A Rocket at Running Back? : Pro football: Ismail might be able to help injury-depleted Raiders there, but Shell seems less than enthusiastic.

Now what?

Now that the Raiders know they will be without leading rusher Greg Robinson, probably out for the remainder of the regular season because of torn cartilage, what are their options?

--They can go back to Nick Bell, originally tabbed as the starting tailback before the season.

--They can give more carries to fullback Steve Smith and seldom-used Ty Montgomery.

--They can try rookie Randy Jordan.

--They can attempt to sign an out-of-work running back.

--They can put Rocket Ismail in the backfield.

Of all the possibilities heading into Sunday’s meeting with the Seattle Seahawks at the Coliseum, the last is the most intriguing.

Ismail’s blinding speed has earned him recognition at every level he has played--from college to the Canadian Football League to the NFL--for his pass catching, kickoff returns and punt returns.

But people sometimes overlook his rushing achievements. In his senior year at Notre Dame, Ismail carried the ball 67 times for 537 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 8.0 yards per rush. He rushed for 108 yards in an Orange Bowl game against Colorado.

In two seasons with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, Ismail rushed for 425 yards, averaging 6.1 per carry and scoring six touchdowns.

On a straight rush from scrimmage against the San Diego Chargers this season, Ismail gained 10 yards.

His size, 5 feet 11 and 180 pounds, is certainly questionable for an NFL running back, but he wouldn’t be the first to use speed to compensate for bulk.

Ismail could add an extra element as a receiver coming out of the backfield.

And his mere presence in the backfield could cause the defense concern, slowing the pass rush of Cortez Kennedy and his Seahawk defensive teammates and preventing them from launching an all-out attack on quarterback Jeff Hostetler. The last thing the Raiders need, as they try to win a playoff spot in their remaining four games, is an injury to Hostetler.

Asked about the possibility of using Ismail as a running back, Coach Art Shell seemed less than enthusiastic Wednesday.

“There’s always a chance that we could do that,” he said, “but, you know, be careful of running him so much. There are a lot of big guys out there.”

How about looking outside the organization?

“Even if we sign somebody or bring somebody else in,” Shell said, “they wouldn’t be able to help us this week. For right now, we’re going the way we are, with what we have, and we’ll continue to look at our options.”

With Napoleon McCallum still recovering from an appendectomy, the primary option is Bell, who has carried only 41 times, one fewer time than Hostetler, in a season in which Bell has suffered a hamstring pull and a sprained ankle. He has gained 117 yards and averaged 2.9 yards per carry.

“This is Nick’s chance,” said Joe Scannella, the offensive back coach. “You will see some combinations in (Sunday’s) game. . . . Randy’ll play halfback, Randy’ll play fullback, Nick will play fullback.”

How does Bell feel about finally getting his long-awaited chance? Hard to say because he doesn’t talk to reporters.

Even though he wasn’t in the starting lineup last Sunday in Buffalo, Bell got a full afternoon of work, gaining 44 yards in 16 carries and another 38 yards on three catches.

“You could see he was pumped,” Shell said, “and the players were pumped up for him because he was running with a lot of authority. I think Kelso found out early it’s tough to handle that big guy.”

That would be Mark Kelso, the Bills’ defensive back who tried to stop Bell and was instead run over by him, winding up on the sidelines with a concussion.

If Bell can generate that kind of power over a full game, he could fill the hole left by Robinson.

If not, there’s always Ismail.