Oakland to have QB competition
There have long been two people who haven't seen the shortcomings of quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who can throw the ball a mile: JaMarcus Russell and Raiders owner Al Davis.
When Davis fired Lane Kiffin in 2008, Davis said of Kiffin, "I realize that you did not want to draft JaMarcus Russell. He is a great player. Get over it."
Today at the NFL Scouting Combine, Raiders coach Tom Cable, who benched Russell in favor of Bruce Gradkowski last season, says that there will be a quarterback competition for the starting job.
"We're getting ready to start offseason and get to OTAs and minicamp and let the (quarterback) job be competed for," Cable said. "I think that's where we're at in terms of our starting quarterback. I don't think you would discount (using a pick on) that or any other position."
In 31 career games over three seasons, Russell, the overall top pick in 2007, has completed 52.1 percent of his passes and has thrown 18 career touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
Meanwhile, Bruce Gradkowski, who threw six touchdowns and only three interceptions last year, provided an "energy and vibe" to the offense beyond what the stats say.
