http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/22471 Recent articles about JaMarcus Russell en-us It's very encouraging to hear such a positive report from Raider training camp. J-rock seems to have made significant strides and is impressing observers. Bring the noise! Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:43:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295936 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295936 The reports out of training camp are aglow that the Oakland Raiders are off to a good start. Everyone not named LaMont Jordan has reported to camp and is working. The players coming off of injuries are on the mend. Lane Kiffin is now in his element getting the team ready to play some football. This Oakland Raider team looks on paper to be much improved from the previous incarnations. Its easy to look at the schedule and think of the possibility of playoffs. However, the specter of all the offseason drama lingers. The pieces are in place to have a good team, but it is also a chemistry experiment, and if it goes off the rails it will be ugly. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:54:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295678 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295678 Lamont Jordan was told by the Raiders to not show to training camp but they didn't cut or trade him. Now they have finally decided that they will release him. He could be a good pounding back on short yardage and goal line situations. That is if he still has the desire to be a role player and enough gas in the tank for a couple more seasons. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:52:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295663 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295663 Watch video................................................................................... Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:13:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295487 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295487 RAIDERS QUARTERBACK JaMarcus Russell emerged triumphant Thursday from his first career training-camp practice. Which, of course, means the 6-foot-6 Russell didn't get taped to the goal post. He also didn't botch a snap (a staple of Raiders quarterbacks in recent seasons), he didn't get hurt, and he didn't have a pass intercepted. Yep, Day 1 was a success for Russell, who missed last year's training camp during a contract holdout that led to his benching for most of his rookie season. When he showed up at Thursday's camp christening, you'll be happy to know he more resembled a full-functioning franchise savior than a 300-pound whale. What do you expect from the Raiders this season again, "I kind of felt like I was 1,000 pounds out there," said Russell, attributing the extra weight to his long-lost shoulder pads. Actually, Russell is 269 pounds. He baited a reporter into thinking he indeed hit the rumored 300-pound mark this offseason, then claimed he topped off at 276. Funny, because no one carries more, well, weight regarding the Raiders' future than Russell. Not coach Lane Kiffin (who's surrounded at camp by a slew of could-be successors to his job.) Not the high-and-overpriced signings of other players this offseason. Not even the arrival of first-round draft pick Darren McFadden, although Russell admitted the expectations for him and McFadden are "going to be through the roof." "Just by being a quarterback, you've got to look at it as: Everybody on the team gets paid off of what I do and the rest of the team does," Russell said. "I hate to say it, but I'm accountable for a lot of the guys' families." Russell must reverse what's been a harrowing course for the Raiders since their 2002 run to the Super Bowl. Helping matters is that he's already been appointed this season's starter — and, no, it's not by default because Andrew Walter and Marques Tuiasosopo are options B and C. "I couldn't be more pleased with where he's at," Kiffin said of Russell. "He couldn't have done more since the last game of last season." Much of Russell's offseason included study sessions with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who came away pleased with Russell's first showing on the Napa Marriott's back lawn. New cornerback DeAngelo Hall said Russell's powerful arm "can whip the ball into small places in a heartbeat," as Hall learned on one play Thursday. "The throw was where nobody could get it but the receiver." To make you appreciate a throw like that, you had to see a throw like the one Walter made, one that cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha intercepted to bring up so many ugly memories of past seasons. Running back Justin Fargas said of Russell: "Having a year under his belt, and having him here is big for us. He looks good. He's our leader." Missing last year's training camp was a good thing for Russell. It didn't seem like it at the time. And it did hamper his development to some degree. But what it did do was delay the expectations on someone who already inherited so much pressure by being the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2007. Russell is more prepared than he was a year ago to take on the great expectations. For a nice change, the expectations are high. Sure, the Raiders will endure growing pains. But at least they're expected to grow under Russell and not just bide time behind some veteran castoff at quarterback. Russell is confident, and he also is realistic. "To do it by myself is impossible. That's why we have other teammates," he said. "I think we are going to be able to come together." Unifying the Raiders is indeed an imposing chore, especially when you consider that Russell is one of eight new starters, including Kwame Harris, who's projected as the starting left tackle and gatekeeper to Russell's blindside. Maybe the Raiders should put a shot clock out there — "Two seconds on the clock, please" — to program Russell into unloading passes before he can get sacked. But Kiffin and Knapp are convinced Russell has a quick release, as well as the ability to easily look over the mosh pit of linemen and find passing lanes. That's an asset that comes with a 6-foot-6 frame, even if it weighs, 269, 276, 300 or 1,000 pounds. