All seemed lost for quarterback JaMarcus Russell. The former Oakland Raiders No. 1 draft pick has been attempting to make a comeback into the NFL. He was given a workout from the Chicago Bears, but left the tryout without any sort of contract offer or strong interest from the team. Things were looking grim. Now, the Baltimore Ravens have merged as an option as ESPN reports the Super Bowl champions will bring in Russell for a tryout.
The Ravens were considered an option for Russell back at the beginning of free agency, but the longer the team waited to bring him, the more it was assumed they were no longer interested in the troubled player. The Ravens currently have Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco and backups in Caleb Haynie and Tyrod Taylor. The team likely wants to bring in four quarterbacks to training camp in case someone suffers an injury. Russell will get a chance to prove himself as that player.
Russell has been working with veteran NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia to try and erase the word "bust" from being associated with his name. The former No. 1 overall draft pick to the Oakland Raiders has not seen an NFL field since 2009 after the team released him. He won just seven starts in 25 games, throwing 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in the process. He had multiple off-the-field issues, including being charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. Many assumed he was done in the league.
Russell's comeback attempt has been well documented. Garcia has gone on the record saying that Russell's talent that earned him the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft is still present in the quarterback. He reported to the Bears' tryout at 265 pounds, 50 pounds lighter than he was with the Raiders. Garcia believes Russell just needed to sharpen his football mindset and become a student of the game again.
Reports coming out of the Chicago tryout were generally positive. Present scouts noted that Russell had a positive attitude throughout the workout. He demonstrated great arm strength, but showed rust with his accuracy. It was unclear what the motives were behind the Bears bringing in multiple quarterbacks for a tryout, but it became clear they did not have serious interest in Russell.
Russell is hoping to avoid the list of players forced to call it a career. If he is not signed in the next 30 to 45 days leading up to training camp, he will likely not end up on an NFL roster for the 2013 season or beyond.
