PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Fulcher Is Signed to Play Linebacker

The Raiders signed former Cincinnati safety David Fulcher to a one-year contract Sunday and are trying him at an outside linebacker spot.

Fulcher, 28, had been a safety for the Bengals for seven seasons. He was released by Cincinnati two weeks ago.

To make room for Fulcher, the Raiders put offensive lineman Steve Wright on the injured-reserve list, making him ineligible for the rest of the season. Last week, Wright suffered a re-injury of the shoulder that sidelined him for part of last season.

Fulcher, never known for his speed, had off-season foot surgery. But, at 6-3 and 238 pounds, the Raiders hope he can fit in at linebacker, a position he has never played.

“He was a tough, strong safety for a lot of years,” Raider Coach Art Shell said. “When he first came out of college, people said he was a safety and I said, ‘What, I thought he was a linebacker.’ ”

He is now. And happy to be back home in Los Angeles, where he attended Fremont High and played with Dodger outfielder Eric Davis.

“This has been a dream,” Fulcher said. “This is something I wanted eight years ago.”

But can he live it now as a linebacker?

“It’s a challenge,” Fulcher said. “(At safety), you can stand back there and free lance and see everything develop and then, there’s the ball. Go get it. Now, it’s like you don’t get a chance to see it develop. You see these guys crossing in front, but one wrong move and somebody’s going to hit you in your mouth and knock you down and you’re not in there. You’re not going to get it done.

“Like I told (owner) Al Davis, I just want the opportunity to show that I can still play the game.”