Raiders football is back and it couldn't have come soon enough as far as I'm concerned. Training camp is now approaching day #3 and there is actually some real action to talk about and Brett Farve is NOT involved. Hallelujah!

Before we delve into the now, let's recap what has happened in the last month. First off, ALL of our draft picks have been signed and are in camp. That's baby step #1. Step #2 was getting franchised Pro Bowl CB Namdi Asomugha signed and in camp-DONE! RB LaMont Jordan has been released- GOOD RIDANCE!! S Greg Wesley has been signed-SO WHAT! The Raiders and 49ers have agreed to schedule planned scrimmages against each other for the sake of convenience. Now let's get back to training camp with the inside scoops.

First of all, RB Darren McFadden continues to impress on a daily basis while doing everything he can to expand his role and earn as much playing time as he possibly can. Simply put, this kid is a die-hard true football player who really doesn't care where he plays just as long as he plays.

"Darren continues to make a play or two every day, a wow play," HC Lane Kiffin said. "We just have to continue to push him as far as we can and we got to find ways to get him the ball."

"He picks it up really well and really fast," Kiffin said. "He just wants to be in everything. He was sitting in on special teams meetings the other day and he wasn't even involved in it. He just wants to be around ball and be around the guys. "So he's everything we thought when we picked him. All the research was that this is the guy that has no issues on the field, in the classroom. Great preparation, great football guy, his teammates loved him, and it's showing. I can't think of one negative with him." McFadden worked with the receivers at one point, and then joined the running backs in positional drills. Kiffin called that "close to unheard of."

Next in line is WR Ronald Curry.

Curry spent every day in the weight room for five months, pushed by the likes of safety Jarrod Cooper and defensive tackle Tommy Kelly.

Before long, Curry's weight jumped from 212 pounds to 218 because of the added muscle. Raider WR Jerry Porter's incessant ribbing of fellow receiver Ronald Curry about his body make-up played a huge part in Curry dedicating himself to the weight room this off season and transforming his body into sculpted sinew.

"It started out as a joke, and it became one of those things where toward the end of the season Kiff came to me and said, 'We would really like for you to hit the weights hard this off season,' " Curry said of a conversation he had with coach Lane Kiffin. "So I did." Kiffin said he's impressed by Curry's dedication to improving.

"He's improved as much as anybody out here from the end of last season until now," Kiffin said. "He's changed his body structure completely. We just talked a lot about it toward the end of last season. He took it to heart, and he has changed himself." "He looked like he got skinny, but he got cut-up," Cooper said, "and once you start seeing changes in your body you buy into it. And he did. The way he is running out there makes me excited. He's a great person, deserves great things, and he definitely put the time in this off season." Curry is currently down to 204 lbs.

After that we move on to other competitions. "I love competition," Kiffin said. "Anything I can do to throw guys in, regardless of who's at that spot, I love bringing them in. I just think competition makes people rise to the top."

Third-year linebacker Ricky Brown has spent the bulk of his time on special teams, with an occasional play on defense mixed in. This year, Brown is making a strong push to unseat Robert Thomas and Sam Williams for the starting spot at the strong-side position. "He really just plays so consistently," Kiffin said. "He doesn't make mistakes and just keeps pounding away in there. "... He continues to do things really well and he's had a great off season." "Whether they want me to start or want me to be one of the leaders of the special teams, I feel like whatever my role is, I can do it well," he said. Linebacker Ricky Brown turned in the play of the day when he intercepted a deep pass for McFadden. Brown ran stride for stride with McFadden.

Also impressing has been rookie RB Louis Rankin. Rankin went un-drafted out of the University of Washington despite rushing for 1,294 yards and six touchdowns last season. Hardly a day passes without someone asking, "How did this kid not get drafted?" "Right when we got him, he flashed," Kiffin said. "We didn't even know if he would make it to camp because we're so deep there, but he continues to flash and make plays, and he's helped out on special teams. He did make a number of plays in college and was a very productive player. It's just going to be very hard for him to crack in there, but we'll give him a shot."

Another player making the most out his opportunity is 2^nd year WR Jonathan Holland. Holland was drafted by the Raiders in the 7^th round last year, but failed to make it to the field after sustaining a shoulder injury. This year the tables have been turned as it is Holland who has stayed healthy after spending the entire 2007 season on injured-reserve. The early indications are promising, with Holland outshining drafted rookie receivers Chaz Schilens and Arman Shields(hammy/knee), among other hopefuls.

On the negative side, OT Mark Wilson was likely lost for the year after breaking his left leg and severely spraining his ankle. Without hesitation, Raiders HC Lane Kiffin summoned jack-of-all trades DL Fred Wakefield and asked him if he could handle yet another position switch.

"He said, 'I know that you will, I want to know if you can,' " Wakefield said of his conversation with Kiffin. "I'm like, 'It's not a problem.' " "He's got a little bit of background in our system, and we'll continue to see what's out there," Kiffin said.

Also, QB JaMarcus Russell aggravated his elbow after hitting it against a team-mates helmet during practice. The Raiders cautiously decided to have him sit out the evening practice as a result."We wanted to watch him throw, and our trainers watched him," Kiffin said. "They just felt that he was struggling a little bit with it, and he wanted to keep going, so we pulled him out." "When the time comes (to play), I'm going to be ready, no doubt," Russell said.

In other injury news DT Gerard Warren strained his right thigh and missed the latter part of practice. He was scheduled to undergo further examination Wednesday night. Wide receiver Arman Shields sustained a knee injury and missed practice.

At punt returner it's looking more and more like WR Johnie Lee Higgins will be handed the job. At KR there will be a competition between Higgins, S Tyvon Branch, RB Darren McFadden, RB Louis Rankin, DB Rashad Baker, and DB Hiram Eugene. The best man will also win this honor. If you listen to Kiffin and the rest of the coaching staff, how ever, it sounds like Branch has already made a solid impression and is the clear favorite to win the job.

At linebacker, MLB Ed Hartwell hasn't been mentioned by Kiffin yet appears confident that he will play for the Raiders this year. What's uncertain is wether or not he will show enough to make the Raiders consider moving LB Kirk Morrison to OLB. That remains to be seen.

At offensive and defensive line there hasn't been much work yet done in the trenches, mostly drills- which isn't enough to make any sort of judgment upon. For now, we're just going to have to wait until the games begin. Until next time.........GO RAIDERS!!!