PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Marinovich’s Role Appears to Vanish

Raider Coach Art Shell was calm during Sunday’s postgame news conference as he discussed the 27-0 exhibition loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Stanford Stadium, calm as he talked about the Raiders’ five turnovers and calm as he spoke of positives and negatives.

Only once did Shell lose that calm. That’s when the subject turned to quarterback Todd Marinovich.

Where does he fit into your plans? Shell was asked.

“Todd Marinovich is our third quarterback,” Shell snapped. “That’s where he fits in.”

Perhaps.

The Raiders say they see no problem going with four quarterbacks. Two games into the exhibition season, the various roles seem set. Jeff Hostetler is the starter, and Vince Evans seems secure as the backup. Billy Joe Hobert, the third-round draft choice, is the quarterback of the future.

So where does that leave Marinovich, the team’s No. 1 draft choice two years ago and the starter for seven games last season? In limbo, it would appear.

After playing in the fourth quarter of the Raiders’ exhibition opener a week ago, Marinovich didn’t play at all Sunday.

Hostetler worked the first half, and Evans saw most of the second-half action.

With two minutes to play and the ball on the Raider five-yard line, Shell called on Hobert.

“We thought, ‘Let’s put the kid in for a few plays and let him get wet,’ ” Shell said.

Hobert completed three of four passes for 22 yards and moved the ball 49 yards.

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Two Raiders with injured knees are ready to return.

Both defensive lineman Greg Townsend and linebacker Winston Moss sat out Sunday’s game.

Moss, who has sprained ligaments, expects to be back on the practice field this week. Townsend, who had an irritated knee and a buildup of fluid, is planning to resume practice. He was ready to go Sunday, but Shell decided against rushing him.