Plunkett May Not Be on Raider List : Quarterbacks, in Order: Wilson, Evans, Beuerlein, Hilger

Could this be the end for Jim Plunkett?

Is this a new start for Marc Wilson?

The draft is gone and mini-camp season is upon us, and the Raiders, playing another round of Name That Quarterback, still have yet to say who their new signal caller will be.

However, Raider officials, assessing their gaggle of candidates, suggest an unofficial depth chart, with several new winners:

--Wilson is expected to be re-signed and re-installed as No. 1.

--Vince Evans, the strike quarterback, is in line to back up Wilson.

--Steve Beuerlein is slated to assume quarterback-of-the-future status.

And losers:

--Plunkett is widely expected by Raider officials to be asked to retire before the season starts, or sooner.

--Rusty Hilger, last season’s opening-day starter, is thought to be running No. 4 on a team that may keep only 3.

The organization, however, remains noncommittal.

“It’s really up in the air right now,” Coach Mike Shanahan said. “No one’s No. 1.

“I’m going to evaluate the quarterbacks when they come here for mini-camp (the quarterback and receiver camp starts May 16).

“The decision will be made in summer camp. A lot of people can look great without the pressure of game situations. As the workouts go on, I’ll give them a chance to work with the first unit and try to make the decision after the first scrimmage.”

Is this really a wide-open race? There was supposed to be one of those two seasons ago, until everyone realized that then-coach Tom Flores was just holding the spot open for Wilson.

Wilson took over for Hilger midway through last season and played decently. Shanahan has been described as being high on him and believing that Wilson may thrive with a little more diversity added to the offense.

If it’s to be Wilson, why not say so? Are the Raiders just loath to start a season-ticket campaign with his likeness on the brochure?

More likely, they want to sign him first. Wilson’s contract, which paid him $1 million a season, has expired, making him a free agent. His agent is the ultra-hard-nosed Howard Slusher, so it may be a long fight. Yet to be learned is whether the Raiders expect Wilson to take a cut, or if Wilson would agree to one.

In any event, contract talks have already begun.

“Al (Davis) has called Howard and Howard has called Al,” Wilson said from his Seattle home. “It’s been sort of a mutual thing. I think that’s a positive sign. Hopefully, it won’t get into a game of who calls who. Hopefully we can get it done and I can get down there.

“I am hopeful about the situation. I’ve always hoped things were going to work out.”

Plunkett, his competitive fires burning as brightly as ever at 40, is working out at his home in the San Francisco Bay area while waiting for definitive word. He has been invited to the mini-camp but says he knows little else.

“I’m pretty much in the dark,” he said last week. “I don’t know what direction they’re going, or whether I’m in their plans.”

Told of speculation that he’ll be asked to retire, he said: “They can ask me anything they want.”

Said Shanahan: “I haven’t talked to Jim yet. I talked to Al Davis and I plan to talk to Jim in the next few days.”

Evans, working out daily at El Segundo, along with Beuerlein and Hilger, was said to have excited Davis last season with his strong arm and scrambling ability. The organization may still be split on him, however.

A year ago, he wound up on the strike team only because Flores, who hadn’t been interested, wasn’t told by the officials in charge of recruiting players that they were bringing him in.

Beuerlein, a fourth-round draft choice last season, was on injured reserve as a rookie. Considered unpolished and inconsistent by some scouts, the Raiders like his strong arm and the way he survived and improved in the spotlight at Notre Dame.

The Raiders are impressed by Beuerlein’s poise, possibly more so after watching the excitable Hilger go under. Hilger still has good tools and unextinguished enthusiasm, not to mention a tough season of experience, but the question remains whether the Raiders will give him a second chance. The safe bet is that he’ll have to show a lot in the camps to get one.

And a word on two other quarterbacks, once speculated upon as Raider possibles:

--Jay Schroeder: Was it all newspaper hype? There were no talks between the Raiders and the Redskins the week before the draft. Washington General Manager Bobby Beathard said Davis called to inquire about Schroeder about a month before, though.

More likely, Davis wanted to know if Schroeder was available cheap, and the Redskins wanted to know how much they could get for him. They seemed to envision a three-player package, leaving the parties too far apart even to talk.

--Kelly Stouffer: Was it all newspaper hype? The Raiders were thought to be interested a year ago when he was coming out of Colorado State but didn’t make any definite pre-draft offers this year, allowing Seattle to scoop him up from the Phoenix Cardinals.

Raider officials now say they were never high on Stouffer. However, a high Cardinal official told the Arizona Republic that the Raiders gave them their choice of three players--Bill Pickel, Greg Townsend and the since-traded Sean Jones--for Stouffer at the Phoenix league meetings.

If there was any interest, it may have been Shanahan who put an end to it. Shanahan, then a Denver Bronco assistant, saw Stouffer play at Colorado State and has since said that he didn’t have him down as a No. 1 draft pick.