract--with the reporting bonus transformed into salary, collectible only if he made the team. Dean turned it down.

Meanwhile, the 49ers waived him, taking themselves off the hook for the reporting bonus.

The Raider offer stands, but Dean is insisting on a reporting bonus. The source said that if the Raiders gave him that, Dean would find some other reason to turn it down, that he really just wants to retire.

Raider Notes

As Napoleon McCallum’s days in camp dwindle down to a precious few, there is increased speculation about the Navy freeing him for punt return duty. Said a Pentagon spokesman: “I think the Secretary of Defense (Caspar W. Weinberger) would leave an important decision like that, with great relish, to the Secretary of the Navy (John F. Lehman Jr.).” . . . However: Coach Tom Flores said again that if McCallum is only available one or two days a week, it will be difficult to open a roster spot for him . . . Bob Buczkowski continues to work lightly in pads but not practice. Flores said: “I wish I could say he’ll practice Monday or Tuesday, but I can’t.” If Buczkowski’s back doesn’t improve, surgery will be considered.