For years the Cincinnati Bengals were the team of the troublemakers. Chris Henry, Odell Thurman, and others kept getting in trouble with the law and the big sheriff of the league, Commissioner Roger Goddell. Now they seem to be the scrapheap, where the junkyard dogs that everyone else abandoned can find a home.
You can go back to 2008 and find a starting point. Chris Henry was arrested for the 5th time, and the Bengals released him. He was suspended for 8 games but there were no takers. Then Mike Brown, against the wishes of his coach, Marvin Lewis, re-signed the troubled receiver. In doing so Brown said that he is a redeemer, and that he would give Henry one last shot.
The risk seemed to be working out for the best. Henry had difficulty getting back into the flow of the game in 2008, but some of that was seen as Carson Palmer not being on the field. In 2009 Henry showed flashes of his potential before breaking his arm, then tragically died in an accident during the season. Henry had kept himself out of trouble and looked to be on the path to redemption.
When Chris Perry showed that he was not going to be a bell cow ball carrier, the Bengals took in Cedric Benson, who had been a bust with Chicago, found his own trouble with the law and was released by the Bears. When he got a second chance to show that he was deserving of his 4th overall draft selection in 2005 he took the most of it. Benson finished the 2008 season with three 100 yard games, and rushed for over 1200 yards in 2009 despite sitting out 3 games with injuries.
Going into the 2010 season the Bengals have signed Matt Jones and Adam Jones. Matt was released by Jacksonville after being arrested for drug possession, and I don't know if this blog has enough space to list the problems Adam has had since coming into the league in 2005. Both were signed to low risk contracts and will be joining a team coming off of an AFC North Division title. With the efforts the Bengals have put into Henry and Benson, they know how to handle players who have had troubles and are coming off the scrapheap. If they can stay out of trouble as Henry did and can contribute on the field the Bengals will reap the benefits.
But now there is a possibility that the Bengals might sign JaMarcus Russell. Is there a better place for him? I don't think so. With Palmer as the starter, Russell would be strictly a backup. No pressure to carry the franchise, and I'm sure if he signs with any team the financial risk will be very small. Why not take a chance on Russell? If it is going to work out, it will probably happen in Cincinnati.
Showing posts with label JaMarcus Russell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JaMarcus Russell. Show all posts
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
1st Overall QBs in the Spotlight
The release of JaMarcus Russell has once again put the spotlight on quarterbacks who have been selected 1st overall in the NFL Draft. Since the Common Draft started in 1967, there have been 18 quarterbacks selected first overall. But 10 of those 18 have been drafted since Peyton Manning went to the Colts in 1998. It makes a good dividing line as to which players have been successful, and which ones did not pan out.
In Group 1 (1967-1997), the picks were Terry Bradshaw, Jim Plunkett, Steve Bartkowski, John Elway, Vinnie Testaverde, Troy Aikman, Jeff George, and Drew Bledsoe. Bradshaw, Elway, and Aikman are Hall of Famers. Plunkett won 2 Super Bowls, and Bledsoe played on the 2001 Super Bowl Champion Patriots. But it was never easy for any one of the eight. Bradshaw started on the bench in 1974, the year Pittsburgh won it's first championship. Elway had to face the criticism of not wanting to play in Baltimore, and it was 14 years before he won the title. Aikman shared the job with Steve Walsh, and took a beating in a 1-15 rookie season. Plunkett didn't pan out in New England, and was traded to San Francisco. He washed out there, and landed in Oakland as a backup. He got his chance and in 1980 led the Raiders to the title, as well as in 1983.
Bartkowski battled injuries and some bad teams in Atlanta, but he made them into winners for the first time in their history. Testaverde had a less than distinguished career, playing for some of the worst teams in the league in Tampa Bay. But he played for nearly 20 years, with a number of teams. Bledsoe turned a bad Patriot franchise into a Super Bowl team in 1996, and it was his injury in 2001 that gave Tom Brady a chance. George was a workot wonder, who his hometown Colts traded a fortune to Atlanta so they could take him in 1990. George had the most problems of any quarterback in this group, mainly because his value was overrated by the team that drafted him.
