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.