Release of Wilson Might Be Bargaining Ploy by Raiders

It’s Day 1 of the Raiders’ post-Marc Wilson era . . .

Or is it?

As usual in silver and blackdom, there are more questions than answers, by however many questions you wish to pose. A day after Wilson’s release was acknowledged in a late-night prepared statement read to a wire service reporter, no Raider official could be reached.

However, a source close to owner Al Davis claims Wilson’s release is not final nor is it something Davis did in anger at Wilson’s decision to skip mini-camp, but only a procedural move, necessary so that Wilson can be signed at something less than $1.1 million per season.

The source says he’d bet that Wilson will be back in a Raider uniform next season, so you Marc Wilson boo-birds may not be history yet.

“Al doesn’t want to pay him a guaranteed million-one,” said the source. “Al wants to renegotiate.”

If the Raiders had kept negotiating with Wilson, they would have been obligated to pay him $1.1 million this season. Wilson made $1 million last season on a guaranteed contract, and a free agent cannot be re-signed for anything less than a 10% raise.

However, if a club does not tender an offer by June 1, the player can sign with any club for any amount.

Teams routinely tender such offers to keep their players off the market. However, if Davis wants to cut Wilson’s salary, and is confident that no other team will make a serious bid, he might have made this move in order to re-sign his player at a lower figure.

In fact, Wilson recently indicated a willingness to at least consider taking a cut.

“I realize,” he said, “I was very well paid.”

On the other hand:

As is the case, in so many things Davis undertakes, this move is fraught with risk. What if someone else bids on Wilson? What about the fact that Wilson’s agent is Howard Slusher, the hardest hardballer of them all?

And if this was only a bargaining ploy, the Raiders weren’t very gentle about it. Wilson was given no notice of it and has been left to guess at its meaning along with everyone else.

“I was there (El Segundo) a week ago for the last day of mini-camp,” Wilson said Saturday from his home near Seattle. “We met with Al. I met Mike (Shanahan). Mike gave me some things to look at offensively.

“The meeting with Mike was positive. He’s a very positive guy. The one with Al was positive, too. It really wasn’t to negotiate. I think primarily we were trying to air some differences.

“I’m sure he was unhappy that I wasn’t in camp. I was unhappy I wasn’t in camp, too. I don’t think that had anything to do with this.”

Maybe Davis was, indeed, unhappy that Wilson skipped camp--a Raider source says Shanahan called Wilson several times to ask him to attend--and that Davis’ response has been this move, letting Slusher know that two can play hardball.

However, there are several reasons to believe that Raiders will still try to re-sign Wilson.

--Who else would play the position? Raider officials regard Steve Beuerlein as their brightest prospect, but none has been heard to say the second-year pro is ready now. Beuerlein not only hasn’t ever taken a pro snap, he hasn’t even dressed for a regular-season game. There is less enthusiasm within the organization for the other candidates: Vince Evans (deemed too erratic); Rusty Hilger (he had his shot) and Jim Plunkett (too old).

--Where else would you get one? Quarterbacks are almost impossible to deal for in the best of times, and this period is very slow for trades. Most teams prefer to make their changes by draft day, and after that, tend to go with what they have.

However, if anyone else is interested, the thing becomes more complicated.

The Chargers, whose personnel director is a former Raider assistant and a Wilson admirer, Steve Ortmayer, have already tried to trade for him. However, after those talks wound down, San Diego acquired Mark Malone from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and may feel committed to him.

Or maybe not.