But the biggest difference between the first 8 and the last 10 is money. The advent of the rookie signing bonus has shined the spotlight even brighter than before. Russell received a $31 million bonus, and won a total of 7 games. But the situations a number of them have been put into is not a recipe for success.
Tim Couch and David Carr were selected by expansion franchises. Both players took a beating playing behind an offensive line of castoffs. Matthew Stafford had his rookie season interrupted by injuries. Alex Smith has also been injured, but he also has had difficutly with the switch from a spread offense to a pro style system, but he show flashes in 2009 that he is ready to fulfill his promise. Michael Vick showed flashes of brilliance, but two years in prison has sidetracked his career. The Manning Brothers each have a Super Bowl title, and Peyton is on his way to rewriting the record books.
What does this hold for Sam Bradford? First of all, the Rams need to have him signed and in training camp on time. Russell was a holdout, and his development was stunted because of it, not to mention his lack of work ethic. It may be in the best interest for the Rams to do with Bradford what Cincinnati did with Carson Palmer. Sit him out his rookie year. Give him a chance to learn the pro system. Give his shoulder a year to get stronger. Is endangering a rookie with a $45 million signing bonus the best thing for the franchise? At this time it may not be. But if the Rams want to stay in St. Louis they may want to put Bradford on the field and get fans in the stands.
One thing Bardford has in his favor at this time is that if he is just an average quarterback he will be held in higher regard than Couch, Vick, Carr, Smith and Russell. But how he handles the spotlight reamins to be seen.
In Group 1 (1967-1997), the picks were Terry Bradshaw, Jim Plunkett, Steve Bartkowski, John Elway, Vinnie Testaverde, Troy Aikman, Jeff George, and Drew Bledsoe. Bradshaw, Elway, and Aikman are Hall of Famers. Plunkett won 2 Super Bowls, and Bledsoe played on the 2001 Super Bowl Champion Patriots. But it was never easy for any one of the eight. Bradshaw started on the bench in 1974, the year Pittsburgh won it's first championship. Elway had to face the criticism of not wanting to play in Baltimore, and it was 14 years before he won the title. Aikman shared the job with Steve Walsh, and took a beating in a 1-15 rookie season. Plunkett didn't pan out in New England, and was traded to San Francisco. He washed out there, and landed in Oakland as a backup. He got his chance and in 1980 led the Raiders to the title, as well as in 1983.
Bartkowski battled injuries and some bad teams in Atlanta, but he made them into winners for the first time in their history. Testaverde had a less than distinguished career, playing for some of the worst teams in the league in Tampa Bay. But he played for nearly 20 years, with a number of teams. Bledsoe turned a bad Patriot franchise into a Super Bowl team in 1996, and it was his injury in 2001 that gave Tom Brady a chance. George was a workot wonder, who his hometown Colts traded a fortune to Atlanta so they could take him in 1990. George had the most problems of any quarterback in this group, mainly because his value was overrated by the team that drafted him.
But the biggest difference between the first 8 and the last 10 is money. The advent of the rookie signing bonus has shined the spotlight even brighter than before. Russell received a $31 million bonus, and won a total of 7 games. But the situations a number of them have been put into is not a recipe for success.
Tim Couch and David Carr were selected by expansion franchises. Both players took a beating playing behind an offensive line of castoffs. Matthew Stafford had his rookie season interrupted by injuries. Alex Smith has also been injured, but he also has had difficutly with the switch from a spread offense to a pro style system, but he show flashes in 2009 that he is ready to fulfill his promise. Michael Vick showed flashes of brilliance, but two years in prison has sidetracked his career. The Manning Brothers each have a Super Bowl title, and Peyton is on his way to rewriting the record books.
