Raiders And Top Pick Russell Agree To Deal

Number one overall pick in April’s NFL draft, JaMarcus Russell, has finally agreed to a deal with the Oakland Raiders.

Russell, a quarterback out of LSU, was the last remaining first-round pick to come to terms with their team. After months of negotiating and even times of no talk at all, the deal is said to be in the range of 6-years and has a maximum value of $68 million. The deal guarantees $31-32 million and has a very lucrative payout schedule that could earn Russell more each season as he progresses.

Pending a physical and barring any small problems, Russell should sign the deal today and be on the practice field with his teammates by Wednesday. Whether he will play or not this season remains to be seen. Josh McCown started at QB for the Raiders in a loss to the Lions this past Sunday. Daunte Culpepper served as the back-up.

Russell is a big quarterback with a big arm that could really spark the Raiders’ offense. Throwing for over 6,600 yards and 52 TDs during three seasons at LSU prove that he has what it takes to lead a team. So this long holdout seems to have worked in his favor and his agent has gotten him every penny he feels he is worth.

Credit: ESPN