Amid widespread reports that the Raiders will cut the cord on the first overall pick in the 2007 draft before a minicamp launches on Friday, Jay Glazer of FOX reports that the Raiders expect quarterback JaMarcus Russell to attend a mandatory minicamp that launches this weekend.
(Adam Schefter issued a similar report late Wednesday afternoon, a 180-degree departure from everything on the topic that recently had been uttered under the letters E, S, P, and N.)
So what’s going on? It looks like the Raiders are biding their time in the hopes of building a case for recovering some of the money previously paid to Russell — or possibly shutting off the $3 million in guaranteed money he’s due to receive in 2010.
But there’s a risk of welcoming Russell to minicamp. If, for example, he tears a patellar tendon, he’ll be owed the full amount of his $9.45 million salary.
Four years ago, the Titans tried to bar quarterback Steve McNair from offseason workouts due to just such concerns. McNair eventually won a grievance requiring the team to include him.
In 2007, the Dolphins faced a similar situation with quarterback Daunte Culpepper. He was permitted to join the workouts, but the team took steps to keep him out of drills that could have resulted in injury.
Though common sense suggests that the Raiders would follow a similar approach with Russell, the Raiders remain the most unpredictable franchise in the NFL. So, basically, getcha popcorn ready.
Slathered in butter, of course. That’s how you top 300 pounds.
Raiders, Russell look to be playing chicken
Nein… Russell already ate it.
Don’t play chicken with Russell you might get your fingers bitten off..
Just cut’em baby.
If the Raiders think they can bluff Russell, all they need to do is look at his first year holdout.
The dude has their number, He may not be an NFL QB, but he does know how to use his agent and his resolve to whup Al’s azz
Wasnt his mom reported to be a prostitute?
They are safe. Russell is too fat to get hurt.
ESPN blows. Who watches that crap anymore?
Russel would rather be eating the chicken, not playing it
If there’s any chicken involved you can bet money that Jamarcus deep fries it and has it with a side of slaw.
We get it Florio, you hate ESPN. But guess what? They’re better than you, deal with it.
Also, everyone on ESPN that was discussing Russell being dropped was saying it out of pure speculation, and they acknowledged that.
Russell hasn’t made any good decision so far in his NFL career, maybe Davis is betting on him staying away and being able to convince JR to agree to a release with taking another dime from the Raiders.
Time is against Russell…If he EVER hopes to get picked up by another NFL team, he needs to get off the Raiders’ roster ASAP.
Remember back to the recent past regarding former Raiders QBs Marques Tuiasosopo and Andrew Walter…Al Davis hung on to both of them for SO long that by the time they got free of the Raiders no other team really wanted to sign either of them and try and make them a NFL starter.
If Russell was smart (BIG IF I KNOW)…He should just agree to walk away with 33 mil (instead of 36 mil) and beg Andy Ried to give him a chance…A fresh start (with some inkling of dedication) is the ONLY way Russell doesn’t end up the #1 Draft Bust OF ALL TIME!
All three banned QB’s were black. RACIST LEAGUE RACIST LEAGUE! SUSPENSE ROETHLISBERGER FOR A YEAR!
They should stick him in a dark hot shed for the weekend and hope that he eats himself to death.
Good riddance you POS!
Here is the problem. The team is relying on the typical I want to be a starter and play football mentality of the player to kick in, so that he will be pissed about the reports they want to cut him/bench him and would do something so that they can get the money back (like not show up in protest).
The problem, is that Russell doesn’t give a damn, in case that hasn’t been apparent to them after the last 3 years. He could care less if he is the starter or if he rides the bench, HE JUST WANTS THE MONEY, thus his refusal to take a pay cut even though most others would in that situation.
So this is a game of chicken that the raiders are going to lose with their current approach.
Why haven’t you media hacks figured this out yet? When you pick up an Oakland rumor and run with it, Al Davis does the opposite just to spite you. He would have cut JaMarcus tomorrow if you all had just kept your mouths shut, the same way he would have fired Cable if you all hadn’t clued into that earlier this year.
Al likes to be unpredictable. If you stop talking about the Raiders for a month or so, he’ll probably end up trading half his roster for Vincent Jackson and hire Jim Fassel as head coach.
rainwave23 says:
April 29, 2010 7:52 AM
We get it Florio, you hate ESPN. But guess what? They’re better than you, deal with it.
