Skins QB Williams on way to Raiders?

Those rumors about former Tampa Bay quarterback Doug Williamsgoing to the Raiders are heating up again. Williams is JaySchroeder's backup in Washington and has publicly expressed hisdesire to be moved. The Raiders list Rusty Hilger as their starter,but it's no secret they're looking for help at that position.

The Redskins, meanwhile, appear happy enough with third-stringquarterback Mark Rypien to make Williams available for the rightprice. The sticking point is what the Redskins would get in returnfor Williams.

They are still demanding a No. 1 even though they only paidTampa Bay a fifth-round choice to obtain Williams' NFL rights afterthe USFL folded.

The Raiders' latest reported offer for Williams was a No. 4during last spring's draft. Williams' base salary in 1987 is$475,000.

If the NFL owners keep the roster limit at 45, look for theRedskins to trade Williams. Coach Joe Gibbs has indicated he wantsto keep just two quarterbacks if the roster limit isn't expanded to49. Gibbs has also gone out of his way to praise Rypien lately.

BUSTED BRONCOS: Injuries and retirements have stripped thedefending AFC champion Broncos of five defensive starters - a development that forcedDenver recently to inquire after Tampa Bay defensive end Ron Holmes,the Bucs' No. 1 pick in 1985.

Both regular defensive ends - Rulon Jones and Freddie Gilbert -are nursing knee injuries. And backup defensive ends - Tony Coloritoand Richard Reed - also have bad knees. Colorito is out for theyear.

At one point Bronco coach Dan Reeves engaged in an on-field,post-practice shouting match during a rainstorm with reporters fromthe Rocky Mountain News. Reeves insisted that paper's story about apossible deal for Holmes had put a crimp in the trade.

In the middle of the argument Reeves reportedly stomped off indisgust. The tension finally broke when Reeves realized he hadforgotten his golf cart. He had to walk back to the cart, in therain, to where the reporters were still recovering from his tirade.

FRIDGE WATCH: Listen Up, William Perry. Houston defensive endJesse Baker has reduced his weight to 242 from the 280 he played atlast year.

"We want Jesse as quick as he can be because he's not going toplay against the run," says Oiler coach Jerry Glanville.

The 325-pound Perry will play - and play well - against therun. But he, too, must be lighter to have more success getting tothe passer.

YOU CAN CALL ME AL: Former Notre Dame quarterback SteveBeuerlein, a fourth-round rookie with the Raiders, is in love withhis new team. It is not yet clear whether the feeling is mutual.

"I couldn't have found a better NFL situation for me thanthis," Beuerlein says. "It's the perfect offense, a straight dropbacktype that wants a strong-armed quarterback who can get the ballupfield. And I think that's what I do best. It's also a teamlooking to groom a young quarterback, to train someone who mighthave an impact in a couple of years. Hopefully, that's me."

Perhaps not. Beuerlein is listed behind Rusty Hilger, MarcWilson and Ed Luther on the Raiders' depth chart.

ADAM'S RIB: The Colts have a 5-6, 169-pound running back incamp named David Adams. Adams played collegiately at Arizona. Hemay make the team.

When called upon recently to sing his school song in front ofthe veterans as part of rookie hazing, Adams climbed a chair andfroze. "Well, I can't," he finally blurted out. "It's instrumental."

MUSTACHE RAUL: Giant kicker Raul Allegre on his attempt to growa mustache: "My mustache is a lot like a football team. There are 11hairs on this side and 11 on that side."

ANOTHER MOVE? The Los Angeles Rams had no official reaction toa reported invitation from Memorial Coliseum officials to move to theteam back to the inner-city park following the loss of the LosAngeles Raiders to suburban Irwindale.

A high-ranking official with the Coliseum Commission was quotedin Saturday's Los Angeles Herald Examiner as saying, "We're goingafter the Rams."

The Rams were lured to Anaheim in 1980 after 33 years at theColiseum.