JaMarcus Russell (QB) cut...any interest?

[102 Pat]

So, if the Bills sign him...I guess that's 2 guaranteed wins for Buffalo when they face the Pats...

 

[Sicilian]

So, if the Bills sign him...I guess that's 2 guaranteed wins for Buffalo when they face the Pats...

So... status quo from the last six years then?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

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...

 

[TrueBeliever]

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.

 

[LiveShot]

Just a very talented player but with a lousy work ethic and probably not too high on the IQ scale. He has his 30 mil and that should last him a couple of years. I give him 3 befoe he's broke.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

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.

When is the national media gonna get the memo that our rehab days are behind us, not that we ever attempted to rehab a guy who by all accounts has never really cared what transpired once he got his check... We were only ever likely to consider the frustrated malcontent whose difficulties arose over not winning in spite of his efforts and who was willing to shoot his way out of town to get one last shot at winning before his otherwise individually statistically impressive career ended. Russell is a whole other cat.

 

[apple strudel]

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!

 

[Marqui]

 

[rabthepat]

Lol.........

 

[kencc]

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!

So was Ryan Leaf (#2 actually)

 

[Disco Volante]

"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

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

"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.

 

[Deus Irae]

This is why I never, ever read, watch or listen to the draft pundits. I trust Patsfans posters more.

Ehhh...

General managers of NFL teams, for whom player personnel their job, make the draft selections. About 1/3 of all first round picks go bust. Tom Brady lasted until the 6th round, while Ryan Leaf was a second pick overall.

It's all about information and percentages. Kiper's a valuable information source (as are some of the other pundits), and his percentages are probably no worse than a lot of NFL GMs (Matt Millen springs to mind as an example).

 

[PatsChamp88]

"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

Quote of the day.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

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?

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?

 

[JoeSixPat]

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?

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.

 

[Ring 6]

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...

Media interest means nothing to me.
Agreed that you would need to put some time into the guy, but how much really? Have him run QB drills, take a few reps and watch him to see if he is serious.
I dont think testing a malingerer to see if he will work is bad at all, in fact, cutting his @ss if he isn't dedicated would be a great message.
Someone will be there taking the 3rd and 4th QB reps, and I think the chance of turning Russells attitude around is greater than increasing the ability of a guy who can't play.
In any event, I could care less, its a 1 in a 100 shot anyway.

 

[Ring 6]

"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 exactly why drafting is an educated guess.
Kiper had absolutely no way of knowing that Russell had no interest in working at becoming a good QB.
Thats the irony is he could be 100% right based on all the info that was available and turn out to be 100% wrong because of a fact that no one who disagreed with him at the time could have known.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

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.

I wouldn't be surprised if one of his Oakland sources towards the finish wasn't a former Patriot who commented last season on the fact that too many players coming into the league recently were in love with the idea of being an NFL player and achieving the lifestyle that allows, but not remotely in love with being football players or committed to winning.


Lack of desire brings end to JaMarcus Russell's Raiders career - Don Banks - SI.com

 

[MoLewisrocks]

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?

His problems are not ego related by all accounts. He's a nice enough kid who simply doesn't have any interest in developing into anything beyond a wealthy guy who can live his dream lifestyle off the field. And after three years in the league he's not eligible for the practice squad...