102 Pat
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2008
- Messages
- 5,653
- Reaction score
- 4,467
Registered Members experience this forum ad and noise-free.
CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.So, if the Bills sign him...I guess that's 2 guaranteed wins for Buffalo when they face the Pats...
My opinion:
What do you lose? Signing him is giving him a tryout.
Everything that is wrong with Russel is a result of immaturity. While many NFL players are mature in their early 20s, most of the rest of the world is not. The typical work ethic of a 24 year old in any line of work is shaky at best. Most eventually grow up, and most do it when the consequences hit home.
Why not give a tryout to the guy to see if he can find that maturity.
Above the neck he is the Anti-Brady. If he came here and tried to emaulate Brady above the necks, he would have a chance to realize the below the neck potential that made him the 1st pick.
I think there is a very good chance we would find out that either his desire, commitment, work ethic, maturity or intellect will still be lacking, but what do you lose?
On yesterday's PTI they were speculating that the Pats could sign Russell, which would be ironic because of the whole Jim Plunkett thing. What they're forgetting is that Plunkett started off bad because he had a lousy team around him in NE; while in Oakland, Bruce Gradkowski stepped in and won with the same team Russell had.
I'm telling you guys, Russell is THE solution to our super bowl drought. He is a former #1 pick! He's got to be good!
"JaMarcus Russell is going to immediately energize that fanbase, that football team -- on the practice field, in that locker room. Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that's certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league. ...You're talking about a 2-3 year period once he's under center. Look out because the skill level that he has is certainly John Elway-like."
-ESPN's Mel Kiper
This is why I never, ever read, watch or listen to the draft pundits. I trust Patsfans posters more.
Quote of the day."JaMarcus Russell is going to immediately energize that fanbase, that football team -- on the practice field, in that locker room. Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that's certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league. ...You're talking about a 2-3 year period once he's under center. Look out because the skill level that he has is certainly John Elway-like."
-ESPN's Mel Kiper
My opinion:
What do you lose? Signing him is giving him a tryout.
Everything that is wrong with Russel is a result of immaturity. While many NFL players are mature in their early 20s, most of the rest of the world is not. The typical work ethic of a 24 year old in any line of work is shaky at best. Most eventually grow up, and most do it when the consequences hit home.
Why not give a tryout to the guy to see if he can find that maturity.
Above the neck he is the Anti-Brady. If he came here and tried to emaulate Brady above the necks, he would have a chance to realize the below the neck potential that made him the 1st pick.
I think there is a very good chance we would find out that either his desire, commitment, work ethic, maturity or intellect will still be lacking, but what do you lose?
My opinion:
What do you lose? Signing him is giving him a tryout.
Everything that is wrong with Russel is a result of immaturity. While many NFL players are mature in their early 20s, most of the rest of the world is not. The typical work ethic of a 24 year old in any line of work is shaky at best. Most eventually grow up, and most do it when the consequences hit home.
Why not give a tryout to the guy to see if he can find that maturity.
Above the neck he is the Anti-Brady. If he came here and tried to emaulate Brady above the necks, he would have a chance to realize the below the neck potential that made him the 1st pick.
I think there is a very good chance we would find out that either his desire, commitment, work ethic, maturity or intellect will still be lacking, but what do you lose?
Aside from the obvious media generated distraction, time, coaching manhours, focus - wasted on a guy who exhibits none of the core intangbles (intelligence, work ethic, drive, football matters mentality) Bill is presently in the process of reinforcing in guys he brings to his locker room...
"JaMarcus Russell is going to immediately energize that fanbase, that football team -- on the practice field, in that locker room. Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that's certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league. ...You're talking about a 2-3 year period once he's under center. Look out because the skill level that he has is certainly John Elway-like."
-ESPN's Mel Kiper
Well if you look around this thread, there are plenty of guys here, who - unlike you and I -know EXACTLY what Belichick is thinking on this one and have fully ruled it out.
I tend to agree with you - low risk, high reward if he gets in shape and shows a hint of work ethic - but those who know more than you and I have said there's 0% chance.
"[The Raiders] knew the question about his self-motivation going into the 2007 draft. They gambled, and they lost. I just think he doesn't really want to be an NFL player. He was a great college football player, but he didn't want it in the NFL. If he keeps playing now, he plays only out of boredom. And even Pacman Jones says he's had enough partying and wants to play again. At some point, they all get bored with the other stuff.''
Leagues sources said from start to finish in Oakland, the light never remotely started to come on for Russell as a Raider. His maturity level never ticked upward in a hopeful fashion, and his work habits (or lack thereof) never changed. He wore out something of a path between Oakland and Las Vegas (at least in terms of the flight path), but he flat out refused to wear out much of anything on the practice field or in the weight room. Russell was in love with the lifestyle of being an NFL player, but he was never in love with the game or what it takes to play it.
When I asked a league source what Russell struggled with the most in Oakland, what part of his game, the answer was devastating: "Everything. Every aspect of the position,'' the source said.
And, the guy can sit on his butt at his own 40 and heave it into the endzone! That's gotta count for something.
Seriously, though, if his ego would allow him to try out as a number three who might make the practice squad this year, I'd say what's the harm?