Jamarcus Russell

[BigGameMN]

If Jamarcus Russell comes out this year, where will he go? Mel Kiper said the Lions may draft him. I think he will go in the top 5 at the least. Look for the Browns to maybe try to snag him.

Also, there is a chance he jumps Quinn and the Raiders grab him. He's clearly outplaying Quinn right now as I type in the Sugar Bowl. He can move which would be a help in Oakland considering their line problems. He's also huge so he can take a hit. And the guy has a rocket for an arm. As a matter of fact, the more I think of it, I think there is a good chance he goes #1.

[general counsel]

they say he can throw 85 yards in the air, 60 yards from his knees and 40 yards sitting on his butt. From what i can see in the game, it looks like he has a cannon for an arm. He just threw a 60 yard td pass, perfect throw, flatfooted. He is also 6 foot 6. Looks really impressive. Nick, guidance please.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[BigGameMN]

He just threw a 60 yard td pass, perfect throw, flatfooted.

I saw that, what a great throw. He looked better than Quinn in that game, and I bet he comes out.

[Nick]

He definitely outplayed Quinn, but most expected that considering the Notre Dame defense isn't as talented as LSU's. If you watched the game, the Notre Dame DBs looked horrid more than once. That being said, showing up in a big game and getting your team a win with some of those throws he made says something, definitely.

Looking at the two of them, Brady Quinn is probably safer and more pro ready and would be able to step in and play sooner, because Russell has big questions about his decision making. That being said, Russell clearly has the better physical tools, has a canon for an arm, and has a much higher ceiling IMO. This reminds me of last year's Leinart/Young debate - do you take the more pro-ready Leinart or do you go after Young who has more upside and is more of an athlete?

He could go as high as first overall if Al Davis falls in love with that arm, but if he comes out I don't think he makes it outside of the top eight at this point.

[general counsel]

Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope he comes out. We dont need him and someone ahead of us will take him, leaving us one better player on the board to select. No guarantee that will be someone we need of course, but if he comes out, in effect, we move up one pick in the draft.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[RAMarkable]

they say he can throw 85 yards in the air, 60 yards from his knees and 40 yards sitting on his butt. From what i can see in the game, it looks like he has a cannon for an arm. He just threw a 60 yard td pass, perfect throw, flatfooted. He is also 6 foot 6. Looks really impressive. Nick, guidance please.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

Heh! Be a little careful here, GC. If you'll recall they said the same thing about Kyle (The Steaming Pile) Boller when he came out 3 years ago. He's now on the bench in Baltimore and looks like he'll be there awhile.

WHAT SAY YE?

[mcpeepants232003]

Boller only had one good season and that was under qb guru Jeff Tedford. His completion pct was terrible in college. Russell is the far superior player.

[RedArcher7]

There are four players on the Notre Dame team that run anything faster than a 4.6. And they weren't covering the Wide outs of LSU. Russel, if he comes out will be a first round pick, top have of the draft. The Lions do need a quarterback so Russel going to the Lions makes sense if the Raiders take Quinn. Quinn is the best quarterback in this draft and most pro-ready as Nick said. Russel isn't known for his mobility, he's no Vick, or Young by any stretch. But I'm thinking more of a bigger Byron Leftwitch, at any rate he's gonna need mobility if he plays behind the hoola-hoop ring that is the Oakland offensive line.

[Bar-bq]

There are four players on the Notre Dame team that run anything faster than a 4.6. And they weren't covering the Wide outs of LSU. Russel, if he comes out will be a first round pick, top have of the draft. The Lions do need a quarterback so Russel going to the Lions makes sense if the Raiders take Quinn. Quinn is the best quarterback in this draft and most pro-ready as Nick said. Russel isn't known for his mobility, he's no Vick, or Young by any stretch. But I'm thinking more of a bigger Byron Leftwitch, at any rate he's gonna need mobility if he plays behind the hoola-hoop ring that is the Oakland offensive line.

I don't know about you, but I'm already feeling sorry for whatever poor unfortunate Lands in that mess of an organisation.

If Quinn or Russel is to land there, it is my opinion the offensive line should at least offer to pay the costs of flowers, a coffin and the funeral service as compensation for playing QB behind them.

[BigGameMN]

There are four players on the Notre Dame team that run anything faster than a 4.6. And they weren't covering the Wide outs of LSU. Russel, if he comes out will be a first round pick, top have of the draft. The Lions do need a quarterback so Russel going to the Lions makes sense if the Raiders take Quinn. Quinn is the best quarterback in this draft and most pro-ready as Nick said. Russel isn't known for his mobility, he's no Vick, or Young by any stretch. But I'm thinking more of a bigger Byron Leftwitch, at any rate he's gonna need mobility if he plays behind the hoola-hoop ring that is the Oakland offensive line.

I think your underestimating his mobility skills. Your right he's no Vick or Young, but he's way more mobile than Leftwitch.

[tomahawk247]

Leftwich is less mobile then Drew Bledsoe with a broken leg, he is really slow

[RedArcher7]

Aaron Brooks is more mobile than Russel and Brooks was eaten alive behind that line. The Lions have a more stable line, not by much seeing as Jon Kitna was sacked more than anyone else in the league this year. Leftwich isn't as slow as Bledsoe. He'd rank in the middle of the pack of the league in terms of a fast quarterback. Above Charlie Frye and probably Alex Smith. If you say those guys don't know how to run you're wrong.

[Nick]

Interesting pre-bowl article on JaMarcus Russell...

Not all agree that Russell is the next big thing in the NFL, though.

Chris Landry, a Baton Rouge-based personnel scout who works for 11 NFL teams, is advising his teams to use a very high pick on Quinn. He is not advising his teams to use a high pick on Russell.

"Russell scares me," said Landry, who came into the league as a scout for the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Nick Saban more than a decade ago. "He scares me a lot as a high first-round pick. He does not play smart, and that's what this league is all about. He does not have a good work ethic. He's kind of lazy. And I don't think he is a very good leader. He's aloof. He is also not very good at reading defenses at this point."

Landry said Russell is still an excellent prospect, but he is not advising the NFL teams he works for to use a high first-round pick on him.

"I think he could be really good, but I think he could be a big-time bust," Landry said. "It wouldn't surprise me at all if he busts after going very high in the first round. And he could go very high. I've heard what everybody is saying. A lot of people have him going very high. I could be wrong. He has a long way to go. He needs to take it more seriously and work harder because he won't have it as easy in the NFL as he does now."

Full article here

[RamsFan4ever]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2723407

Updated: Jan. 7, 2007, 1:58 PM ET

LSU's Louisiana State quarterback JaMarcus Russell will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft in April.

A news conference is scheduled Wednesday to announce the decision, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday.

Russell, a 6-foot-6, 260-pounder from Mobile, Ala., was the nation's No. 3-ranked quarterback in passing efficiency this season. He threw for a career-high 332 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers' 41-14 victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night.

Russell will finish his LSU career with 6,525 yards and 52 touchdowns in three seasons -- two as a full-time starter.

[BigGameMN]

Well unless he disappoints big time in the coming months I think he'll be a top 5 pick. Either the Raiders, Lions, or Browns take him. I honestly think it will be the Raiders. We all know how Al Davis is in love with the deep ball, and Russell can certainly throw that. That would leave the Lions to snag the player they really want, Quinn. Then the Browns probably wait until the 2nd round and get Troy Smith.