JaMarcus Russell is no long a doughy, unwanted quarterback. An offseason of heavy work not only trimmed blubber from his body, but it also has made the former Oakland Raidersfirst overall pick-turned-washout a quarterback weighed by NFL teams.
Suitors will have a chance to watch him April 10 in a pro day workout. Those expecting to see a blob who hadn't played since 2009 will be surprised.
JaMarcus Russell: A Raiders No. 1 pick, a major bust, now on the rebound. (AP Photo)
Down from 315 pounds when he began his regimen, Russell is at 288 and working toward being a ripped 270 pounds, according to media reports.
The former LSU quarterback failed to gain bite in the never-ending swirl of Raiders quarterback problems. He sulked and ate his way out of the NFL after failing in Oakland.
Now? With quality quarterbacks at a premium, several teams are interested as Russell seeks to redeem himself.
"I've been following his comeback story pretty closely," an NFC scout told CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman on Thursday. "A lot of teams are. Good chance he gets a second shot."
Obesity and lack of conditioning weren't the only knocks against Russell. Observers also said he lacked the attitude to succeed as a pro — NFL.com described him as a lazy, lethargic personality.
He is trying to allay fears with his strenuous fitness program and quarterback skills training.
"Through the first couple weeks, I could barely make it through the workout," Russell said. "We go in to do the warm-up, and here I am breathing like a fat man. Now I'm breathing pretty good and able to stand up on my own two feet."
If he can convince a team to take a chance, Russell might benefit from a perceived absence of quality QBs in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Is this not ironic? Many observers consider Russell among the biggest draft busts in recent history, right there with Ryan Leaf, and here he has a chance because the draft lacks depth.
At 27 and standing 6-6, Russell had tryouts in 2010 with the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. At LSU, he played at 256 pounds.
After being the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, he was lackluster with bad Raiders teams, going 7-18 with 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and a 52.1 percent completion rate over three seasons.
In addition to weight training, he has been working for former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia, who as a player was a success with much less talent than Russell had in college. Garcia, by the way, also is working with Mark Sanchez, the New York Jets starter of record whom critics consider a dud.
Both players have improved under Garcia's watch.
"This is a situation where if he doesn't do it now, it may never happen," Garcia told USA Today about Russell. "But if you look at where he was two months ago to where he is today, he's come a long way in demanding more out of himself than he ever did."
The Jets have considered signing Russell to compete with Sanchez in the offseason.
Reports also linked the Arizona Cardinals to Russell before they acquired Carson Palmer from the Raiders.
by Sporting News
No comments:
Post a Comment