Plan to Rebuild Offensive Line Moves Slowly Because of Holdouts

OXNARD — With starters Don Mosebar and Shelby Jordan holding out, the rebuilding of the Raider offensive line proceeds slowly.

Right now the No. 1 unit includes journeymen Dwight Wheeler and Steve Wright, plus the endangered incumbent, Mickey Marvin.

When everyone is here, this is how it shapes up:

Left Tackle--Favored to start: Bruce Davis. Coming up fast: No. 1 pick John Clay.

Raider officials say Clay was switched to the left to motivate Davis. Whatever, Davis joined the new off-season weightlifting program and came in at a much-harder looking 285.

Meanwhile Clay, the round mound of 300-plus pounds who reported a week late, has been knocking peoples’ eyes out, particularly defensive ends’ eyes.

“He’s 300 pounds but he glides out there,” Bob Buczkowski said. “He’s going to be a great player. He’s strong. He’s tough. He weighs 300, and 290 of it is from his waist down. He just sits there and you’re done.”

Left Guard--Favored to start: Chris Riehm.

The Raiders thought that Charley Hannah struggled after last season’s holdout. When the United States Football League folded, they picked up Riehm, 26, a 6-foot 6-inch 275-pounder who was passed over by everyone else. Their regard has grown over time. He’s bigger than Hannah, and the team that used to pride itself on having the biggest offensive line would like that.

Center--Mosebar, when he arrives, be it today or Christmas. Otherwise, Bill Lewis.

Right Guard--Favored to start: Lewis.

This was to be a wide-open competition. Marvin is considered only a long shot. If Curt Marsh had stayed uninjured, the thinking now is that he would have won it, but a fracture was discovered in one ankle and he is out for months, or effectively, the season.

Former Eagle-Bronco Dean Miraldi was impressive the first week. The Raiders think they solved his old nervous dehydration problem with medication, but then he suffered a muscle pull in his abdomen. Rookie Bruce Wilkerson is considered a year away and the staff seems to be turning to Lewis, the second-year 6-7, 275-pounder from Nebraska.

Right Tackle--The Raiders like to describe Shelby Jordan as a young 35, noting that he has never had surgery, that he spent three seasons on injured reserve and has played little in the last two. However, they weren’t half as enthusiastic about him when he was a young 34 or a young 33.

After Henry Lawrence’s problems last season, however, Jordan was moved in and is said to have played very well in the final two games. Since he has been around all these years, his holdout isn’t thought to have hurt him.