I just got word that JaMarcus Russell has finally been benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski as the Oakland Raiders’ starting quarterback. All I can ask is, ”What took so long?”
I understand that the Raiders have a lot invested in Russell, and they are going to do everything in their power to help him succeed, but throwing him out on the field week after week was simply not helping that process. He was regressing as the games went on, and he showed that he had no interest in changing his questionable habits.
Russell is clearly not ready to lead an NFL team just yet, but that doesn’t mean that he will always be in that situation. I believe that the time on the bench will help the strong-armed quarterback see the game from a different perspective, and I feel it could help him tremendously.
First of all, by being on the bench, Russell will learn that the NFL is not all fun and games. He is going to see that he needs to earn his position; it is not going to just be handed to him because of his success at LSU. Once that message truly sinks in to the rather large head of JaMarcus Russell, it will force him to work harder to get his starting job back. That work ethic, if it does come, will be something that should help the maturation of this young quarterback, and it could be a difference-maker in his career.
Secondly, by being on the bench, Russell has the opportunity to study the game from a different point of view. When you are on the field, and everything is happening at ridiculous speeds, things do not process so well, and most of the actions that you perform are based on reflexes. By being able to study defenses, and the Raiders offense from off of the field, Russell can learn the game at a totally different speed. He could read defenses calmly, and he could watch the game unfold without the pressure of a defense running at his face. Whatever he will be lacking in game-speed, he will be able to make up mentally from the bench. Then when he is ready to go back on the field, he will be more prepared, and he won’t be acting haphazardly.
Finally, by being the bench, Russell can see the capability that his team possesses. By watching a quarterback, who I expect to be do much better than Russell did, Russell might start to realize that he was in fact the issue. Now I am not saying that Bruce Gradkowski is the next coming of Joe Montana, but he has always been a quarterback that I have believed in. He did some decent work with Tampa Bay a few years back, and he even did some nice things with the Raiders this season. He adds a little pep in the team’s collective step, and that fiery attitude is something that has been missing from the Raiders quarterback position. If Russell just observes the demeanor that Gradkowski has, he can definitely learn a lot about playing quarterback in the National Football League.
Like I said earlier, JaMarcus Russell is not yet a lost cause for the Raiders. He is just not ready to do what they want of him at this point in time. I feel that benching him is the correct decision right now, and it should only help him discover his true potential once he is ready to get back on the field.
Filed under: NFL
