Otis Wilson Cut a Second Time by the Raiders

Following the bouncing Otis. . . .

In yet another surprise announcement, Otis Wilson hit the waiver wire again Thursday, when the Raiders released him for the second time in 10 days.

For those keeping score, they have now signed him to a $1.15-million contract, cut him, re-signed him to a smaller contract, put him back in the starting lineup for last week’s opener . . . and cut him again.

The problem, now as then, was his surgically repaired knee. The Raiders felt it was worth taking one more look at--provided they could cut his salary down to size--and then didn’t like what they saw.

And if it wasn’t already the unkindest cut of all, try this: Wilson had been given Thursday off to be with his wife, who was about to deliver their third child. Coach Mike Shanahan wound up reaching him at the hospital and telling him over the phone.

“Well, Otis has been around,” Shanahan said. “I’m sure, obviously, he was surprised a little. But he took it like a man. The bottom line, Emanuel King was going to get an opportunity to become a starter this week and Otis cannot help us at this time on special teams.

“Otis just hasn’t been able to go full speed. He hasn’t been able to do the job we’d like to have him do at that position. We’ve been patient with it. We thought it might come around a little bit quicker than it has. The best way to put it, he’s not 100%. He’s given great effort. At the same time, he’s not making the plays he should make.”

Wilson grew to fame as a Chicago Bears outside linebacker. A six-year starter, he made the Pro Bowl in their Super Bowl season, 1985, when he had 11 1/2 sacks in the regular season, and two more in the Super Bowl rout of the Patriots.

In 1988, however, he suffered a knee injury in an exhibition game at Dallas, underwent major surgery and missed the entire season. The Bears left him unprotected in the Plan B free agency period and the Raiders grabbed him, signing him to a contract that would have paid him $550,000 this season and $600,000 next.

Wilson was unable to work in pads for the first two weeks of camp, but midway through the exhibition season, the Raiders inserted him into the starting lineup.

Then, in the first surprise, they put him on waivers six days before the start of the season.

A day later, he was back in uniform and running with the first team. He had cleared waivers and the Raiders had re-signed him, reportedly for a $250,000 cut to $300,000.

Wilson then started last week’s 40-14 victory over the Chargers. He was credited with two tackles and no assists.

Thursday, he was gone again.

Having started the season with him, the Raiders are obligated to pay Wilson half his salary. Such veterans are often treated as unofficial auxiliaries (the Raiders, for example, have signed offensive lineman Dwight Wheeler about a dozen times in the ‘80s). Thus, it isn’t impossible that Wilson could rejoin the Raiders.

One last poignant note: Wilson turns 32 today.