JaMarcus Russell rumors with New York Jets arise as team considers former NFL draft bust. Is the former Oakland Raiders quarterback better than Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow?
The New York Jets were one of the weakest teams in the NFL at quarterback last season and the franchise is prepared to look at any and all options for the 2013 season. One of those options is a former No.1 -overall pick that washed out of the league a few years ago.
According to Yahoo Sports, Connor Orr of The Star-Ledger reports that the Jets' personnel department had internal, exploratory discussions about free agent quarterback JaMarcus Russell after the dismissal of former GM Mike Tannenbaum.
After news came out about the Jets' interest, Orr later tweeted that the team will not be pursuing the quarterback. He wrote: "Per person w/ knowledge of #Jets plans, no interest in Russell. Reported Monday there were some very informal discussions. No interest tho"
Russell was a number one overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2007 after playing college football at LSU. He had all the physical tools to be a good quarterback and decided to hold out for a large contract, eventually signing a six-year deal worth a maximum of $68 million with over $32 million in guarantees.
He started only one game during his rookie season after holding out and then took over the starting job in 2008. Over the next three seasons, Russell started 25 of 31 games, completing 52.1 percent of 680 pass attempts for 4,083 yards with 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, while also losing 15 of his 25 fumbles.
Russell was a winner in college, where he went 21-4 as a starter and won MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl, but the NFL was another story. Russell made $39 million for his three seasons with the Raiders before being released.
The 27-year-old has also dealt with problems off the field, including when he was arrested in Alabama for felony possession of codeine syrup without a prescription. Although a grand jury declined to indict him on the charges later that year, the arrest scared any NFL interest away.
Reports came out last week that Russell was working out and training to attempt a comeback in the NFL. Russell weighed 320 pounds in the fall, but has dropped to 308 since working on football activities. Yahoo Sports reports that he will be working with by former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia on technique, Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk on reading defenses and several other former players, doctors and trainers.
The Jets are in desperate need for a quarterback and if they did decide to pursue Russell, it would show how truly desperate they are. The team ranked 30th in total offense and 30th in passing, with just 180 yards per game.
New general manager John Idzik comes from Seattle and has experience bringing in players that were out of the league for an extended period of time and had little interest from any other teams. The Seahawks brought in former USC wide receiver Mike Williams in 2010 to solid success and also has success with cornerback Brandon Browner, who made the Pro Bowl after being out of the NFL for five years.
Idzik spoke to WFAN on Monday about the quarterback situation and said that the team was "comfortable" with quarterback Mark Sanchez, but his regime will be about creating competition.
"Yeah, I'm comfortable with Mark being a Jet," Idzik said on WFAN Monday morning. "I told him as well, we're going to add competition...It's going to help make Mark and everybody else better."
Sanchez threw for 2,883 yards with just 13 touchdowns and 18 interceptions while completing less than 55 percent of his passes. Over the past two seasons he has turned over the ball 50 times, more than anyone else in the NFL.
Russell and quarterback Ryan Leaf are considered to be the two biggest draft busts of all-time. Leaf was the No. 2-overall pick behind Peyton Manning in 1999 and washed out of the league in a few years.