Sports Radio Service


		Raiders draft report By David Zizmor April 25, 2010

	ALAMEDA--After talking with some of the good folks who either work for the Raiders or who cover them the clear consensus is how is this team going to unload unwanted quarterback JarMarcus Russell? Russell who lost his starting job to the likes of last year's backup quarterbacks Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye and came to the Raiders in 2007 as the number one draft pick after former head coach Lane Kiffin warned owner Al Davis not to select him out of the draft was finally realized as a bust. Russell whether he is dealt or not at this point the only takers for him would be the Steelers who would be glad to trade them for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger but the Raiders aren't going to be takers due to Roethisberger's off field issues. So Davis went to plan B if the team is stuck with Russell they'll be looking at newly acquired quarterback Jason Campbell whose coming from Washington after three years of playing for them. Campbell is being considered for the starting job, he'll have competition with Ex-Cal quarterback Kyle Boller, and last year's returning quarterbacks Gradkowski and Frye. With five quarterbacks competing and if there are no takers on Russell, Russell will virtually have to start throwing and get his play book down in camp before the first exhibition game in August.Russell will have to come in throwing like Joe Namath to win back his starting job which he lost last season. Don't worry it's very unlikely. In the draft this week: Some people like to look at the Raiders as a joke about how bad their picks have been in past years and that's a fair assessment because last season in the 2009 draft the Raiders made a ridiculous pick with guys who should not have been picked but the Raiders picked them. Guys who were picked proved that Al Davis didn't know what he was doing last year. Guys like Darrius Heyward-Bey, Mike Mitchell, guys who they picked way ahead of where they should have been picked and then proceeded to fail on the field. Heyward-Bey was terrible last year and of course last year was a rookie year for some of those guys. They didn't look anywhere near as talented as the Raiders would hope they would be. As I have said in the past Davis has a habit of going one crazy year and one sane year and then another crazy year again so 2011 will be the year for Al to make some strange picks. This year was a normal year and by all accounts he actually made some pretty good picks. The Raiders went with Rolando McClain in the number eight spot in the first round, he's an inside linebacker from Alabama and everybody agreed he was the best inside linebacker in the draft and his position of number eight has more to do with how the evaluators feel how positions are valued in the draft. Inside linebackers aren't as valuable as other positions but let's ignore that because McClain is a fantastic football player he played on the top team in college football last year so he's a winner. More importantly at the inside linebacker spot he's a smart player who always known how to run a defense. The inside linebacker is really the quarterback of the defense and 49ers head coach Mike Singletary he was the same way he coached that defense when he played on the Bears. He was in charge and predominantly he was that type of player he was the guy who quarterbacked the defense in that linebacking position. Let's face it the Raiders defense while it was good they had problems up the middle and putting a guy like McClain a big hitter a smart player and knows where to be on the field this is a guy who solidifies that particular area. In the second round the Raiders selected LaMarr Houston 6'2 defensive tackle from Texas and was the Raiders 12th pick. Houston has gained 15 pounds since last season and it has worked in his favor. At the tackle position it helped him with his balance and power and his attacking. Houston is comfortable with his stance and is able to extend his arms and is able to control the opposing blockers. Jared Veldheer from is coming from a Division II school Hillsdale and is considered on the scouts reports as a sleeper. An offensive tackle, he comes to the Raiders as the fifth pick in the third round draft. Veldheer is huge at 6'8 and 312 lbs. "Coach Cable (Tom) of the Raiders called and asked me if I wanted to be a Raider. I said 'absolutely coach' and he made me promise that I would go out there and work my butt off for him" said Veldheer was watching the draft with him family when he received the call from coach Cable. "I told him, 'you know coach I absolutely promise that I will and that's what I'm all about and I can't wait to start working'." said Veldheer. The Raiders also selected Bruce Campbell fourth round eighth pick out of Maryland a 6'7 285 lbs offensive tackle. Jacoby Ford a 5'10 wide receiver 185 lbs tenth pick out of the fourth round from Clemson Walt McFadden fifth round 7th pick, defensive back 6'0 175 lbs Auburn Travis Goethel sixth round 21st pick, linebacker 6'3 237lbs from Arizona State Jeremy Ware seventh round eighth pick, defensive back 5'10 188 lbs out of Michigan State Stevie Brown seventh round 44th pick linebacker 6'0 211 from Michigan David Zizmor covers the NFL for Sportstalk Radio