According to quarterbacks coach Tom Martinez, JaMarcus Russell isn’t too blame for his lack of progress since 2007. Rather the Raiders are naturally at fault for Russell’s woes and he believes that he could thrive should he serve as a backup in New York.
Tom Martinez is a nationally renowned quarterbacks coach, and has been the personal tutor for Tom Brady since Brady’s teen years. He worked closely with eventual No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell prior to the 2007 NFL Draft, and believes Russell’s career is salvageable.
Martinez says Russell didn’t ruin himself. The Raiders did it.
“He was never wanted there by any of the coaches,” Martinez told Kristian R. Dyer of the New York Times. ”The only one who wanted him there was Al Davis. … Al Davis told them to draft him. He was the epitome of an Al Davis quarterback.”
As for Russell’s sssslow development, Martinez blames the supporting cast Davis assembled. Martinez pointed to weak offensive linemen, “receivers who don’t know how to get open, who don’t know how to separate,” and misuse of running backs in the passing game.
Martinez admits that Russell will never capitalize on his talent if he doesn’t overhaul his work habits, but sees the New York Jets as a good fit for the 24-year-old, saying it would be a “brilliant move from a talent standpoint.”
“I think they’re positioned to give him the right environment,” Martinez said. ”It could potentially be a good fit for JaMarcus. … With the Jets, they run the ball and that will help him, it will open up the passing game. If he gets that and actually has receivers who can get open, then the Jets will have a steal.”
I’m sure JaMarcus appreciates his mentor’s encouraging words but the future for Russell is quite dim NFL-wise when you consider his history with the Raiders as well as his awful work habits. As if that weren’t bad enough Russell managed to dig another few inches of grave as ESPN reports he was in possession of cough syrup. The point here? If there even was a remote chance the Jets were interested in bringing Russell in, following this latest incident as I said in a seperate thread, the team’s interest level probably dropped to 0.
