I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Oakland Raiders’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-west-post-draft-analysis/oakland-raiders ).

Oakland made a statement when they selected Rolando McClain with the 8^th pick overall.  The former Alabama All-American has fine physical tools, but the most impressive part of his game is his preparation skills.  McClain loves to study film and diagnose plays quickly on the field.  It appears that the Raiders finally hit bottom when rocket-armed JaMarcus Russell proved to be a bust.

The Raiders stayed patient and disciplined during the draft.  They waited for the talented, but raw Bruce Campbell to fall to the 4^th round and then scooped him up.  Where a player is drafted makes all of the difference in the world.

The Raiders are still digging out from years of poor drafts that emphasized workout warriors over production and strong intangibles for the game.  Oakland seemed to have a different plan with this year’s draft.  If they can string together productive drafts in 2011 and 2012 the Silver & Black may really be back.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Denver Broncos’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-west-post-draft-analysis/denver-broncos ).

The selection of Tim Tebow will make or break Denver’s draft class.  I certainly have my doubts about the former Heisman Trophy winner developing into a quality NFL starting quarterback.  He is trying his best to speed up his delivery and improve his accuracy and timing.  Tebow has all of the intangibles that you look for in a quarterback.  However, what top quarterback had to work so much on the basic mechanics of throwing the football?

Many young quarterbacks have much to learn about reading NFL defenses and the nuances of playing the position at the highest level.  The raw talent of throwing the football extremely well is a given.  No one had to work with Joe Flacco’s (18^th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft) release or passing mechanics.  His exceptional throwing ability was something that he always had.  Whether the former Gator great has the raw passing skills to play quarterback at a high level in the NFL is a major question mark.

I will be rooting for Tebow to prove me wrong.  His work ethic, determination, toughness and passion for the game are admirable.  There are so many 1^st round quarterback busts who fail because of laziness and a lack of commitment to football.  JaMarcus Russell could not be bothered with studying film and honing his skills.  Ryan Leaf was happy to cash his big signing bonus and was outraged that the Chargers expected something in return.  Cade McNown was more interested in chasing Playboy Playmates than playing football.  It is not hard to root for as fine a young man and a football junkie like Tim Tebow when there are so many gifted players who waste their talent and disrespect the game.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 St. Louis Rams’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-west-post-draft-analysis/st-louis-rams ).

Some years are better than others to have the top overall pick in the NFL Draft.  The quarterback position has been the 1^st pick in the draft more than any other position.  This makes sense because it is the most important position in football.

The past 11 years a quarterback has been the top pick 8 times (73%).  Unfortunately, a top franchise quarterback is not available in every draft and teams will reach for a signal caller because of the importance of the position.  This is why so many quarterbacks taken number one overall disappointment and are not worth the selection.  Tim Couch (1999 NFL Draft), Michael Vick (2001 NFL Draft), David Carr (2002 NFL Draft), Alex Smith (2005 NFL Draft) and JaMarcus Russell (2007 NFL Draft) were all disappointments, as the top pick.  All of these players lacked either elite physical talent or the rare intangibles (work ethic, instincts for the position) to become a star.

The Rams were lucky that Sam Bradford was available in this year’s draft.  This does not mean that the former Oklahoma star is a sure thing.  Bradford has to prove that he can be durable.  However, Bradford has many qualities that lead me to believe that he has a very bright future in the NFL.  He may not have a rocket for an arm (JaMarcus Russell should put to rest the importance of having a cannon), but he can make all of the throws.  His intangibles for the position are outstanding.  You cannot teach a quarterback to have a great internal clock.  Some just seem to have a sixth sense on when to deliver the football.  You also cannot teach accuracy.  Bradford is a mature young man who has a strong work ethic.  He is going to give the Rams everything he has and I just hope that St. Louis can surround him with enough talent to not waste his ability.

Al Davis finally decided to cut his losses with JaMarcus Russell.  The Raiders’ owner does not like to admit his mistakes, but the 2007 number one overall pick’s production was awful.  Oakland paid Russell 39 million dollars for a 52% passer with 18 touchdown passes, 23 interceptions, a bunch of fumbles and absolutely no leadership in three years of employment.  That is not much of a return on their investment.

Russell’s colossal failure highlights the importance of football character.  The former LSU standout was a lazy and unmotivated quarterback.  He relied on his god-given gifts of tremendous size and a howitzer for an arm and thought that would be enough.  The warning signs were there right from the start.  Russell was not chomping at the bit to play quarterback for the Oakland Raiders and did not sign his rookie contract until almost mid-September.  His rookie season was basically a wash because of the extended holdout.  This contrasts sharply with how Mark Sanchez was so eager to be the Jets quarterback that he ordered his agent to make sure he was in training camp on time.  Sanchez gained valuable experience during his rookie season and is on his way to being a quality starter at the game’s most important position.

Russell simply did not have the work ethic or drive to study film and speed up his decision-making process.  It became very clear in his 3^rd season that Russell had little appetite for the game (food was a different story).  The Raiders were not an ideal situation for him to go to, but Russell deserves much of the blame.  Oakland had no chance of winning when their “franchise” quarterback had such a lackadaisical approach to the game.