What does this hold for Sam Bradford? First of all, the Rams need to have him signed and in training camp on time. Russell was a holdout, and his development was stunted because of it, not to mention his lack of work ethic. It may be in the best interest for the Rams to do with Bradford what Cincinnati did with Carson Palmer. Sit him out his rookie year. Give him a chance to learn the pro system. Give his shoulder a year to get stronger. Is endangering a rookie with a $45 million signing bonus the best thing for the franchise? At this time it may not be. But if the Rams want to stay in St. Louis they may want to put Bradford on the field and get fans in the stands.
One thing Bardford has in his favor at this time is that if he is just an average quarterback he will be held in higher regard than Couch, Vick, Carr, Smith and Russell. But how he handles the spotlight reamins to be seen.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Debate over the Biggest Draft Bust Ever
It's official. The JaMarcus Russell era has ended in Oakland. And it may be over for good. As I have written before, I don't see any team picking him up. Why would they? He never did show any semblance of a work ethic, was never in shape and never seemed to pick up the offense of be able to read defenses. Unless there is a miraculous comeback, Russell could very well go down as the biggest draft bust ever.
In the annals of the NFL, the biggest draft busts are quarterbacks. They are the marquee players, and being in the spotlight makes them easy targets for criticism. But when their performance doesn't reflect their draft status, they get the label of draft bust.
You can go back to 1979, when the Cincinnati Bengals selected Jack Thompson #3 overall. It was believed that Ken Anderson was at the end of his career, but Thompson never did play well. Anderson revived his career under Forrest Gregg, and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 1981. Thompson was eventually traded to Tampa Bay, and was out of the league before you realized he was in.
Twenty years later the Bengals selected Akili Smith with the #3 overall selection. He didn't are any better than Thompson. He held out, never did pick up the offense and had trouble reading defenses (sounds a lot like Russell, doesn't it?) Smith was released when Marvin Lewis came in and drafted Carson Palmer #1 overall in 2003. He failed to find a home in the NFL and like Thompson was out of the league in a hurry.
In the 90's, the quarterback bust list was long. Heath Shuler and Rick Mirer failed badly in the NFL. Tim Couch and Cade McNown were in the same draft class as Smith, and didn't fare any better. But the bust that everyone else is measured against is Ryan Leaf.
His bust status is so high because some people actually had him graded higher than Peyton Manning. I imagine that those personnel staffers are no longer working in the NFL. San Diego traded up 1 spot to draft Leaf, and gave up a number of picks to do it. Which never made sense to me because Arizona already had Jake Plummer at quarterback, and they had no reason to draft Leaf except as leverage. Then Leaf took the field, and was a disaster. He was even worse off the field. The less I say the better. He is simply put the poster boy for bad behavior.
It will be seen as to whether or not Russell will be a bigger draft bust than Russell. But if he doesn't get picked up by another team to prove himself I'd say yes, the Biggest Draft Bust EVER.
In the annals of the NFL, the biggest draft busts are quarterbacks. They are the marquee players, and being in the spotlight makes them easy targets for criticism. But when their performance doesn't reflect their draft status, they get the label of draft bust.
You can go back to 1979, when the Cincinnati Bengals selected Jack Thompson #3 overall. It was believed that Ken Anderson was at the end of his career, but Thompson never did play well. Anderson revived his career under Forrest Gregg, and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 1981. Thompson was eventually traded to Tampa Bay, and was out of the league before you realized he was in.
Twenty years later the Bengals selected Akili Smith with the #3 overall selection. He didn't are any better than Thompson. He held out, never did pick up the offense and had trouble reading defenses (sounds a lot like Russell, doesn't it?) Smith was released when Marvin Lewis came in and drafted Carson Palmer #1 overall in 2003. He failed to find a home in the NFL and like Thompson was out of the league in a hurry.
In the 90's, the quarterback bust list was long. Heath Shuler and Rick Mirer failed badly in the NFL. Tim Couch and Cade McNown were in the same draft class as Smith, and didn't fare any better. But the bust that everyone else is measured against is Ryan Leaf.