Far be it from me to defend Florio, but ESPN is beneath even PFT’s low, low, low, standards of journalism..
Florio, if you want to embarass ESPN, Todd McShay has stuck his chin out just waiting to be hit. He has released his 2011 mock draft and has the Bills picking first. The Bills are not about to make it to the playoffs, but they should finish at least 8 – 8, and certainly will not finish with the worst record in the NFL. Last year they had more players lost to IR than any other team. When you look at the games missed by starters, it is equivalent to adding 6 new starters in free agency compared to last year’s 6 – 10 team. In addition, Chan Gailey is certainly much better than Dick Jauron, with whom the Bills started last year. You can repeatedly hammer McShay and ESPN over this one, at least until the 2011 draft.
My friend Melvin has the inside scoop with Al he telecommunicates with him, he says the Raiders will cut him…
This whole ‘trying to recoup money from Russell’ thing doesn’t ring true. Russell didn’t break any laws. He was paid the money that he was owed.
The bottom line is this: The NFL needs to stop giving $36+ Million to children. All because a kid is the QB on an NCAA championship team and had a good Pro Day. They need to put a cap in place with large upside.
At 22, I would have cried and hugged my family on TV- complete with putting on the cap and walking onto the set with a #1 jersey on… for the league minimum.
Russell will be dropped. No way old man Al carries two QBs with that much money invested in them in to the season.
And if there is a competition oh well. If Jason Campbell can’t beat out JaMarcus freaking Russell for a starting QB spot then he isn’t the QB everyone thinks he is.
The fat will be trimmed (pun intended) when the time is right.
Of course he needs to be in camp.. Common Russell get to camp fast.. Mr. Davis, please sign Russell to a long term extension…
Florio is much greater than ESPN. ESPN would never let you ass clowns crap all over them like he does. Three cheers for Florio!!!
Since when has common sense been attributed to the Raiders?
Wouldn’t Russell have to, you know, work out in order to tear his patellar tendon?! He obviously isn’t big on that whole working out thing…
Shouldn’t be too tough to lead him to the low-impact drills. Just have Hanson lead him around the field by leaving a trail of Skittles to follow. Problem solved.
dunkingonuts – you are wrong. ESPN does not post anything until they have multiple credible sources. Schefter is one of the best NFL insiders in the country. There is a reason ESPN is the #1 resource for sports fans.
bobinpuertorico – what about the Bills makes you think they are capable of 8-8? Is it their QB situation (Trent Edwards? really?)? Is it their great WRs (Lee Evans is above average, everyone else is average at best, if not below average)? Is it the worst offensive line in the league? Or is the fact that they have virtually no offensive weapons other than Spiller? Is it maybe their defense which has a huge issue stopping the run and generating a pass rush? How about the fact that the Bills are in the division with the Jets who are much better than last year, the Dolphins who are much better than last year, and the Patriots who the Bills haven’t beaten in nearly a decade? The Bills will be lucky to win even one division game. Their non-conference schedule includes @Green Bay, Jags at home, @Ravens, @Chiefs, Bears, Lions, @Bengals, Seattle, Steelers, @Vikings, and Browns. Let’s say they win against the Browns, Chiefs, Lions, and split the Seattle and Jags games. That’s 4 wins. No way they go 4-2 in their division to get to 8-8. Face it, the Bills have as good a shot as any to be the worst team. All the factors are there. Hard schedule, bad offensive and defensive lines, no QB, poor offensive weapons.
For the love of God people!!!
Don’t you realize that “JaMarcus is Fat” and “JaMarcus May/May Not Get Cut” is the only thing standing between us and…
…”Is Favre Really Retired?”
Stop the insanity! Bask in the warm glow of JaMarcus – King of Busts (and first professional athlete to endorse the Manssiere, aka Bro).
Glazer and Schefter are awesome reporters. Digging deep and getting information like this is just great.
Oh wait, I almost forgot, Tom Cable said that he expects Russell at mini camp last Saturday after the draft. Brilliant reporting guys. Let’s take something the coach said almost a week ago and pretend it’s breaking news.
