Will Raiders' JaMarcus Russell Lose His Starting Job To Jeff Garcia?

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

These days, it seems as though all young quarterbacks are losing their starting jobs to proven veterans who are in the twilight of their career.

Leinart's to Warner, Young's to Collins, and even Smith's to Hill.

But not JaMarcus Russell, the strong-armed quarterback out of LSU, who was the first overall pick for the Oakland Raiders just two years ago. Right? Maybe.

Since the Raiders brought in Jeff Garcia about two months ago, people have been speculating that the trend will continue and JaMarcus will lose his job to the former Buccaneer.

"How could this happen to a franchise quarterback with a lot of talent?" you may ask.

Well, don't get me wrong here, it's likely he will keep his starting job, but the possibility that he might lose it is still there and is getting bigger and bigger, it seems. Here are my thoughts. Enjoy.

Why JaMarcus Will Keep his Starting Job

Management (Al Davis) wants JaMarcus to win this quarterback battle.

Of course, JaMarcus was Al's draft pick, so Al wants him to be as successful as possible. Now, Davis still has most of the power on the team. If JaMarcus is a failure, then he'll be one of the few busts Al Davis has drafted. Can't have that happen.

Jeff Garcia was brought in just to mentor JaMarcus.

Well, what else can I say? When Garcia signed, he knew he would be starting off as a backup and mentor to Russell. JaMarcus has to learn from Jeff.

Why Jeff Will Seize the Job from Russell

Jeff has experience and JaMarcus does not.

Garcia, entering his 11th year in the NFL, will have the upper hand when it comes to experience and knowing your stuff. He can take the starting job over by showing coaches that he can use his knowledge on and off the field.

Jeff Garcia will continue to over achieve.

Jeff Garcia is Jeff Garcia. If he can overwhelm the coaching staff with his constant extra workouts and film sessions, he'll get the job. It will be hard for JaMarcus to match Jeff's dedication, thus losing his starting job.

Well, these are my reasons why or why not JaMarcus will keep his starting job. As of now, it looks like he will start. But you never know what Jeff Garcia will pull out of his sleeve...

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