His bust status is so high because some people actually had him graded higher than Peyton Manning. I imagine that those personnel staffers are no longer working in the NFL. San Diego traded up 1 spot to draft Leaf, and gave up a number of picks to do it. Which never made sense to me because Arizona already had Jake Plummer at quarterback, and they had no reason to draft Leaf except as leverage. Then Leaf took the field, and was a disaster. He was even worse off the field. The less I say the better. He is simply put the poster boy for bad behavior.
It will be seen as to whether or not Russell will be a bigger draft bust than Russell. But if he doesn't get picked up by another team to prove himself I'd say yes, the Biggest Draft Bust EVER.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Curious Case of JaMarcus Russell
The Oakland Raiders had, by all accounts, a successful draft. A hard hitting middle linebacker. A versatile defensive lineman. Two promising bookend tackles. And to cap it off they made a trade to settle their quarterback situation.
When it was announced that the Raiders traded for Jason Campbell, Head Coach Tom Cable came out and announced that Campbell would be the starter. The incumbent quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, seemed to be on his way out of town. The only question was when.
Then a curious thing happened. Tom Cable discovered that he does not have as much pull with the team as he thought. Now Cable has come out and stated that there will be an open competition for the starting quarterback job. The man with all the power in the organization had to have told Cable that JaMarcus Russell still has a job, and that man is Al Davis.
When the Russell Release Watch started, you could find video all over the place of Al Davis at the infamous news conference after he fired Lane Kiffen making a statement that Kiffen wanted to draft Calvin Johnson, and that even though Kiffen didn't want Russell, that he was the starting quarterback. Get over it. I wonder how many times Davis watched this.
Davis had to have seen it and thought 'No one tells me what to do here!' So Russell stays with the Raiders and gets his roster bonus. It doesn't matter that Russell has been an unmitigated bust. No one tells Al Davis what to do.
For his credit, Russell has come out ans stated the he is going to work his butt off. The problem is that his lack of work ethic has enabled his butt to get so big that he probably never will be able to work it back into decent playing shape. Now the Raiders have a problem that many teams have had over the years and never did handle properly. They have 2 quarterbacks. And when you have 2 quarterbacks you don't have A QUARTERBACK.
I have always liked Jason Campbell. I think he is in a situation out in Oakland where he can get settled into the starters position and be the quarterback that the Redskins thought he would be when they drafted him in the first round back in 2005. Now his hardest task awaits. He needs to convince Al Davis that he is the man for the job. I don't see it happening any time soon.
When it was announced that the Raiders traded for Jason Campbell, Head Coach Tom Cable came out and announced that Campbell would be the starter. The incumbent quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, seemed to be on his way out of town. The only question was when.
Then a curious thing happened. Tom Cable discovered that he does not have as much pull with the team as he thought. Now Cable has come out and stated that there will be an open competition for the starting quarterback job. The man with all the power in the organization had to have told Cable that JaMarcus Russell still has a job, and that man is Al Davis.
When the Russell Release Watch started, you could find video all over the place of Al Davis at the infamous news conference after he fired Lane Kiffen making a statement that Kiffen wanted to draft Calvin Johnson, and that even though Kiffen didn't want Russell, that he was the starting quarterback. Get over it. I wonder how many times Davis watched this.
Davis had to have seen it and thought 'No one tells me what to do here!' So Russell stays with the Raiders and gets his roster bonus. It doesn't matter that Russell has been an unmitigated bust. No one tells Al Davis what to do.
For his credit, Russell has come out ans stated the he is going to work his butt off. The problem is that his lack of work ethic has enabled his butt to get so big that he probably never will be able to work it back into decent playing shape. Now the Raiders have a problem that many teams have had over the years and never did handle properly. They have 2 quarterbacks. And when you have 2 quarterbacks you don't have A QUARTERBACK.
