Raider Payroll Cut, Plus Millen, Wilson, Haynes

If the previous Raider cuts had been more glamorous than controversial, they made up for lost time Monday when they made a shocking series of both kinds.

Gone were:

--Mike Haynes. An expected move, but the end for an all-time great cornerback and a certain Hall of Famer.

--Matt Millen. A mild surprise. A team leader since the Oakland days who started on two Super Bowl teams, he was the defense’s only all-pro last season and his teammates were openly pulling for him. Millen’s departure had been widely predicted but Jackie Shipp’s broken hand plus Jerry Robinson’s continuing absence were thought to give him a shot at sticking.

--Otis Wilson. A stunner. A Plan B signee returning from knee surgery, the ex-Chicago Bear linebacker rose to the starting lineup and was praised by Coach Mike Shanahan after his first appearance last week in Oakland. He’ll be replaced in the lineup by another new starter from the Plan B list, ex-Cincinnati Bengal Emmanuel King. With Jerry Robinson out, the Raider starting linebackers in Sunday’s opener against the San Diego Chargers will be three Plan Bs plus converted end Greg Townsend.

--Mike Richardson. Another big surprise. A Plan B cornerback from the Bears, he was beaten for three touchdowns in the exhibition season, but Shanahan remained high on him throughout camp.

Moreover, cutting Richardson leaves only four cornerbacks: the injury-prone starters, Terry McDaniel and Lionel Washington, plus Stefon Adams and Dennis Price. Adams was tried as a corner for his first two years and switched to safety when he struggled. Price, an inexperienced second-year player, missed all of camp with a knee injury and only returned to practice last week.

In turn, the cuts triggered several theories about what’s going on:

--Al Davis took a hand.

Davis always has ruled personnel decisions, although he seemed to have given Shanahan his way a year ago. Two of these moves especially seem notable, since Shanahan recently praised Richardson and Wilson.

--Davis is trying to save money.

Almost alone among his peers, Davis has always spent lavishly but he has taken grievous losses in recent seasons (a reported $6 million in 1988). The team has recently put in several cost-cutting measures and there is speculation that Davis has money problems. The players waived Monday represent more than $3 million in salary. Todd Christensen and James Lofton, who went last week, would have made another $1.5 million.

--The Raiders are playing games.

They may be trying to sneak some of these players through waivers so they can keep other players, intending to re-sign the veterans later.

The cornerback position, especially, looks strange. The Raiders now have only four, and they play some defenses that use all four, two of whom will have to be doubling on special teams as well.

However, some of these players don’t figure to be back.

Shanahan suggested that Wilson won’t be.

“His knee isn’t there yet,” Shanahan said.

Millen might not make it through waivers. His salary is $400,000, which is not out of line for a starting player, and a lot of coaches like his blood-and-guts style.

If there’s anything to this theory, it’ll show up before Sunday’s opener against the Chargers. Otherwise, it’s a puzzling bunch of cuts, or a new day in Raiderdom.

The other cuts: defensive tackle Malcom Taylor ($275,000), rookie cornerback Dan Land, rookie quarterback Jeff Francis, quarterback Vince Evans, rookie halfback Doug Lloyd, tackle Chris Riehm ($165,000), tight end Charles Henry, defensive tackle David Caldwell and ex-USC tight end-turned linebacker Joe Cormier.