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:49:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295457 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295457 Like to hear everyone's thoughts this was pretty hard for me to do but i hope i got it semi-right. Tell me if i left anyone off or if the ordering is horrendous. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:31:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295251 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295251 Training camp opened today, if this was baseball, it would be time for a long winded essay by George Will as read by Bob Costas about hope springing eternal and all those other cliches that are part of Americana. This is football, however, and instead of waxing poetically about new beginnings the Raider Nation is preparing their spikes and face paint to get hyped. So far, there is good news in that there have been no holdouts, and the only no-show is LaMont Jordan who is on the slow boat to anywhere else. Kiffin spoke to the media today and the overall feeling is that the Raiders are going to be ready to have a much better season than the last several. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:18:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295150 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295150 Here is a partial transcript of Raider's Head Coach Lane Kiffin's pre-camp press conference. He looks poised and confident. You get the impression he thinks he has enough talent to make some noise in the AFC West this up-coming season. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:14:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295120 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295120 In the days leading up to the first day of training camp, I'll review the state of the rest of the AFC West and how they match up with the Raiders, as well as all Raiders position groups heading into the first practice on July 24. Today's entry takes a look at Raiders quarterbacks: Starter–JaMarcus Russell Reserves–Andrew Walter, Marques Tuiasosopo, Sam Keller, Jeff Otis What's to like We'll see how he reacts the first time he forces the ball into coverage during a game, but early indications are that Russell is a calm and poised leader who seems to have already gained the respect of his teammates. There are no temper tantrums or finger-pointing when things go awry at practice, just a lot of communication and encouragement with his fellow offensive players. While it's true things can change dramatically in full pads, Russell looks up to being the man of the moment. In terms of the Raiders offense, there seems to be a widespread belief that Russell is operating something out of his element, that he would be better off as a classic dropback thrower, the better to show off that impressive downfield arm. I beg to differ. Russell appears nimble enough in terms of footwork to operate a fairly conservative short passing game, with the added advantage of taking the shot now and then to keep defenses honest. It looks as if Lane Kiffin and Greg Knapp are urging safety first, making sure he takes care of the ball and finds his checkdown receivers. As he becomes more comfortable, Russell can look for bigger and better things. It's worth noting that with Darren McFadden around, those routine checkdowns can become big strikes in a hurry. Walter enters camp with the edge as the backup, and he is the second-best pure passer on the roster behind Russell. He has acquitted himself well as a diplomat despite being the deposed quarterback of the future, and it's no secret he is waiting for another day and another team. Tuiasosopo was drafted by the Raiders to run an offensve very similar to the one Kiffin is running now. He appears to be picking things up quickly and exepcts to make a serious challenge to be the backup. Keller played well enough on a tryout basis and has experience running a passing offense with multiple reads, having done it for Bill Callahan at Nebraska. If the Raiders find a trade partner for Walter, he could find himself as a No. 3 quarterback. Before transferring to Nebraska, Keller was a loyal backup to Walter at Arizona State. The same could not be said for Rudy Carpenter, who lobbied and campaigned with teammates to oust Keller. What's not Russell left LSU after his junior year, so it's not as if he comes in with all the playing experience of a Peyton or an Eli Manning. He will make his share of mistakes _ and some will cost the Raiders games. It's a tossup whether the Raiders will be good enough defensively to allow them the luxury of playing it safe with Russell, needing to open things up before he's ready simply to stay in games. In so doing, the Raiders expose their tackles to pass block on the outside, and that could either force Russell into mistakes or make him put that 270-pound body to the test in terms of taking a beating. Kiffin has never seemed to warm up to Walter, in part because he's not a good fit for the bootlegs and rollouts he favors. He also has seen Walter as someone with bad body language when things don't guy his way. Tuiasosopo, for all his mobility and ability to interact well with his teammates, has never proven he can be the 60-plus percent passer the offense requires and too often makes the big mistake. As for Keller, bad luck seems to follow the guy around _ kind of like the franchise he now plays for. Otis is a camp arm. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:21:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293202 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293202 Going out on a limb here and foreseeing the Raiders QB trio to start the season as Russell, Tuiasosopo, and Walter. All three have held the moniker as the Raiders Quarterback of the Future, but it's now JaMarcus Russell's moniker to lose or succeed at. So how long before Raider Nation starts calling for his head? How much time will you give the rocket armed, virtual rookie to succeed? How long will it be for Kiffin & Co. before they pull the plug? Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:24:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293019 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293019 The Football Consigliere's takes and in depth look of the 2008 NFL Quarterback Class! Click on this link to go directly to The All American Touchdown Derby for a chance to win over $5,000 in Cash & Material Prizes all season long! www.passitdeep.com Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:36:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292815 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292815 With training camp approaching, I figured what better time to take a look at the QBs around the league. We profiled the Big Dogs, Second Tier QBs, and the Serviceable QBs, now it's time to look at the rest of the signal callers. I know scrap pile may seem a little harsh, but when you consider we already profiled 20 QBs, you catch my drift. These guys will be used on bye weeks and when injuries strike. I'm sure a few of them will turn out to be decent plays. Some will likely lose their starting job. That's the nature of the beast when you deal with the shallow end of the QB pool. Scrap Pile Jason Campbell - I actually don't mind Jason Campbell. If he weren't coming off a knee injury I would probably put him in the Serviceable QB group. He made decent strides in his second year. I would just like to see him throw more TDs. Jeff Garcia - Garcia is a decent play in leagues that penalize for INTs since he seldom throws to the wrong color jersey. He's not going to give you a huge week, but he's a decent fill-in when your starter is on bye. He's in the scrap pile because Tampa has a few decent QBs on hand in case they want to go a different direction. Tarvaris Jackson - With the acquisition of Benard Berrian, the development of Sidney Rice, the double-headed monster in the backfield, and a little experience gained, and T-Jack has some potential to break out of the scrap pile. He needs to gain confidence and consistency. Alex Smith - Smith was a pick of mine to breakout last year. He made me look foolish. My expectations are justifiably lower this year. However, he does have Mike Martz to help him along, as well as newly acquired Bryant Johnson and Isaac Bruce. Perhaps this is the year Vernon Davis lives up to his hype as well. JaMarcus Russell - They will probably be passing a lot since they will be behind in most games. He's got that going for him. As long as Javon Walker can get home for some beauty rest instead of curbside butt whoopings, he's got a legitimate weapon. He's still very inexperienced though, and there will be plenty of bumps along the way. I can see him leading the league in INTs. Chad Pennington/Kellen Clemens - Let's face it. Neither of these QBs excite you. For good reason. They do have a pair of quality WRs, but I can see split duty out of these two. That's a situation I'll steer clear of. Trent Edwards/J.P. Losman - Trent is penciled in as the starter, but I'm not sure Buffalo has witnessed the last of Mr. Losman. Neither is going to wow you with statistics, but they may be useful for a game or two this year. Brodie Croyle/Damon Huard - I 'd like to see Brodie Croyle take the job and run with it. He's got some weapons in Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe. Still, I know I wouldn't trust him. Rex Grossman - Yuck. Marty Booker is back. Oh boy. They lost their best deep threat. They are going to need Devin Hester to step up his game if Rexy is going to even be relevant in fantasy circles. Avoid this like the plague. Kyle Boller/Troy Smith/Joe Flacco - I actually could see all three getting starts this year. Boller get the starting nod and loses it by Week 4. Troy Smith takes over and mans the post until Week 10. The rookie Joe Flacco finishes the season off to get him experience for next season. That's how it plays out in my head. Josh McCown/John Beck/Chad Henne - I can see the same scenario go down in Miami. McCown early. Beck gets another shot and misses, Henne finishes with eyes towards the future. Chris Redman/Joey Harrington/Matt Ryan - The question is when, not if, the Matt Ryan era will begin. I don't know why, but I'd like to see Joey have a decent little go of things. I've had a soft spot for him for whatever reason. I think he got a bad shake in Detroit, and was ruined. That said, the sooner they get to Ryan the better. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:02:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290690 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290690 Sure, I've been thinking about it and hoping for it since the Raiders traded for Randy Moss. I'm pretty sure that back then Al Davis, Randy Moss, and Brett Favre were thinking the same thing…Brett Favre wearing silver and black going vertical to Randy Moss. I think that you'd have to be a little dense to think that Favre has been wanting to leave Green Bay since they spent a first round pick on Aaron Rodgers. A happy camper doesn't alienate their backup unless they are a little insecure with the message being sent with his acquisition. The message that Favre got at the time was, "The door is now open for you to retire." Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:20:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289707 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289707 With the NFL fantasy season rapidly approaching, Screaming Sports' Hugh Duckwall takes a look at nine potential nightmares. The saga of Brett Favre? That's trouble. Shaun Alexander? That's also trouble. And Chicago quarterbacks? Don't even think about it. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:18:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289009 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289009 I would like to offer a special thanks to Stanford Routt, cornerback for the Oakland Raiders, who took some time out to answer a few questions for me about the Oakland Raiders. www.rawsportsblog.com Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:11:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288450 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288450