I have always liked Jason Campbell. I think he is in a situation out in Oakland where he can get settled into the starters position and be the quarterback that the Redskins thought he would be when they drafted him in the first round back in 2005. Now his hardest task awaits. He needs to convince Al Davis that he is the man for the job. I don't see it happening any time soon.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Next stop for Jimmy Clausen
Mike Shanahan seems to be channelling his inner George Allen. The Future Is Now. Many believed that the Redskins would draft Jimmy Clausen with the fourth overall selection in the upcoming 2010 NFL Draft. Now that Washington has made the trade for Donovan McNabb, where Clausen lands in the draft could very well be determined by what happens to Jason Campbell.
The Redskins have two options with Campbell. Keep him as a backup, or trade him. The offseason signing of Rex Grossman seems to be the indicator that the backup role is already filled, so now they are looking to trade their former 1st Round pick. Going down from Washington on the draft board, it will be interesting to see if any of the teams in the top half of the draft will make a deal.
Kansas City has Matt Cassell, so that doesn't look like a team that would pick up Campbell. Seattle just traded for Charlie Whitehurst, and they also have Matt Hasslebeck, so their quarterback situation looks to be set. Then there is Cleveland. They released Derek Anderson and traded Brady Quinn, then signed Jake Delhomme and traded for Seneca Wallace. Since Mike Holmgren coached Wallace at Seattle, he knows what he is getting in him and I can't see the new General Manager looking to muddle the quarterback situation there even more by adding another ingredient to the mix. Oakland has JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski. They seem to be upset that McNabb did not land out on the West Coast, and they have to decide whether trading for Campbell is the move that will help them win now.
Buffalo can sit and wait at the ninth slot. They might see Campbell as an improvement over Trent Edwards, or they can select Clausen as their franchise quarterback. A week ago Jimmy Clausen looks to be signing a $20 million plus signing bonus if Washington were to select him fourth overall. Now he might fall out of the top ten if Bufflao looks in another direction. But I don't see Clausen falling too far, and some team is going to get a quarterback who played in a pro style offense in college and now has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. But Clausen will need to hit the ground running. I thought the same thing about Brady Quinn three seasons ago when he fell to #22, but he and his agent overestimated his worth and a holdout cost him dearly. If Clausen gets signed and in camp early, look for him to have an immediate impact with the team that he falls to in the draft.
The Redskins have two options with Campbell. Keep him as a backup, or trade him. The offseason signing of Rex Grossman seems to be the indicator that the backup role is already filled, so now they are looking to trade their former 1st Round pick. Going down from Washington on the draft board, it will be interesting to see if any of the teams in the top half of the draft will make a deal.
Kansas City has Matt Cassell, so that doesn't look like a team that would pick up Campbell. Seattle just traded for Charlie Whitehurst, and they also have Matt Hasslebeck, so their quarterback situation looks to be set. Then there is Cleveland. They released Derek Anderson and traded Brady Quinn, then signed Jake Delhomme and traded for Seneca Wallace. Since Mike Holmgren coached Wallace at Seattle, he knows what he is getting in him and I can't see the new General Manager looking to muddle the quarterback situation there even more by adding another ingredient to the mix. Oakland has JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski. They seem to be upset that McNabb did not land out on the West Coast, and they have to decide whether trading for Campbell is the move that will help them win now.
Buffalo can sit and wait at the ninth slot. They might see Campbell as an improvement over Trent Edwards, or they can select Clausen as their franchise quarterback. A week ago Jimmy Clausen looks to be signing a $20 million plus signing bonus if Washington were to select him fourth overall. Now he might fall out of the top ten if Bufflao looks in another direction. But I don't see Clausen falling too far, and some team is going to get a quarterback who played in a pro style offense in college and now has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. But Clausen will need to hit the ground running. I thought the same thing about Brady Quinn three seasons ago when he fell to #22, but he and his agent overestimated his worth and a holdout cost him dearly. If Clausen gets signed and in camp early, look for him to have an immediate impact with the team that he falls to in the draft.
