Al Davis has also reportedly hired someone to kinda be a personal assistant to Russell to make sure he shows up to practices on time and other things of that nature. So from all appearances, it does not look like Al Davis has totally given up on him. I am pretty sure he is the only one in that entire organization who hasn't.
I don't know what is worse. JaMarcus getting drafted to the Raiders or the Raiders still keeping him around and planning to get Jason Campbell to mentor him.:dis:
Who can predict where this saga will end. IMHO, for JM to have shot at succeeding as a QB in the NFL, it will have to be with another team. Too much has transpired at Oakland and its clearly "in his head" now. Its time to move on now ( got it? :grin: ) Yeah, the reports about JaMarcus Russell weighing 300 pounds were overblown and he participated at minicamp over the weekend. But Russell's role has clearly changed and it's fair to wonder what Oakland's plan for Russell is, assuming there is one. Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune writes that Russell's snaps were limited in the final two practices of minicamp. Vittorio Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote Russell "seemed to regress each day" after a solid first practice. It's no surprise Russell is beginning to take a back seat. Why take snaps away from Jason Campbell for the sake of a phony competition? While there were some small signs of progress, McDonald noted Russell hardly looked like a quarterback worth $9.45 million this year. Perhaps Al Davis wants Russell around as insurance in case Campbell struggles or gets hurt, but the risk is not worth the reward. Bruce Gradkowski, Kyle Boller, and Charlie Frye work just fine as insurance policies. JaMarcus has limited snaps to close minicamp | ProFootballTalk.com
As expected, the good news on Russell is quickly waning: From Rotoworld: JaMarcus Russell's snaps decreased and he appeared to regress as the Raiders' minicamp went on. Reports of Russell's weight were overblown, but so are reports that he will be part of a true competition. Jason Campbell needs to be getting as many snaps as possible as he learns yet another new offense, so Russell will be a bystander. At this point, Russell appears to only be on the roster because owner Al Davis refuses to give up on the former No. 1 overall pick. RAIDERS / Back surgery can't keep Gallery down
