After months-if not years-of speculation, the Oakland Raiders finally did what everyone was expecting and released quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Russell hasn't lived up to any of the high expectations put on him in his three seasons with the Raiders. He as selected in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft with the first overall pick. The choice may have seemed a long time coming to outsiders, but the Raiders didn't let on they were close to making a decision on Russell. In three years, they have doled out $36 million to Russell, and he is set to receive another $3 million. NFL.com revealed that the team saved $6.45 million by dropping him now.
Even though he was the first overall pick in 2007, Russell wasn't immediately a starter for the Raiders. In the 2007 season, he played in four games and only started one, tallying 373 yards, two touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 55.9. 2008 was his best season, with 15 starts, 2,423 yards, 13 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a passer rating of 77.1. Last season, he played in 12 games and started nine, finishing with 1,287 yards, three touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a rating of 50.0. Analysts are already calling him one of the league's worst draft busts.
Greasing the wheels of the Russell departure wagon was the addition of quarterback Jason Campbell. The Raiders traded a fourth-round 2012 draft pick to the Washington Redskins for Campbell, who is now the team's best option as a starter. At 28 years old, Campbell could still prove to be a long-term option for the Raiders. He has been with the Redskins since they selected him in the first round (25th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He didn't play in 2005, but he started accumulating stats in 2006. In four seasons, he tallied 10,860 yards, 55 touchdowns, 38 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.3.
Outside of the draft, the Raiders also added another threat to their offense and signed halfback Michael Bennett to a one-year deal. Bennett has been in the league since 2001 and has been with the Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, most recently, the San Diego Chargers. In his career, he has tallied 3,692 rushing yards with 13 touchdowns.
In the 2010 NFL Draft in April, the Raiders addressed both sides of the ball, starting with the defense. In the first round, they added Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain with the eighth overall pick. They again focused on defense in the second round, selecting Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston. For the next two picks, they bolstered their offensive line, picking up Hillsdale offensive tackle Jared Veldheer in the third round and Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell in the fourth round. Also in the fourth round, the Raiders picked Clemson wide receiver Jacoby Ford.
In the later rounds, the team picked Auburn defensive back Walter McFadden (Round Five), Arizona State linebacker Travis Goethel (Round Six), Michigan State defensive back Jeremy Ware (Round Seven) and Michigan defensive back Stevie Brown (Round Seven). Fans will want to get <a rel="nofollow" href="http://stubhub.com/oakland-raiders-tickets/">Oakland Raiders tickets</a> from <a rel="nofollow" href="http://stubhub.com/">StubHub.com</a> to see them all in action!
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