Raiders : Lewis Is Out of Options, So He’s Back

The last of the prodigal Raiders, holdout ex-center Bill Lewis, reported Thursday, meaning that at long last they’re all in their places with smiles on their faces.

Well, give or take a countenance or two.

Starting with Bill Lewis.

“The situation has nothing to do with my teammates,” Lewis said. “As far as playing for the Raiders (goes), I don’t have a problem with that.

“As far as the rest of it goes with the front office--sure, there’s a problem there. I’m not going to deny that. But this is a profession. You’ve got to try and conduct yourself as a professional.”

Last season’s starting center, Lewis was voted the team’s most valuable offensive linemen by his teammates. He sought to have his $115,000 salary bumped up into the $200,000-to-$300,000 range, but the Raiders replied that Lewis was still only in the option year of his contract and offered him $175,000.

Lewis boycotted mini-camp. When Al Davis refused to negotiate further, Lewis sued, seeking a preliminary injunction making him a free agent. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge last week found for the team.

Meanwhile, the Raiders were realigning their line. They moved Don Mosebar to center, claiming they’d have done it whether Lewis had boycotted camp or not.

“That’s BS,” Lewis said. “I’ve talked to the coaches. They said they had never intended to do anything like that, had never planned to move anybody till after they knew I wasn’t coming in.”

Lewis is now in camp under a two-week exemption granted late arrivals. Coach Mike Shanahan said that he figures now to be a reserve center-guard. One of the men he’ll be backing up is left guard John Gesek, who backed him up at center last season.

Lewis had sought contract talks, a trade, his release. After losing in court, he was down to a single option: reporting.

He’s back, playing out his option at the minimum 10% raise--$126,500.

“You know, I would just prefer to play football and to be compensated for what I do,” Lewis said. “If that means going somewhere else, that’s the way it goes. I guess you’ve got to roll with the punches. You’ve got to have a sense of humor about how things work out. Life goes on, I guess.

“We’ll have to wait and see. Predicting what’s going to happen with the Raiders--I’d rather get paid on a commission basis predicting earthquakes.”

At the very least, Lewis reported with his sense of humor intact.

Boy, can the Raiders use one now.

Raider Notes

Mike Haynes’ $825,000 contract was renegotiated to $400,000 after his visit to the waiver wire, and Otis Wilson’s went from $550,000 to $300,000, according to one source. . . . Howie Long and Scott Davis, who were scheduled to return to their starting defensive end spots for Sunday’s opener against the San Diego Chargers at the Coliseum, are working gingerly. Davis (hyperextended knee) didn’t practice Wednesday, and Long (sprained ankle) worked lightly. Long hasn’t played since the first exhibition, and there is a question whether he’ll be ready to go a full game.