JaMarcus Russell: Is the Year He Shines With the Silver And Black?

Old AccountMay 12, 2009

The next stop around the NFL is our special favorite, the Oakland Raiders.

Surprisingly, the Raiders have been in a lot of news the past year, despite putting up seasons, which provided them with the label as laughing stock of the NFL.

From the fallout of Lane Kiffen, to the hiring of Tom Cable, and being the " busters of the NFL Draft", fans throughout America, especially on BleacherReport, have voiced their opinions of the team soon coming together, as well as wanting to see the winning spirit again.

After all, since the appearance in the Super Bowl, Oakland has not had a winning season, including the first team in NFL history to have six straight seasons of eleven losses or more.

Change awaits in Raider Country, and JaMarcus Russell is going to be the centerpiece of this plan.

Can you imagine that Russell is already in his third season as a member of the Raiders?

Being the first overall pick by the Raiders in 2007, he has not gotten off to a successful stint in his first two seasons, with just 2,796 passing yards and only 15 TD passes.

It should be mentioned that Russell had a late start to his season due to long contract negotiations.

Russell has been criticized for his poor work ethic, which has led to the questions around the organization whether he is the solution to the Raider woes.

Entering the 2009 season, improvement needs to be shown with Russell and the Raiders.

The Raiders did have a good ending to their lowly 2008 campaign, including their victory in week 17 over Tampa Bay.

Tom Cable returning as Raiders head coach serves as a positive for Russell, as he will not have to learn a new offensive scheme.

There are also a lot of solid options around the offense for Russell to work with. It all starts off with Darren McFadden.

A playmaker out of college, McFadden did have a decent rookie season, rushing for nearly 500 yards after splitting the carries with other Running Backs.

Cable will surely look to use McFadden more every play, and could be a vital asset in the passing game.

With the establishment of McFadden and the running game, Russell should be left with great looks down the field to Darrius Heyward-Bey, a rookie Wide Receiver coming from the University of Maryland.

The selection of Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree has been a huge question mark amongst Raider fans.

Inside sources within the organization have said the pick could have been a result of Heyward-Bey learning the same type offense as he did in college.

Heyward-Bey was the fastest runner at the combine, and it should be no secret that Russell will be looking for the speedy wide out down field.

If Russell wants to secure the spot as the quarterback this season, he is going to have to work for it.

Late in the offseason, the Raiders signed Jeff Garcia, who has been successful in the past couple of seasons with the Eagles and the Buccaneers.

This signing can be looked at from different perspectives throughout the NFL.

Some executives believe they simply brought Garcia in to help develop Russell into a better quarterback, as Garcia brings years of experience to the table.

Others believe Garcia could compete for the starting job, especially with Al Davis's urge of wanting to make the playoffs this season.

Garcia has always found a way to win the quarterback job wherever he plays, and it won't be any different in Oakland.

The 2009-2010 season will be a crucial year in the development of JaMarcus Russell.

There is improvement to be made this season, and he will have to show it if he wants to have a successful future in the NFL.

At age 23, Russell has one of the strongest arms in the league.

Oakland has continued to put solid pieces around him. Now it’s time to see if he can perform.

This year is the time to shine for Russell in the silver and black.