JaMarcus Russell: Can He Learn From This Experience?

Congratulations JaMarcus. You played yourself out of the starting rotation. Your coach made it plain, in saying that this benching isn't a one game at a time deal. The team is turning its attention towards trying to work with Bruce Gradkowski as the starting quarterback in Oakland.

I can imagine it's a bitter pill to swallow, considering that you were drafted to be the face of the franchise and return it to the glory days. Instead, your considered by many to be a bust, ranking in the rare air class, with Ryan Leaf.

Right now, the only realistic way that JaMarcus Russell comes off the bench is if Bruce Gradkowski goes down hurt in the game, Al Davis suddenly realizes he has a very expensive bench, or Russell learns to be a quarterback?

As hard to believe as it sounds, Russell needs to make use of this time—now that he has plenty of it to work with. He needs to find himself in better shape, having better communication with his teammates, and he needs to take a harder look at what he can do to help the team. He needs to learn that just because he is a No. 1 overall pick, that the world does not revolve around him. He still needs to work with those same players.

The one advantage that Russell still has, that Ryan Leaf didn't, was he hasn't alienated himself from his teammates. Several players still think he can play, but needs to get himself into the mindset of playing football.

Probably the most accurate critic, Rich Gannon sounded off that Russell's biggest problem is the constant change of coaches. Could anyone function well with that much turnover?

Hopefully the next time we see Russell out throwing the football in a game, he will be completing passes to his own teammates...and not digging us a hole we'd like to throw him into.