PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : McGlockton an Unanswered Question

It has become a weekly ritual at Raider Coach Art Shell’s Monday news conference.

A reporter asks about the injured foot of defensive lineman Chester McGlockton.

“It’s still sore,” Shell replies. “He can’t put any weight on it.”

End of subject.

But hardly the end of conjecture.

McGlockton, the team’s No. 1 draft choice, came to training camp with rave reviews out of Clemson, where he was the Atlantic Coast Conference lineman of the year in 1991.

The 6-foot-4, 325-pounder went into the Raiders’ opening exhibition against the San Francisco 49ers with a seemingly bright future.

One series later, that future had dimmed.

Hit by the 49ers’ Guy McIntyre, McGlockton suffered a bruised foot. He didn’t play again for more than a month and has been in and out of the lineup ever since. He sat out again Sunday.

And even when he has been on the field, McGlockton has been ineffective, knocked down, shoved away and generally rendered useless. The Raiders insist the problem is still his foot, although there have been no reports of any internal damage.

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Raider guard Max Montoya, sidelined because of a knee injury for 5 1/2 weeks, might be close to returning. Expected to return this week to the 47-man roster is quarterback Vince Evans.