JaMarcus Russell: Make or Break Season

It may be the beginning of July but there is no denying the fact that the Oakland Raiders sit proudly atop the AFC West. Then again the Detroit Lions are in joint pole position in the NFC North and those Cincinnati Bengals are challenging for top spot in the AFC North with the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Setting aside my flippancy this is a crucial year for the Raiders franchise. Specifically it is a crucial year for quarterback JaMarcus Russell. This is Russell's third year. In recent years the likes of Philip Rivers and Eli Manning were proven NFL starters by the end of the same period. Ben Roethlisberger had famously won a Super Bowl by the end of his second year and of course there are last year's rookie sensations Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan for Russell to emulate. Adding to the pressure is the fact that Oakland acquired a veteran alternative in the off season. Jeff Garcia did not join the Raiders to hold a clip board and take in the tourist sites of the Bay Area. He ... (link)