JaMarcus Russell To Make Big Strides In 2009

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

A lot of talk is swirling around the Oakland Raider’s training camp in Alameda, CA.  Specifically, what exactly JaMarcus Russell intends to do about a lackluster season in 2008.

Russell seemed to struggle early on in the teams organized team activities throwing lots of bad balls and had fans groaning early.  Raiders surprise pick Darrius Heyward-Bey also seemed to suffer from a bad case of stone hands. 

Russell began showing signs of improvement as the OTAs wore on, but it seemed too little too late for many NFL fans.  The signing of Jeff Garcia seemed to signal that Russell was struggling with not only his mechanics, but his leadership as well.

Russell then surprised everyone by hosting his own mini-camp near his home in Mobile, Alabama.  He flew down several of his wide receivers including Louis Murphy, the fourth round pick out of Florida to his home to refine his skills even further.  Has Russell finally turned a corner?  This seems a far cry from the less than flattering photos of Russell taken showing off his “bling” at various night spots.  He also appears to be in better shape, not the svelte 300 lbs of last year. 

Its unclear exactly who attended, or even what was being worked on specifically.  It seems that Louis Murphy, Todd Watkins and Will Franklin were among some of those who attended. 

So what can we expect from the Raiders and Russell in 2009?  Early indicators according to many are that it’s not good. 

I disagree and will now proceed to blow your minds.      

JaMarcus Russell, is about to make a big leap.  By big, I mean, turn into an above average NFL quarterback. 

I believe it will be fair to call 2008 Russell’s rookie season.  He started just one game in 2007, after missing all of the years training camp and preseason.  Not only that, but he has gone through three different play callers (Lane Kiffin, Greg Knapp, and Tom Cable).    Russell finally has just one play caller in Cable, and finally gets a full offseason worth of workouts. 

Russell in his first year as a starter threw for 2,423 yards, 13 touchdown passes, and 8 interceptions.  His passer rating was 77.1.  On paper this seems like a pretty poor performance, and has some of the Raider Nation looking to pre-order their Sam Bradford jerseys. 

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