Yeah, the reports about JaMarcus Russell weighing 300 pounds were overblown and he participated at minicamp over the weekend.
But Russell’s role has clearly changed and it’s fair to wonder what Oakland’s plan for Russell is, assuming there is one. Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune writes that Russell’s snaps were limited in the final two practices of minicamp.
Vittorio Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote Russell “seemed to regress each day” after a solid first practice.
It’s no surprise Russell is beginning to take a back seat. Why take snaps away from Jason Campbell for the sake of a phony competition?
While there were some small signs of progress, McDonald noted Russell hardly looked like a quarterback worth $9.45 million this year.
Perhaps Al Davis wants Russell around as insurance in case Campbell struggles or gets hurt, but the risk is not worth the reward. Bruce Gradkowski, Kyle Boller, and Charlie Frye work just fine as insurance policies.