Raiders : Plunkett Goes on Reserve; King, Davis Just Go

Old Raiders were sent flying in all directions Tuesday, including the oldest Raider of them all, Jim Plunkett, who was dispatched to the injured reserve list to begin life as an insurance policy.

Cut were safety Mike Davis, hero of the ’81 Ice Bowl at Cleveland, and, for the second straight camp, halfback Kenny King. Joining Plunkett on injured reserve, in what is believed to be his farewell to pro football, is tackle Henry Lawrence, a starter from 1977 until last season’s 15th game, and a Pro Bowl pick in 1983 and ’84.

Plunkett, who will be 40 on Dec. 5, will stay with the team but can’t be activated until after the sixth game of the season. Thus, the Raiders get what they want--”an insurance policy,” a Raider official called it--without tying up a roster spot.

Plunkett doesn’t exactly get what he wants--a shot at his old job. But as he noted, consider the alternatives. “Retirement,” mused Plunkett, grinning. “Being waived?

“I guess they’re going to see how it goes with Rusty (Hilger). I think that’s pretty obvious.

“I was hoping at the start of this (camp) that I’d be activated. Obviously, that wasn’t in their plans.

“It’s hard to be in this position. It drives me . . . nuts. But I have to live with it.”

Plunkett underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right rotator cuff in March. There was a question of how he’d recover, but this camp seems to have answered it. If he isn’t throwing as well as he ever did, he’s throwing well enough.

“In my mind, I’m ready,” Plunkett said. “Even though, as Tom (Flores) says, ‘Can he take a hit?’ Hell, how are you going to find out?”

Hilger and Marc Wilson have been confirmed as the 1-2 quarterbacks, and the Raiders tend to change their minds on that position very slowly. So Plunkett is unlikely to get a quick call just because someone doesn’t look impressive.

However, the Raiders are thinking of trying to go with just two quarterbacks on the roster, which would buck an ominous recent trend: No Raider quarterback has lasted a full season in a while.

“Since ‘82,” said Plunkett, grinning. “And that was a short season (nine games because of the strike).

“You don’t want to see anyone get hurt. But you have to be practical, be ready.”

It was a big day for practicality. King, who set a Super Bowl record in the ’81 game with an 80-yard touchdown reception, was cut last summer, failed to catch on anywhere else, and was signed again as a hedge, in case Napoleon McCallum had to go on active duty (he did) and Vance Mueller wasn’t ready (he is).

King, however, left as happily as possible. Al Davis has offered him a job coordinating the Irwindale stadium project.

“I’m taking it well,” King said. “Last year I was distraught. Vance Mueller is coming on. Last year I hated the guy.”

In other moves, the Raiders:

--Declared Stan Talley the punter and successor to Ray Guy, cutting Ray Criswell, his only competitor;

--Cut quarterback Ed Luther, who was given a shot to win the No. 2 job, but flunked it;

--Cut 1985 No. 3 draft pick, Tim Moffett, a victim of the wide receiver glut;

--Cut 1986 No. 9 pick Zeph Lee from USC, an impressive-looking athlete who just didn’t run well enough to jump out of the pack;

--Put starting right tackle Shelby Jordan on injured reserve with a torn triceps muscle;

--Put Chris Riehm, once projected as the starting left guard, on injured reserve with a pinched nerve, confirming that Charley Hannah has won his job back.