With left guard Robert Gallery out for at least a month with a broken left leg, coach Tom Cable said Erik Pears, who signed with the Raiders as a free agent in March, would start at left guard against Denver on Sunday.
Pears has started 26 of the 32 NFL games in which he's appeared - 10 at left tackle for the Broncos in 2006, 16 at right tackle for the Broncos in 2007.
"He's played all four spots, though, through his career," Cable said. "(He) has not played center."
Almost. After signing with the Broncos in 2005 as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State, Pears made seven starts at guard for the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe.
When Gallery left Sunday's game at the 2-minute warning, center Chris Morris slid over to left guard and Samson Satele came in at center. With Pears coming in now, Satele returns to the bench.
"One move rather than two is the way I felt," Cable said. "That was the deciding factor."
************************************************
How's this for some gamesmanship?
With Johnnie Lee Higgins and his sprained shoulder out in Kansas City, the Raiders' punt return game bordered on the ridiculous with Hiram Eugene and Javon Walker attempting to fair catch balls.
This week against Denver?
"My feeling is (Johnny is) going to go," Cable. "If he didn't go, I think that Darren (McFadden) would go back and fair catch everything."
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.