:::[Official] Oakland Raiders 2010 Offseason Thread::: Report: Justin Fargas Cut!!!!!

I'm happy we got an african-american QB.
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[h1]Hurry up and cut ties with Russell[/h1]

Gwen Knapp, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, April 24, 2010

(04-24) 21:02 PDT -- "I do realize that you did not want to draft JaMarcus Russell. He is a great player. Get over it and coach this team on the field; that is what you were hired to do. We can win with this team!"

- from Al Davis' letter to the soon-to-be-fired Lane Kiffin, Sept. 12, 2008

A year and 7 1/2 months after he wrote those words, Al Davis got over them.

The Raiders haven't jettisoned JaMarcus Russell yet, but Saturday's trade for Washington quarterback Jason Campbell sliced the rope tethering this team to 11-loss seasons and 6 feet, 6 inches of dead weight.

The Raiders haven't pulled away from their losing culture of the last seven years, but Saturday's decision gave them the freedom to move on. As long as Davis stood by Russell, expecting the 2007 No. 1 draft pick's sensational arm to overcome a lumpy midsection and a wandering mind, the Raiders couldn't budge.

Until Saturday, when Campbell arrived in exchange for a 2012 fourth-round pick, the fear remained that Davis still expected coach Tom Cable to deliver Russell to a higher plane of quarterbacking. Despite several indications that the owner had gotten over his $32 million bonus baby, a relapse always seemed possible.

Russell kept his starting job longer than he should have, plodding through games as if he had taken his signing bonus in dimes and stashed all of it under his jersey. His inability to maintain a reasonable level of fitness, especially with the metabolism of an early 20-something, suggested a flabbiness of the psyche, as well as the physique. The nuances of the NFL game routinely eluded him. Some of the basics of football didn't seem firmly in his grasp, either.

By the end of the 2009 season, Cable turned to his third-stringer, Charlie Frye, to replace injured Bruce Gradkowski, rather than giving the job back to Russell. Yet the hiring of noted quarterback mentor Hue Jackson as the offensive coordinator suggested that the Raiders wanted to put more resources behind the development of Russell. An attempt to land Donovan McNabb in a trade with the Eagles hinted at the opposite, but the Raiders couldn't cut a deal.

Without a shot at a player of McNabb's caliber, a Pro Bowl fixture with five conference title games on his resume, the threat of more Russell hovered over the 2010 season. The deal for the less-vaunted Campbell, and the decision to extend his contract through 2011, removed some of that hazard, but one doubt still nags. Will the Raiders have the guts to cut their ties to Russell completely, or will they try to negotiate his $6.45 million salary for this season downward?

The quarterback publicly has rejected the idea of a pay cut, but his feelings on the matter should be irrelevant. The Raiders need to let go completely, save the $6.45 million salary and live with the fact that he already has consumed a lot of their cash, including a guaranteed $3 million in his pocket for this year. There's no need to compound the problem by throwing more money at it. A discounted salary wouldn't be a victory; another penny would be a waste.

The Raiders started building a McMansion on what they now (or at least, for the moment) recognize as quicksand. Furnishing the place on the cheap isn't going to bolster the foundation.

They need to let go of Russell, and soon. Too many bad things can happen if he sticks around. An injury, even in minicamp, could obligate the Raiders to pay his salary, and given his level of fitness, the man could get hurt tying his shoes.

Even worse, if the Raiders do somehow negotiate him into a smaller salary, he will be a distraction, a temptation. Davis might be frustrated with Russell, but his infatuation with the big fella's big arm ain't over 'til it's over. One rifled deep pass in a preseason game, just a whiff of Russell's raw talent, could prove intoxicating for the owner. If Davis falls off that wagon, the wheels will fall off the Raiders' wagon again.

The players clearly had turned on Russell by the end of last season, refusing to use his name, raving about Frye and Gradkowski as if they were the missing Manning brothers. Inserting Campbell into the starting job will give the team a chance for substantial improvement, but if he had the stuff of a savior, Washington wouldn't have grabbed McNabb and sent him away for a fourth-rounder.

An 8-8 season would constitute stunning progress for the Raiders, but it won't look terribly appealing to the most impatient of owners. He could start to look longingly at Russell or the footage of a handful of his plays and forget that he got over all of that. Davis needs to act now, and be sure he stays over it.
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are defense was gd, they were just on the field to often.
hopefully the offense can hold the ball for more than 3 plays at a time

ive got a gd feeling bout this comin season,

one of the top 5 teams in the draft and releasing that overweight bum would be icing on the cake
 
Originally Posted by milkandcookies

yo gift, it seems like you got more love for campbell than you do mcnabb.
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.
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Bro, the night the McNabb trade happened, I was furious...one of the big reasons why is because I STILL have faith that Campbell could succeed if given a fair shot (and I mean with a competent coach and a freaking line) but nobody ever backed him here at all (Not to say he was perfect either, but damn it was rediculous how the Front Office treated him) . I really hope he can lift your franchise and that he'll get support around him there.     

