One of the many areas in need of an emerging go-to presence is the return game. Last year, the Oakland Raiders had eleven different players return either punts or kicks.

While once a threat on return duties, Johnnie Lee Higgins was reduced to just handling punts in 2009. Coming off of a 2008 season which saw him return 36 kicks for 842 yards, Higgins was hampered by injuries for the better part of 2009. Higgins was pulled off of kick return duties altogether and ended up sharing punt returns with both Javon Walker and Sam Williams. It's uncertain as to whether or not Higgins will re-emerge and prove that his speed and quickness are still there, or if another player will step up and completely remove him of his duties.

The kick return situation is far less settled, as there were eight players last year handling that duty. In 2009, Johnathan Holland, Gary Russell, Justin Miller, Louis Rankin, Marcel Reece, Sam Williams, Tony Stewart and Luke Lawton were all called upon at one time or another to return kickoffs.

It's safe to say that the Raiders are in dire need of at least two individuals to step and emerge as special teams threats come this training camp.

Amongst the debacle that was the Raiders' 2008 season, there were a few bright spots. One of them being wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins. Although he didn't throw up impressive stats as a receiver (only 366 yards), it was his return game that was electric.

Last year he was a fumble-happy rookie who only caught two more passes then he gave away (6 catches vs. 4 fumbles). This past season he led the receiving corps with 22 catches, 366 receiving yards, and was the team leader in receiving touchdowns with 4. While those numbers aren't dazzling, keep in mind that Oakland's receivers weren't doing squat until Higgins started getting the ball.

Higgins only started 3 games and didn't even see substantial play time until the final 4 weeks of the season, yet he outperformed every other receiver on the team. In the last 4 weeks of the season he had 14 catches for 196 yards and scored 3 touchdown. Wide receiver Ronald Curry, who had 10 starts this past season, caught only 5 more balls for the entire year than Higgins did in the final 4 weeks. Higgins even had more receiving yards (bested Curry by 15) and one more touchdown during that time than Curry had all season.

However, his return game was really where it was at. Higgins led the entire NFL in the 2008 regular season with 576 punt return yards. He also led the league with most returns over 20 and 40 yards. To top it all off, he had the longest punt return of the 2008 NFL season with his 93 yarder vs the Dolphins.

And let's not forget... he only had one fumble all year (week vs Carolina). Higgins has had a miraculous turnaround that could lead him to the Pro Bowl if he keeps it up.