PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Receiver Hobbs Ready For Bigger Role

Wide receiver is the Raiders’ deepest position, and it might have gotten even deeper with the emergence of Daryl Hobbs, a two-year veteran from University of Pacific via Santa Monica College and University High.

Hobbs caught two passes for 35 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, Sunday in the Raiders’ exhibition victory over the Denver Broncos at Barcelona.

Tim Brown, Alexander Wright, James Jett and Rocket Ismail are expected to get the bulk of the work during the regular season.

“I’ve been around here for a while now and it’s time for me step up,” said Hobbs, who spent his first season on the Raiders’ developmental squad and was used sparingly last season. “It’s like going to school and studying the same thing for three years. After a while, you know you’re good at it.”

With Wright sidelined because of a leg injury, Hobbs has been used as the third wide receiver on the starting unit and is expected to get considerable playing time Sunday when the Raiders play the Cowboys at Dallas.

*

Fatigue from their weeklong trip to Spain apparently caught up with the Raiders Thursday as the team dragged through a 2 1/2-hour morning practice at Oxnard.

“A trip like that eventually catches up to you,” Coach Art Shell said. “You have practices like that when you’re not feeling good and you’re not concentrating on what has to be done. You just have to push your way through.”

*

Although Sunday’s game is an exhibition, Shell said he wants the Raiders to take it seriously.

“I wouldn’t try to put a leash on them,” Shell said. “I want them to play aggressively--(the Cowboys) are the world champions.”