Every NFL team should live by a draft rule that a top 10 selection must be a self-starter.  I spoke with a former NFL scout that lives in Baton Rouge about Russell prior to the 2007 NFL Draft.  He told me that JaMarcus was one of the laziest players he had ever scouted.  It was not a secret that Russell was not exactly a ball of fire.  However, he parlayed a big Sugar Bowl performance against Notre Dame and an impressive pro day into the top pick in the draft.   The former LSU quarterback looked good against Notre Dame, but he was playing against future accountants and insurance agents!  Notre Dame did not have a defense loaded with future NFL players.  I still remember his pro day and how the buzz was he threw lasers all over the field.  Russell’s size and arm strength were never the issue.  His work ethic, dedication to the game and competitiveness should have been the focal point.

The Raiders could have saved themselves a lot of money and won more games had they focused on football character over raw athletic tools.  The team has apparently finally learned their lesson with the selection of Rolando McClain with the 8^th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.  McClain’s greatest strength is he is a student of the game and one of the smartest players in the draft.  It looks like the skies are brightening for the Raiders and a once proud franchise may be turning the corner.

Oakland quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, is off to a terrible start this season (31 completions in 75 attempts (41%), 378 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions) and facing a lot of criticism.  Many critics lay blame on his questionable work ethic.  No one will confuse Russell’s dedication to the game with Peyton Manning’s.  However, I believe the biggest reason for Russell’s poor start lies with the organization as a whole.  No position in sports is more reliant on coaching and the surrounding talent than quarterback.  Oakland has essentially set JaMarcus Russell up to fail by providing him with a weak coaching staff, an average offensive line and possibly the worst set of receivers in the NFL.  That is not a recipe for a young quarterback to succeed and start developing confidence.

Paul Hackett is Russell’s quarterback coach.  This is the same Paul Hackett who compiled a 13-20 record at the University of Pittsburgh as their head coach.  He then became the head coach at USC and proceeded to lead them to a 19-18 record and the darkest period in the school’s illustrious history.  So, maybe he was not cut out to be a head coach.  Well, Hackett also did not cut it as offensive coordinator of the Jets and resigned after 3 disappointing seasons in 2004. 

Tom Cable became the Raiders’ head coach last season after Lane Kiffin was fired.  Cable’s only previous head coaching experience was at Idaho.  He led them to an 11-35 record in 4 straight losing seasons.  It is safe to say that JaMarcus Russell is not  being coached by people with sterling track records.  This is almost like boarding a ship and being told that the captain previously skippered the Titanic and the first mate the Andrea Dorea!  It makes you realize how fortunate Joe Montana (head coach, Bill Walsh), Dan Marino (head coach, Don Shula) and Troy Aikman (offensive coordinator, Norv Turner) were to have excellent teachers early in their careers.

How is Russell supposed to succeed when his starting wide receivers are two raw rookies?  Louis Murphy has been decent, but Darrius Heyward-Bey has been invisible (1 catch for 18 yards in 3 games).  Oakland gambled big-time when they drafted Heyward-Bey with the 7th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.  I wrote in my post-draft analysis of the Raiders that if Heyward-Bey is not the second- coming of Cliff Branch then it would set the Raiders (and Russell) back for years.  You have to give the young man time to develop, but it is not surprising that he is struggling.  Russell desperately needs a playmaker at wide receiver.  It does wonders for any quarterback to have a receiver that can go up and take a ball away from two defenders, or break a tackle and turn a simple 10-yard pass into a 60-yard touchdown. 

JaMarcus Russell is still a very young quarterback and possesses a truly gifted right arm.  Yes, I am sure his work habits could be better and he makes some poor decisions on the field.  However, quarterbacks must be developed and with the crew that surrounds him, I have a hard time seeing him fulfilling his potential.

The Dallas Cowboys were coming off of three straight 5-11 seasons after the 2002 season.  Cowboys’ owner and GM, Jerry Jones, recognized his franchise needed help and he swallowed his pride and hired Bill Parcells to turn the team into a winner again.  Parcells was given control over personnel and the players knew that the coach had power and was not a Jerry Jones puppet (i.e. Dave Campo, Chan Gailey and Barry Switzer).

Al Davis is a NFL legend and deservedly so for all that he has accomplished.  The Oakland Raiders are a storied franchise because of Al Davis.  However, today the franchise is like a great boxer that stays around too long and is now getting knocked out by journeymen.  Oakland has averaged a miserable 4 wins per season over the past 5 years.  It is particularly a waste to see a very talented young quarterback (JaMarcus Russell) whose development has to be stunted by the instability in the organization and the revolving door of head coaches.  Parcells played a large role in developing Tony Romo into a productive starting quarterback.  Romo has a fraction of the natural talent that Russell possesses.

The smartest statement that Al Davis said in his press conference explaining the firing of Lane Kiffin was that the team must develop JaMarcus Russell.  The question is who is going to do this?  Tom Cable?  There is nothing in Tom Cable’s unimpressive coaching resume (4 straight losing seasons as head coach at Idaho and brief stints on the coaching staff at UCLA and the Falcons) that suggests he is the man to lead Russell or the Raiders to greatness.  Cable is Oakland’s version of Dave Campo.  Al Davis needs to check his ego at the door and sell the next head coach (when Cable is dismissed) of the Raiders that he will have real power.

Oakland has a nucleus of young talent (JaMarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, Zach Miller, Michael Bush, Nnambi Asomugha, Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard and DeAngelo Hall) to build around.  The Raiders head coaching position should not be considered a “bad” job.  Oakland has young talent, a passionate fan base and tradition.  It is up to Al Davis to pull a Jerry Jones and convince the next head coach that he will have major say-so and that Davis can take a step back.