Hit men ready to take their shots

Passed on the thought of a two-hour-plus round trip to watch a 20-minute walkthrough on Day 15 of training camp. Training camp has been limited contact anyway, with the exception of one goal line sequence in full gear through 20 practices. Walkthroughs I've seen are little more than lollygag warmups, with players going through the paces of some of the plans which will be implemented Friday night against the 49ers. Which brings us to Michael Bush and Tyvon Branch, two players who are looking to hit somebody when the Raiders host the 49ers at McAfee Coliseum. Both could be key components of the Raiders because of their physicality, or virtual non-factors if they're not ready for prime time. True prime time won't come until Week 1 of the regular season against the Denver Broncos, but the preseason opener is the next best thing for two young players whose futures will be determined on dishing out more punishment than they take. Coach Lane Kiffin has been praising Bush of late for showing signs of being the kind of pounding back they want him to be, while at the same time prodding him publicly to show up ready to practice every day. When Bush broke his leg on Sept. 4, 2006, the Raiders were coming off a 4-1 preseason under Art Shell and were a week away from the 27-0 Week 1 embarassment against the San Diego Chargers that set the tone for their season. Louisville was up 31-14 against Kentucky and Bush had already run for 128 yards and three touchdowns in the third quarter. When was tackled by linebacker Wesley Woodyard, his Heisman Trophy candidacy and his junior season vanished in a snap of his right leg. When Bush takes the field against the 49ers, it will be the first time he has played in an game since that night. He came off the Physically Unable to Perform list and practiced for a time during the regular season but was never activated, going back on PUP. "I didn't think it would be this long," Bush said. "I was told six months, seven months. It's been two years now. I'm ready to get out there and get it going again." Kiffin has made it clear he wants Bush to complement Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden by being a line-smashing power back. The thing is, Bush is an excellent receiver who has some style to his running as well with an ability to make people miss. You get the impression Kiffin would rather Bush simply lower his shoulder make like Jerome Bettis. Bush's philosophy? "I'll drop my shoulders if I need to, if not, I won't," Bush said. "In goal line and stuff like that, you need to run like a big guy. You need to lean forward and get your head down." Then again . . . "I don't think you just drop your head at any time," Bush said. "If you get an opportunity to make a bigger play, then why not?" Branch will get first crack at being the Raiders kickoff return specialist, where his style is to hit the crease at full speed without a lot of subtle feints or evasive action. His most intriguing skill, which made him a fourth round draft pick, is his reputation as a hitter and tackler. It's something the Raiders can use immediately on their coverage teams and eventually in the secondary. There have only been glimpses during training camp, where players aren't allowed bring people to the ground. Midair collisions are frowned upon. In the evening session between the Raiders and 49ers, however, Branch crossed the line but in so doing may have given a preview of his capabilities. It happened on a goal line pass to the 49ers Cameron Colvin, with Branch arriving at the same instant at a Tatum-like angle. Branch unloaded. Colvin, to his credit, got back up. There may have been a hit from a Raiders safety in the past two years that matched it, but I can't recall it. (Admittedly, that says more about the Raiders' weaknesses in the deep secondary than it does about Branch). "That was kind of out of frustration," Branch said. "I really didn't mean to hit him that hard, but I'm looking forward to hitting someone hard on Friday." Branch, a converted cornerback, admits to pent up frustration with camp limitations on hitting. "You spend all this time working and you look forward to punishing somebody," Branch said. Branch said he reported in good shape and that camp has been more draining mentally than physically. He concedes he is still learning to play without thinking. "A lot of the base stuff I've got down, but I'm in my playbook every night," Branch said. "It's hard to play off instinct when you're learning a new defense. I'm almost getting it."