Raiders Cut Harvey Williams

June 20, 1999 / 7:34 PM EDT / AP

Tailback Harvey Williams, who rushed for 1,114 yards for the Raiders four seasons ago but was shuttled between tight end and fullback the past two years, was cut by Oakland as the team opened minicamp Friday.

Williams, one of the few remaining players from the Raiders team that moved back to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995, lost his starting job to Napoleon Kaufman three years ago.

"It was tough. Harvey's a good football player and I know he's going to play good football somewhere else," said coach Jon Gruden, who said he wanted to give several tailbacks on the roster a chance to get more playing time in minicamp.

Williams was a first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1991 and was signed by the Raiders as a free agent in April 1994. He ran for 983 yards for the Raiders in 1994 and had 1,114 yards and nine touchdowns rushing the following season.

Oakland is also following the performance of controversial running back Lawrence Phillips, who is playing for the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe. Phillips, whose off-field problems have included domestic violence and drunken driving, was dumped by the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins.

"I speak for just about everybody in football that realizes he's a talented guy. He's clearly the marquee player in the World League," Gruden said. "You've got to admire what he's doing over there."

Phillips rushed for 613 yards and eight touchdowns in his first six games with Barcelona. The Dragons' season could go until late June if they make the championship game.

"I have spoken to (the Raiders), and they have spoken about their interest in Lawrence," said Mitch Frankel, Phillips' agent. "That seems to be their indication, that they would like to have Lawrence with them next season. We will revisit with them after the end of the (NFL Europe) season, and then Lawrence will make a decision."

Phillips, 24, was the sixth player selected in the 1996 NFL draft and had 1,309 yards on 394 carries in two seasons with St. Louis. But he was cut by the Rams after repeatedly missing practices and did not last long with Miami.

"I don't like to judge beforehand," Gruden said, adding that he has never met Phillips. "I like to judge someone after I've talked with him."

The Raiders earlier this month signed former Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam, who rushed for 1,074 yards in 1995 as a rookie for the Chicago Bears but missed all of last season following surgery on his right ankle.

The Raiders also signed free agent wide receiver Horace Copeland on Friday. He has played in 61 games for Miami and Tampa Bay since entering the NFL in 1993.