[Oakland Raiders News]

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Raiders can't afford to risk big money on Russell
San Mateo County Times, CA - 1 hour ago
WHEN YOU'RE putting $29 million on the come line — and that's essentially what the Oakland Raiders will be doing if they wind up using the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft on Saturday — you want the best possible odds for success.
In fact, for that kind of cash, you want the closest thing possible to a lock or it could set your franchise back for a decade ... and the Raiders already don't have much room to go backward.

That figure, $29 million, is probably the amount of guaranteed money the Raiders will have to pay the No. 1 pick, regardless of who it is. The full contract will probably be in the $60 mil neighborhood for six years.

That estimate is based on the escalation of contracts given to recent No. 1 picks. Houston defensive end Mario Williams received a $54 million six-year deal last year of which $26.5 million was guaranteed. In 2005, Alex Smith got $49.5 million over six years, $24 million guaranteed, which was 20percent more than Eli Manning received the year before.

So, if the top pick does wind up being LSU's JaMarcus Russell, as so many draft experts seem to think it'll be, the Raiders will be handing over a minimum of $29 mil to a guy who made just 29 college starts. Gulp. If you've studied the high bust quotient on quarterbacks with fewer than 40 college starts, you can understand why the Raiders haven't yet tipped their hand on what they might do.

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 09:39:16 GMT

Post your comments about this story here.

[Lefty Noob]

"With that in mind, despite what the experts say, it'll be a surprise here if the Raiders throw caution to the wind and simply use the No. 1 pick on Russell," the above article continues. "The financial stakes of failure are potentially too cataclysmic. They can't afford to make a brazen hunch play, even if they adore the guy... Economics will dictate a safer route and a surer bet: Johnson or a trade down that lands Russell or Quinn significantly cheaper."

So if they stay at #1, they should take Johnson. Otherwise trade down, save money and get whichever QB you can. You agree?

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

"With that in mind, despite what the experts say, it'll be a surprise here if the Raiders throw caution to the wind and simply use the No. 1 pick on Russell," the above article continues. "The financial stakes of failure are potentially too cataclysmic. They can't afford to make a brazen hunch play, even if they adore the guy... Economics will dictate a safer route and a surer bet: Johnson or a trade down that lands Russell or Quinn significantly cheaper."

So if they stay at #1, they should take Johnson. Otherwise trade down, save money and get whichever QB you can. You agree?

Johnson will not saved the franchised and there are now small character issues with him admitting to having done drugs...

Russell may only have had 29 starts but he is accurate, mobile and hasa cannon of an arm...and they say he can progress through his sets of receivers to find the open man...that is good enough for me...

In order to win big, you got to take risk, and Russell is a calculated risk a team like the Raiders should be willing to take.

[Lefty Noob]

The thing that bothers me about Russell is everyone's basically going off of this one season with him. They have short memories.

LSUTiger QB Controversy
LSU Tigers QB JaMarcus Russell
LSU quarterback controversy

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

The thing that bothers me about Russell is everyone's basically going off of this one season with him. They have short memories.

LSUTiger QB Controversy
LSU Tigers QB JaMarcus Russell
LSU quarterback controversy

you know, I still favor Brady Quinn...but i have had a chance to read up on Russell a bit...I had plenty of time on my flights in and out of town thus week...and what I read up on I like...

I would roll the die on him...