Maybe if the mediots didn’t run with a story the real Crypt Keeper, Clayton, reported this wouldn’t be news.
Has he not shown up for camp yet? How are they playing “chicken?” BSPN made an “error” and are retracting their statement because they realize their BS story (prediction) was off (as always) and now you say the Raiders and JaMarcus are playing chicken. Hmm, nothing has changed and the Raiders are expecting him to be at a mandatory mini-camp. Ok. How is this playing “chicken?” Do tell…..
JaBust, won’t care as long as he can be 1st in
line at the food table & last to leave it!
Is it just me, or is Adam Schefter swinging and missing a lot lately? Whatever happened to getting corroboration before reporting something?
rainwave23 says:
April 29, 2010 8:56 AM
dunkingonuts – you are wrong. ESPN does not post anything until they have multiple credible sources. Schefter is one of the best NFL insiders in the country. There is a reason ESPN is the #1 resource for sports fans.
Multiple credible sources are you kidding me…!
if that was true then Tom Cable was fired and Donovan McNabb is the new starting QB for the Raiders…!Adam Schefter is wrong at least 75% of the time… if you had that high of a failure rate how long would you last at your job? At least Florio doesn’t pretend to be a “Journalist” PFT is just a rumor site.
Ron Dayne’s Strict Diet says:
Since when has common sense been attributed to the Raiders?
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Since last week. Everyone is still trying to get used to it.
Just look at the picture of that fat a$$hole. He has that fat-person-breathing-heavy-through-the-mouth-because-he-can’t-get-enough-air-to-his-overworked-fat-lungs thing going on. What a fat, out of shape disgrace he is. Pathetic.
wmt – ESPN is not always wrong. On ESPN Radio, they had a few guys say they expected the Raiders to release Russell because there is no reason to keep him now. They never reported it as 100% fact. People just don’t listen and take what they want from the story.
As for calling them BSPN, there’s a reason they are the #1 sports site, TV station, and radio station in the country. Their reporting is extremely accurate, and have the best analysts and insiders in nearly every sport. You just don’t like big companies and top dogs. That’s fine, but don’t act like they are always wrong when you and I both know that’s not true.
Just cut him now. I mean what even if you have to pay him 3 mill what does it matter you already gave me what 36-40 mill, Al Davis can spare another 3 mill to drop this so called NFL QB. Man the Raiders are so blah and the draft every year and ruin the draft for everyone every year, including the players they pick up. Well unless you are Russell. Rusell gets to do his fav thing “eat”, ride the bench and now have to, and gets paid more then anyone on the team. Dang Raiders you guys are smart.
Somewhere, Lane Kiffen and Mike Shanahan are smiling. When Big Al pink slipped the two of them … he did it “with cause,” meaning he didn’t want to pay them – and probably didn’t.
Now in fact, when he actually has a dude that should be fired for cause … ’cause he don’t wanna work … there’s nothing he can do about it except shell out 30 million clams.
Payback is a bitch, Al.
As usual Florio the retard has nothing to say. Why don’t you do everyone a favor and shut up you idiot. I’m not surprised this “story” contained no facts, no new information and no quotes from anyone who has a clue what’s going on. Could you do me a favor and put Florio the retards picture permanently on the Turd Watch?
Hmmm. I would pay one of the OL a million to roll up on my knee…
Al Davis might give Russell a pay raise contract extension.
rainwave23 clearly doesn’t work for espn…
Stop it, it’s embarassing
I have NEVER wanted someone to fail in life as much as I want Jabba the Hut to loose everything that has been given to him! Broke and living in the gutter is the only happy ending to the Russel story. Please!!! Cut his asses. There is no way a team will take a chance on him. In his mind he reached the finish line before the race even started. I don’t think he ever intended to work at being a QB. The top 5 picks in the draft is ruining already bad teams because of the money they earn they’re set for life! There’s no reason to work hard and put the time in to be successful.
PLEASE! TOM CABLE turn this thing around, you have a good start already, just keep it going.
They can put him on an exercise bike in camp saying his conditioning is too poor to do anything else at this point. This will both embarass him and ensure he doesn’t get injured.
Pro_Raider/Anti_Al says:
April 29, 2010 11:23 AM
Please!!! Cut his asses.
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Perfect.