PS : McNabb being an Eagle for 10 years and trashing the ******** every chance he got is not forgotten (at least I don't)...he better be as great in DC as he was in Philly
mad.gif
 
Originally Posted by TheGift23

Originally Posted by milkandcookies

yo gift, it seems like you got more love for campbell than you do mcnabb.
roll.gif
.
Click to expand...
Bro, the night the McNabb trade happened, I was furious...one of the big reasons why is because I STILL have faith that Campbell could succeed if given a fair shot (and I mean with a competent coach and a freaking line) but nobody ever backed him here at all (Not to say he was perfect either, but damn it was rediculous how the Front Office treated him) . I really hope he can lift your franchise and that he'll get support around him there.     

PS : McNabb being an Eagle for 10 years and trashing the ******** every chance he got is not forgotten (at least I don't)...he better be as great in DC as he was in Philly
mad.gif
Click to expand...
pimp.gif
 I can respect that gift.
 
Originally Posted by TheGift23

Originally Posted by DownyBoy

Campbell is garbage. C'mon Al. I'll take him as a backup, nothing more. He is definitely not an upgrade over Gradkowski.
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Lemme guess, blame it on the o-line? blame it on the change in coordinators every year? blame it on management? This guy has all the physical talent necessary to be a good QB, just missing the brains. Yeah, the odds were stacked up against him but he never exuded the confidence on the field or the know-how to make changes and read defenses. Campbell is a more developed russell. We don't need that. Lets be honest, Al just wants someone with an arm to go deep to DHB with. We'll be fine with gradkowski.
 
Originally Posted by DownyBoy

Originally Posted by TheGift23

Originally Posted by DownyBoy

Campbell is garbage. C'mon Al. I'll take him as a backup, nothing more. He is definitely not an upgrade over Gradkowski.
Click to expand...
indifferent.gif
Click to expand...

Lemme guess, blame it on the o-line? blame it on the change in coordinators every year? blame it on management? This guy has all the physical talent necessary to be a good QB, just missing the brains. Yeah, the odds were stacked up against him but he never exuded the confidence on the field or the know-how to make changes and read defenses. Campbell is a more developed russell. We don't need that. Lets be honest, Al just wants someone with an arm to go deep to DHB with. We'll be fine with gradkowski.
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It doesnt matter who they put out there its still an upgrade from Russel
 
[h1]Raiders expected to cut JaMarcus Russell soon[/h1]
Now that the Oakland Raiders have moved forward by trading for quarterback Jason Campbell(notes), they’re poised to move on from bust JaMarcus Russell(notes).

Russell is expected to be cut as soon as this week.

The Raiders already have backup candidates in Kyle Boller and Bruce Gradkowski(notes), and Russell’s salary of $6.45 million and history of poor play can’t be ignored any longer.

Russell has struggled with weight issues, reportedly weighing as much as 290 pounds in March

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Raiders have extendedCampbell’s deal through 2011. If the Raiders have Russell on the teamthis year, it would cost them $6.45 million.

"I talked to Mr. Davis, and he wanted me for two years," Campbell said. "He wants me to help their team to a new level."

Russell, the former top overall pick out of LSU, has thrown 18touchdowns with 23 interceptions and lost 15 fumbles. He has completedonly 52 percent of his throws, way too low a percentage for a startingquarterback.

It’s unclear what team will want to give Russell another chance oncehe’s cut loose. His leadership and work ethic and his play are allsuspect.
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Originally Posted by TheGift23

Originally Posted by milkandcookies

yo gift, it seems like you got more love for campbell than you do mcnabb.
roll.gif
.
Click to expand...
Bro, the night the McNabb trade happened, I was furious...one of the big reasons why is because I STILL have faith that Campbell could succeed if given a fair shot (and I mean with a competent coach and a freaking line) but nobody ever backed him here at all (Not to say he was perfect either, but damn it was rediculous how the Front Office treated him) . I really hope he can lift your franchise and that he'll get support around him there.     

PS : McNabb being an Eagle for 10 years and trashing the ******** every chance he got is not forgotten (at least I don't)...he better be as great in DC as he was in Philly
mad.gif
Click to expand...
In Campbell I put my absolute trust. KC is garbage. Denver is being ran into the ground. SD is somewhat rebuilding. WE GOT THIS.
 
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