Figurs fumbled his way out of Oakland. (Photo: YardBarker.com)

From fumbling the season opening kick off to kicked off the roster, Yamon Figurs is no longer an Oakland Raider. Yesterday, the team released their fist string kick returner to make room for offensive lineman Erik Pears.

Tom Cable has stated that the return duties will be divided up between Johnnie Lee Higgins and rookie Jacoby Ford though he did not specify which will handle kicks and which will handle punts.

Figurs is perhaps the best symbol of the current state of Raider football in 2010. With high hopes for the Silver and Black, Raider Nation experienced a major let down with the poor performance in week one. Figurs putting the ball on the ground on the opening kick was an ominous omen that foretold the bleak future which became a 38-13 reality by the conclusion of the game.

Yamon was brought in during the offseason as a means to ensure the Raiders weren’t as inept in the return game as they were in 2009. Despite some ball security issues during the preseason, Figurs won the job only to lose his roster spot one week into the season.

Now Figurs, like his former team, is scrambling to find new solutions. However, it is a long season and as we know all too well things can change from week to week. Figurs is gone for now, but much like the Raiders, there is plenty of football left to make a comeback.

For now, the hope is that Higgins can rediscover his form from ’08 that made him a feared special teams weapon.

From 1992 to 2004, the Raiders and Cowboys faced off during the preseason. Since the Cowboys would train in Oxnard, California, it was also common for the two teams to scrimmage as well.

Tempers would run hot as the scrimmage games always would have a few brawls and the preseason games themselves tended to be entertaining as well.

For Tom Cable and his staff, this is not just another game. The coaches will be keeping an eye on the performance of the team as cuts are sure to follow. Since these two meet again in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, this will also be a chance to scout the competition.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on tonight.

Darren McFadden and Felix Jones – McFadden and Jones share much in common. Both were teammates in college at Arkansas. Both became first round draft picks in 2008. Both have blazing speed and are terrific all-around weapons. Of course, both showed flashes of brilliance as rookies but saw their seasons take a turn for the worse due to injury. How their respective teams utilize their talents tonight will be a good indicator as to what the NFL offenses of the future may look like and how opposing defenses deal with these new hybrid running backs.

The Battles in the Trenches – With Mario Henderson as the only lock as a starter and Robert Gallery still working back into shape after his appendectomy, it will be an all out war along the offensive line. Once Khalif Barnes went down with that broken ankle, the battle to take over at right tackle got intense. Cornell Green, by some miracle, still has his job but Erik Pears is sure to give him a run for his money. As far as the defensive line goes, there are plenty of questions we may get some answers to tonight. Is Greg Ellis capable of playing every down? Will Trevor Scott emerge as a lock at defensive end? Is Terdell Sands on his way out? Can Tommy Kelly stay on side?

A quarterback controversy that does not involve JaMarcus Russell – Jeff Garcia is out with a calf injury so the Crypt Keeper is going to have to hold off on his report on the QB battle in Oakland. However, Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski have a real feud going with the right to be third string signal caller on the line. Chances are that the loser could be out of a job so field time is precious at this stage. When Garcia is healthy, he’s going to get his work in meaning less reps for the two QBs behind him. Frye has the inside edge due to his camp performances but everything can change with one poor showing in a game.

The Secondary – Aside from Nnamdi Asomugha, no job in the secondary is safe. Stanford Routt has been getting his share of work with the first team defense ahead of Chris Johnson at cornerback. Perhaps the most disappointing news is that Michael Mitchell is out tonight with a hamstring injury. Raider Nation was just as excited, and nervous, as he was about seeing the second round pick in his first NFL action. Hiram Eugene and Tyvon Branch will get the start, but Michael Huff knows this is his last chance. If Huff can’t win a starting job, chances are his days in Oakland are numbered. 

Tom Cable’s play calling – The biggest question is how will Cable utilize Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush? Cable’s got a roster filled with Raider Speed and he’s got his work cut out for him to find ways to utilize all his weapons.  The running back rotation will get the most attention with Justin Fargas sitting atop the depth chart. McFadden will get his touches in a multitude of ways leaving Bush to split carries with Fargas. As far as Fargas and his status: this is his job to lose as he’s the only proven commodity at running back. Run-DMC and Bush had great moments last year but neither has carried the load for a full 16-game season in the NFL yet.

Get your popcorn ready! Tonight is just a tasty morsel of the feast to come in November. 

The 2009 season starts in a matter of hours!

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Jeff Garcia has made his return to the Bay Area, this time as an Oakland Raider. A homecoming that has been two years in the making took nearly a month of negotiations to iron out a one-year contract.

Having played in four cities over the last five years, Oakland will likely be the final stop on the Jeff Garcia NFL tour.

So the question begs to be asked: What does the arrival of a 39-year old backup quarterback mean to the 23-year old incumbent starter?

No, JaMarcus Russell is in no real danger of losing his job just because Garcia is in Silver and Black. But that leash did just get a little shorter.

Garcia’s well documented travels have molded him into the ideal mentor for a young JaMarcus. The football career of Jeff Garcia reads like a Kevin Costner sports film. Overshadowed by bigger names at larger schools, Garcia left San Jose State with no fanfare from the two local NFL teams, finding his way to Canada. Eventually he returned home to become a Pro Bowl quarterback with the 49ers  before being released and beginning his suitcase odyssey that included four stops in four years before his latest homecoming.

In short, Garcia’s tales will give JaMarcus a very real view of the business of the NFL. Perhaps one of Jeff’s first orders of business will be to take Russell out to a local bar in Alameda to paint a picture of the uncertainty and fickle fanaticism that plagues the QB position in the landscape of pro football.

Russell should not feel threatened by Garica’s arrival, but he should heed the wisdom learned in Garcia’s journeys.

Garcia entered the NFL with none of the expectations that JaMarcus did. Once he assumed the same position as Russell, Garcia learned how hard it is to live up to all those expectations that come with being a starting quarterback in the NFL. Garcia went from Pro Bowl savior of the 49ers to expendable 33-year old backup in a span of just four years.   

JaMarcus must learn that nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. As of now, Russell is the franchise QB in Oakland, but that rug can be easily pulled from under him should he regress instead of grow into his role as a leader.

For the first time since Kerry Collins backed Rich Gannon, the Raiders have a veteran thrower ready to enter the game at a moment’s notice. Call Jeff Garcia the best middle reliever in the NFL.

His studies under Andy Reid and Steve Mariucci have prepared Garcia for being an expert at learning complex offenses. By simply clocking in everyday, Garcia will show Russell what it takes to know your offense inside and out.

Never forget that Jeff Garcia played in San Francisco when Bill Walsh was the team’s GM. Garcia knows pressure. Playing QB in the West Coast Offense in front of Walsh is like painting a portrait with Rembrandt peering over your shoulder.

Consider this yet another step taken by Tom Cable and the Raider brass to ensure a quality product by forcing all men on the Raider roster to compete each day.  No player gets a free pass and everyone is held accountable by their peers.

Suddenly, each Raider player has one eye in the rearview mirror.

Justin Fargas saw Darren McFadden and Michael Bush pop up on the horizon last season. Mario Henderson played so well at the end ’08 that Cable felt it was only right that Erik Pears and Khalif Barnes should sign up to push the potential franchise left tackle. Aside from Nnamdi Asomugha – who has no equal in the NFL – all Raiders are aware that their jobs are always going to be open to the most qualified candidate.

Competition builds character.

Think of Jeff Garcia as a polygraph for JaMarcus Russell. In 2009, the truth will be revealed one week at a time.