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Even though the Raiders desperately need a QB, Al Davis has a reputation for not be willing to use Oakland's first round draft pick on a QB: in part because of what it cost to sign them, but also because of the high "bust-rate" that QBs taken in the first round have and the amount of time that it takes to develop a young QB.
However, after seeing LSU's JaMarcus Russell throw the ball 58 yards with a flick of his wrist in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame, I wonder if Davis--who is well known for being an advocate of the deep passing game--might be having second thoughts about taking Russell with the first pick in the up-coming draft.
The Raiders need help at a lot of positions: with R.Moss and J.Porter possibly leaving, a WR like Calvin Johnson would be an instant replacement and Wisconsin LT, Joe Thomas, certainly could help an Oakland offensive line that was woeful, despite the presence of high-draft picks like Robert Gallery and Jake Grove. And, it is tough for any QB to look good when he doesn't get any protection from his offensive line and doesn't have a decent WR to throw to.
It would be easy for Al Davis to pass on Brady Quinn in favor of a player who could step in and fill one of the Raiders' many other needs because Quinn really isn't the prototypical QB needed to run the kind of offense that Davis, the ever-meddling owner, wants his team to feature. But, unlike Quinn, Russell has all of those attributes and thensome. Watching Russell throw the ball halfway to the roof of the Super Dome as he dropped a 50 yard bomb into the arms of Wr Early Doucette had to give Davis flashbacks of the days when "The Mad Bomber" Daryl Lamonica and Jim Plunkett were heaving the ball for his Raiders.
While everyone has had Brady Quinn penciled in as the # 1 pick in this draft for the last two years, JaMarcus Russell has been rapidly moving up on a lot of draft boards with his remarkable physical attributes and improved performance over the last couple of seasons. A lot of observers see Russell as being the # 2 rated QB in this draft, passing Louisville's Brian Brohm (if he comes out) and Ohio State's Troy Smith and more than a few see Russell going in the Top 10 in the 1st Round, if not the Top Five. After the way that Vince Young performed this season and Russell's performance in the Sugar Bowl, where he clearly out-played Quinn, whose Notre Dame team was out-manned and crushed in the second half, it would not be outrageous for some to see Russell as being equal to or better than Quinn as a long-term NFL prospect in certain types of offenses--including the deep passing game that Davis has virtually mandated recently for his Raiders.
So, could Davis decide to abandon his reluctance to take a quarterback with his first round draft pick and surprise the world by taking JaMarcus Russell with Oakland's pick in this year's draft? If so, would he risk trading down to do so or would he use the # 1 pick in the draft on Russell? If Davis does decide that Russell is the kind of mobile, rocket-armed QB that he needs to run the offense that he wants his Raiders to feature, what the Raiders do in order to secure him could have a big impact on what happens at the top of this year's draft. Enough to impact the Bills at # 12? Very likely not. But, it could shake some things up on Draft Day and make things quite interesting....
However, after seeing LSU's JaMarcus Russell throw the ball 58 yards with a flick of his wrist in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame, I wonder if Davis--who is well known for being an advocate of the deep passing game--might be having second thoughts about taking Russell with the first pick in the up-coming draft.
The Raiders need help at a lot of positions: with R.Moss and J.Porter possibly leaving, a WR like Calvin Johnson would be an instant replacement and Wisconsin LT, Joe Thomas, certainly could help an Oakland offensive line that was woeful, despite the presence of high-draft picks like Robert Gallery and Jake Grove. And, it is tough for any QB to look good when he doesn't get any protection from his offensive line and doesn't have a decent WR to throw to.
It would be easy for Al Davis to pass on Brady Quinn in favor of a player who could step in and fill one of the Raiders' many other needs because Quinn really isn't the prototypical QB needed to run the kind of offense that Davis, the ever-meddling owner, wants his team to feature. But, unlike Quinn, Russell has all of those attributes and thensome. Watching Russell throw the ball halfway to the roof of the Super Dome as he dropped a 50 yard bomb into the arms of Wr Early Doucette had to give Davis flashbacks of the days when "The Mad Bomber" Daryl Lamonica and Jim Plunkett were heaving the ball for his Raiders.
While everyone has had Brady Quinn penciled in as the # 1 pick in this draft for the last two years, JaMarcus Russell has been rapidly moving up on a lot of draft boards with his remarkable physical attributes and improved performance over the last couple of seasons. A lot of observers see Russell as being the # 2 rated QB in this draft, passing Louisville's Brian Brohm (if he comes out) and Ohio State's Troy Smith and more than a few see Russell going in the Top 10 in the 1st Round, if not the Top Five. After the way that Vince Young performed this season and Russell's performance in the Sugar Bowl, where he clearly out-played Quinn, whose Notre Dame team was out-manned and crushed in the second half, it would not be outrageous for some to see Russell as being equal to or better than Quinn as a long-term NFL prospect in certain types of offenses--including the deep passing game that Davis has virtually mandated recently for his Raiders.
So, could Davis decide to abandon his reluctance to take a quarterback with his first round draft pick and surprise the world by taking JaMarcus Russell with Oakland's pick in this year's draft? If so, would he risk trading down to do so or would he use the # 1 pick in the draft on Russell? If Davis does decide that Russell is the kind of mobile, rocket-armed QB that he needs to run the offense that he wants his Raiders to feature, what the Raiders do in order to secure him could have a big impact on what happens at the top of this year's draft. Enough to impact the Bills at # 12? Very likely not. But, it could shake some things up on Draft Day and make things quite interesting....
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