I wish I could go back 2 years when JaMarcus Russell was drafted by the Raiders and write a post describing why he was going to be a bust (ChrisB agreed with me). Because then I could look back at that blog and say I told you so. But instead, I just have to convince people that I knew he would be a bust.
- SteveB
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This blog is about football. Mostly college football but some pro will be mixed in. Other people will also be contributing their thoughts. When they do I will give you the appropriate information about them.
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In keeping with the Jamarcus Russell is going to suck in the NFL theme, I'm going to go ahead and give my thoughts on our Heisman Trophy winning quarterback.
ReplyDeleteI've seen many quarterbacks like this go to the NFL...and they typically don't have much success. I predict that Tebow will follow in the mold of Matt Jones from Arkansas and become a Tight End or in Jones' case they use him as a receiver too.
If a team drafts Tebow to play quarterback they are likely to end up with someone like Alex Smith. Smith was a run first quarterback in Urban Meyer's spread offense at Utah and hasn't done crap in the NFL. Let's face it, Tebow isn't going to be doing a lot of running in the NFL...he will get hurt.
55.4
ReplyDelete52.8
75.9
77.0
73.9
88.8
These are Eli Manning's QB rating in his first five years in the league.
55.9
69.0
These are Jamarcus Russell's first two years in the league.
Is Eli Manning the best QB in the league? NO.
Would people claim that he has been a bust? NO.
WERE people claiming that after his first 3 or 4 years? YES
Lesson: Don't call a guy a bust in his second year, especially when he barely played in his first year and is surrounded by a horrible team.
Ok, let me clarify. When JaMarcus Russell was drafted I thought he was going to be a bust. I still think he's going to be a bust. His numbers thus far have not proved me wrong. The door is obviously not closed on his career and he has plenty of time to prove me wrong. For his sake, I hope he does. I just don't think it's going to happen. In 5 years let's look at his numbers again and see if my prediction is still right.
ReplyDeleteI also thought this guy was going to be a bust from the moment I saw him play the Gators in the Swamp his senior year. He just did not have "it" in the big pressure situations.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are a #1 Overall pick in the draft you are supposed to be something special. When the coach of the team was begging upper management not to draft you....I think that sticks out like a sore thumb and raises a red flag. Something clearly isn't right.
The stats provided for him and Eli are interesting....but nothing more than numbers. There are no numbers for the guidance Eli received from Peyton, Archie, and the Giant organization. That can't be calculated.
Similarly, there are no numbers to factor in Russell holding out of camp like a pre-madonna...falling behind in the key early years of development of an NFL quarterback and being stuck in an incompetent organization like the Raiders.
The odds of him improving to the level of Eli are very long. The odds of him becoming a solid starter in the NFL are also not very good in my opinion.
As a #1 pick...if those odds aren't good...you get classified as a "Bust"...just ask Tony Mandarich, Ryan Leaf, and the long list of other busts out there.
Has anyone EVER lived up to the hype of being the #1 pick? In the past 25 years, I'd say there are four that have lived up to the hype. John Elway, Bruce Smith, Troy Aikman, and Peyton Manning. I'll leave Bo Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, and Michael Vick off that list, but they are close.
ReplyDeleteIt's like a death sentence. If you don't become a Pro-Bowler at your position in a few years, you are considered a bust. However, Russell still has some time to prove us wrong before he goes on that list with Ryan Leaf and the rest of them.
Well, it's been two years since this post and JaMarcus Russell has been cut from the Raiders. Nobody picked him up and barring a complete mental and physical 180 he'll never be in the NFL again.
ReplyDeleteI agree with RyanR about the #1 pick being a death sentence; it's like the curse of the cover. But Russell didn't have to be the #1 pick to be a bust; he just didn't have the work ethic or the top notch skill set to succeed as an NFL quarterback.
I do agree with ChrisB though in that being drafted by the Raiders was a very bad thing for him. Maybe on a different team with different management/leadership he could have had the right people to motivate him to work hard enough to stay in the league as a back-up.
Speaking of big name quarterbacks being cut... how about Matt Leinart. He was selected 10th overall in 2006 and just got cut by the Cardinals. I don't think he's done yet though. I think there is a chance he could be picked up.