Raiders Finally Get Their Trigger-Man : Schroeder Arrives, Starts Learning Shanahan System

The trade that was years in the making and all weekend in the announcing finally became official Monday when a big, blond, ex-Bruin bomber named Jay Schroeder got off a plane at LAX to assume the Raider quarterback position.

How do they love him?

Let them count the ways.

“Jay has the qualities that we look for in a quarterback,” Mike Shanahan said. “He’s big, strong, physical, he can throw the ball down the field.

“He’s played in some big games, he’s won big games.”

In fact, despite having lost the No. 1 job in Washington, Schroeder’s won-loss record as a starter is 24-7, second only to that of Chicago’s Jim McMahon. He started only one game in his two seasons at UCLA--the 1980 Mirage Bowl romp over Oregon State--so he has only those 7 losses as a starter in the 10 years since he left Palisades High.

Why now?

In 1985, the Raiders passed up a chance to sign Doug Williams when he was coming out of the defunct United States Football League. In ’86 they passed up chance to trade for Neil Lomax, in ’87 to trade for Williams.

In ‘87, they went with untested Rusty Hilger, and this exhibition season they seemed to be giving some thought to trying it with untried Steve Beuerlein. However, when camp opened a Davis confidante said that the Raider owner would wait a while, but if Shanahan came to him and said they couldn’t make the playoffs without a quarterback, he’d move.

However it happened, Davis moved this weekend. Unable to talk the Redskins out of Jim Lachey, the gifted young tackle everyone learned to love in four weeks, he traded Lachey and two conditional draft picks for Schroeder.

The picks are reportedly split between 1989 and 1990, and will depend on where the Raiders finish this season, and on whether they can get Napoleon McCallum out of the Navy and send him to San Diego, as part of what they still owe the Chargers in the Lachey-John Clay deal.

Shanahan, asked if trading Lachey hadn’t pained Davis, said:

“I think it pained everybody. At the same time, Washington wanted Jim Lachey and Jim Lachey only. I’m not sure if that was because the previous trades for (Calvin) Muhammad and (Malcolm) Barnwell didn’t work out. They were interested in Jim. We had to go in that direction.”

Who’s the quarterback now?

Steve Beuerlein will start Sunday at Houston.

Under what circumstances might Schroeder possibly see action?

“If someone goes down,” Shanahan said.

When might Schroeder be ready for more than emergency duty?

“I’m not sure how long it will take,” Shanahan said. “We’ll get Jay in here in the evening and give him our numbering system. We’ll make things a little simpler for him. I’m not sure if he’ll be ready this week but we’ll go full-speed ahead.

“Hopefully, in 2-3 weeks he’ll be ready to play . . . full-time.”

Just in case you’re counting, that’s for the Ram game Sept. 18 or the Monday nighter at Denver Sept. 26.

What happens to the offensive line?

Don Mosebar, just moved from center to right tackle, moves to left tackle to replace Lachey. Bruce Wilkerson, the second-year right guard who has been tried at tackle, moves to right tackle. Veteran Brian Holloway, who started camp at right guard and lost the job to Wilkerson, goes back there again.

Do the Raiders see this as a long-term move that poses short-term difficulties, like getting a new team ready to play in the midst of the season?

“It is a long-term effect,” Shanahan said. “Any time you make a move like this during the season it is disruptive.

“That’s why I was pleased with the way the team handled the adversity last week. . . . People were not overly happy when Willie Gault came in (in a deal with the Bears). There was some apprehension when Jim Lachey came in and John Clay was not here. The thing I shared with them, we’re going to do the things that are going to give us the best opportunity to win a world’s championship. That’s our goal and it’s not going to happen overnight.”

Does that mean the Raiders are writing off this season?

Hardly. Davis would never concede anything like that.

In fact, the Raiders took a chance and used Lachey Sunday, knowing that if he was injured, the deal would be off. They wanted the win. They hope to steal a win here and there, integrate Schroeder and bring Bo Jackson in around Week 6, and see who they can surprise.

Is that why this thing was agreed to last week, and denied all weekend, and announced by the Redskins at 1 a.m. Monday?

Redskin officials say the Raiders wanted it that way, presumably so they could open with the offensive line they’d been working with in camp--with Lachey--and to try to minimize distractions on Beuerlein.

Is Schroeder happy or what?

“It was exciting,” he said. “I grew up here. I went to junior high and high school here, and grew up with the teams here. I know what it’s all about. The bottom line is winning. Everybody likes to win and that’s what I like to do, so we’ll go from there.”

If it’s true that two-time Pro Bowler Vann McElroy is the glue that holds the Raider secondary together, then the Raiders are in the market for some glue. McElroy is out 4 to 6 weeks.

The Raiders reported Monday that he has a right knee injury. McElroy said after the game that he suffered it in camp and reinjured it early Sunday against the Chargers.

Eddie Anderson is expected to replace him at fee safety, as he did Sunday. Anderson is a big hitter but is not as sure on coverages as McElroy.

Raider Notes

Willie Gault, the burner who figures to go deep under a lot of Jay Schroeder passes, came to the press conference to welcome his new teammate. “The thing is, no disrespect to our other quarterbacks. Steve (Beuerlein) can throw the ball 70 yards. Vince (Evans) can throw it 70, 75, 80. We’re glad to have Jay here. Jay has a lot of leadership. Along with his abilities, he’s been there.” . . . Vann McElroy’s right knee injury hasn’t been diagnosed yet but the Raiders say it’s going to keep him out of the Houston game. Gault, who re- pulled his groin Sunday and played little, will probably be questionable at best. . . . Game balls: Greg Townsend got one for defense, Charlie Hannah for offense and Jeff Gossett (6 punts, 1 returned, a net of 38 yards a kick) for special teams. . . . The actual game ball was awarded to Alex Gibbs, the line coach/assistant head coach Mike Shanahan brought along from Denver, whose wife, Woo, died recently of injuries suffered in an auto accident. “Rod Martin and the guys got together and gave Alex the ball,” Shanahan said. “It was very touching and very deserved.”

JAY SCHROEDER’S CAREER STATISTICS

Year Att. Comp. Yds. Pct. TD Int. Rating Rushes Yds. Avg. 1985 209 112 1,458 53.6 5 5 73.8 17 30 1.8 1986 541 276 4,109 51.0 22 22 72.9 36 47 1.3 1987 267 129 1,878 48.3 12 10 71.0 26 120 4.6 Totals 1,017 517 7,445 50.8 39 37 72.5 79 197 2.5

Year TD 1985 0 1986 1 1987 3 Totals 4