Monday, March 29, 2010
All sorts of Quarterback news
Sam Bradford finally had his workout at the University of Oklahoma for NFL coaches, scouts and front office personnel. 63 passes later it looks like an Ivory Soap percentage that St. Louis will take him 1st overall-99 and 44/100%. The Rams have announced that they won't make up their mind until Bradford works out again for them 3 days before the draft.
Now if this is the case it looks to be a long shot that he will be signed before the draft, unless there is a little cloak and dagger negotiations going on behind the scenes. I just wonder how much of an issue the signing bonus is going to play in all of this. St. Louis has been put in their own little version of Salary Cap Hell with the bonus money paid out to the #2 overall picks from 2008 and 2009, Chris Long and Jason Smith. Quarterbacks always demand, and get, the premium signing bonus payouts for their draft slots. Matthew Stafford got a nearly $42 million signing bonus as the 1st overall pick in 2009. With the addition of Bradford's contract look for the Rams to be a vocal proponent of a rookie salary cap during the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
Even though Bradford does not look to start right away, considering his lack of experience taking snaps under center, what the Rams can't afford is a holdout. Which brings me to the other big quarterback news of the day. The Oakland Raiders has emerged as the front runner to trade for Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have stated they will take a pick in the top 42 for McNabb, and Oakland has the 39th overall selection. Now if this trade does occur, it begs the question: What will happen to JaMarcus Russell?
If there was ever a quarterback who might end up the poster child for First Overall Selection Busts, it looks to be Russell. Lengthy holdout. Rarely played in his rookie season. Then the Raiders discovered that his work ethic did not match his arm strength. After three seasons he still seems to have trouble grasping the pro game. On his side his biggest supporter is Al Davis. But when the Raiders start winning games with Bruce Gradkowski, and the rest of the team seems the journeyman backup as the real leader of the team, then you have to think that Russell's days are numbered.
Now Oakland is looking to acquire Donovan McNabb. Could it be that Russell could be released after just 3 seasons? It is possible. Oakland could sign McNabb to an extension, let go of Russell and just cut their losses. But I wonder: If Russell is released, who would sign him? I'm sure someone will, but I imagine his days as a starter in the NFL are numbered.
Now if this is the case it looks to be a long shot that he will be signed before the draft, unless there is a little cloak and dagger negotiations going on behind the scenes. I just wonder how much of an issue the signing bonus is going to play in all of this. St. Louis has been put in their own little version of Salary Cap Hell with the bonus money paid out to the #2 overall picks from 2008 and 2009, Chris Long and Jason Smith. Quarterbacks always demand, and get, the premium signing bonus payouts for their draft slots. Matthew Stafford got a nearly $42 million signing bonus as the 1st overall pick in 2009. With the addition of Bradford's contract look for the Rams to be a vocal proponent of a rookie salary cap during the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
Even though Bradford does not look to start right away, considering his lack of experience taking snaps under center, what the Rams can't afford is a holdout. Which brings me to the other big quarterback news of the day. The Oakland Raiders has emerged as the front runner to trade for Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have stated they will take a pick in the top 42 for McNabb, and Oakland has the 39th overall selection. Now if this trade does occur, it begs the question: What will happen to JaMarcus Russell?
If there was ever a quarterback who might end up the poster child for First Overall Selection Busts, it looks to be Russell. Lengthy holdout. Rarely played in his rookie season. Then the Raiders discovered that his work ethic did not match his arm strength. After three seasons he still seems to have trouble grasping the pro game. On his side his biggest supporter is Al Davis. But when the Raiders start winning games with Bruce Gradkowski, and the rest of the team seems the journeyman backup as the real leader of the team, then you have to think that Russell's days are numbered.
Now Oakland is looking to acquire Donovan McNabb. Could it be that Russell could be released after just 3 seasons? It is possible. Oakland could sign McNabb to an extension, let go of Russell and just cut their losses. But I wonder: If Russell is released, who would sign him? I'm sure someone will, but I imagine his days as a starter in the NFL are numbered.
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