As far as free agent QBs are concerned, I was very surprised to see Jeff continue unemployed this far into the offseason. I mean, last season he had 2,712 yards passing, a 90.2 rating and 12 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Those are impressive numbers. But with no better offer on the table yet, this was a no-brainer for Jeff. And after what has been a very long and productive 15-year career (Calgary-CFL, 49ers, Browns, Lions, Eagles, Bucs), he returns home to most likely finish his NFL playing days (he’s a native of Gilroy, CA). Yes, you can call him an old journeyman, but in the right offense with a clean bill of health, he can still be a very effective quarterback.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Oakland Raiders Sign Jeff Garcia

It’s preseason with a tinge of the playoffs. That will be one of the highlights of a 13-game national television preseason schedule that was announced today by the NFL, along with the complete list of 2008 preseason matchups. All 12 of the 2007 NFL playoff teams will be featured in the national TV games.

It all starts in Canton, OH — site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On Sunday night, August 3 on NBC (8:00 PM ET), the Indianapolis Colts will take on the Washington Redskins in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. It will be an eventful weekend for the Redskins as two of the greatest players in their history — cornerback Darrell Green and wide receiver Art Monk — will join the class of 2008 at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Saturday. The game also will mark the NFL head-coaching debut of Washington’s Jim Zorn. That game is just the start of the preseason national TV excitement:

WEEK 1: Two of the top-10 receivers of last season in both catches and yards square off as New Orleans (Marques Colston) visits Arizona (Larry Fitzgerald) on Thursday, August 7, ESPN, 8:00 PM ET ….. NFL fans will see the debut as a starter of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who this year takes over for the retired Brett Favre, when Cincinnati travels to Green Bay (Monday, August 11, ESPN, 8:00 PM ET).

WEEK 2: Panthers QB Jake Delhomme will continue his comeback from elbow surgery as he is tested by new Eagles (and former Patriots) CB Asante Samuel when Philadelphia hosts Carolina (Thursday, August 14, FOX, 8:00 PM ET) ….. Two recent first-round quarterbacks meet for the first time as Oakland (JaMarcus Russell) visits Tennessee (Vince Young) on Saturday, August 16, FOX, 8:00 PM ET ….. Two division winners go at it as New England (preparing to duplicate its undefeated ’07 season) travels to Tampa Bay (Sunday, August 17, NFL Network, 8:00 PM ET) ….. And the Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants debut at home against Cleveland (Monday, August 18, ESPN, 8:00 PM ET).

WEEK 3: Two quarterbacks seeking to re-establish themselves as starters go at it as San Francisco (Alex Smith) travels to Chicago (Rex Grossman) on Thursday, August 21, FOX, 8:00 PM ET ….. The Battle for Texas takes place when Houston visits Dallas (the preseason series is tied 2-2) on Friday, August 22, CBS, 8:00 PM ET ….. Pittsburgh’s No. 3 NFL rush defense of ’07 can judge where it stands for ’08 when it faces Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson, the NFL ’07 Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl MVP (Saturday, August 23, CBS, 8:00 PM ET) ….. Buffalo helps Indianapolis open its new 63,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium (Sunday, August 24, NFL Network, 8:00 PM ET) ….. And two more division winners meet when Seattle travels to San Diego. The Seahawks will be priming new RB Julius Jones (Monday, August 25, ESPN, 8:00 PM ET).

WEEK 4: The national TV schedule concludes with another matchup of playoff teams as Washington prepares to kick off the season and new Jacksonville WR Jerry Porter gets his final tune-up (Thursday, August 28, NBC, 7:00 PM ET).

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NFL’s Preseason National Television Schedule Features Every ‘07 Playoff Team

• In Oakland, JaMarcus Russell showed off his arm strength enough to prompt this reaction from veteran DT Warren Sapp: “I think that kid, 18, is in there getting a rubdown. Caught that square-in, I bet he’s got some markings on his chest. If nothing else, we’re going to learn to catch with our hands or somebody’s going to the hospital for some trauma. That kid’s got a live arm so let’s have some fun with it.” Without Randy Moss, JaMarcus will have to find someone else to throw to. But there are some quality receivers on the Raiders roster, namely Jerry Porter, Doug Gabriel, Ronald Curry and Mike Williams.
• In Cleveland, there were more media members on the sidelines than players on the field. I’ve been to Browns camp many times and I can tell you, that isn’t usually the case. They were there to see Brady Quinn. Brady looked pretty good running the offense, but he thought practice was too short: “I had too much fun out there. I think the practice was too short for me. I’ve been waiting so long for this opportunity, and now it’s come.” Also debuting was OT Joe Thomas who said: “It was nice being out there today. It was a lot more fun than being in the limelight. This is what I’ve been working for the entire offseason, to get ready for this minicamp, not being a celebrity out in the limelight.”
• In Detroit, Calvin Johnson got his NFL career started, but head coach Rod Marinelli acknowledged there would be a learning curve. “He’s a great athlete. What happens is: there’s so much new volume coming at these guys. All the words are different than what he’s used to. What it does is: you’re trying to remember the formation and where do I align and then you’re trying to go fast. It’s not a habit yet. That’s why we have these camps: to give them information and see how quickly they can take it on the field and develop the habits. That’s what football is about: developing habits.” Once Calvin gets the hang of the new system he’s in, he’s going to be a very dangerous receiver opposite Roy Williams. And don’t forget Mike Furrey who finished second in the entire NFL in receptions last season.
• In Minnesota, RB Adrian Peterson seemed to impress head coach Brad Childress: “He did about what we thought he could do. He didn’t hiccup at all, I didn’t think. I think he showed some speed to the outside and pretty good vision on the quick draw up the middle and caught the football down there in that one-on-one with the running backs and linebackers.” Peterson continued to answer questions about his collarbone injury with: “Actually I’m feeling good right now, so I’m just focused on learning my playbook, getting my playbook in and just coming out here and making guys better and working hard.” It sounds like AD will eventually have surgery, but he has continued to stress that it won’t affect his playing time.
• In Tampa, temperatures were in the low 90s as Gaines Adams got his first reps as a Buc. Coach Jon Gruden referenced the Florida heat: “They need to understand that this is just a warm up in terms of the sun. It’s not even begun to swelter yet. We talked about that a lot. Our players need to educate themselves as to how to play at a high level in this kind of weather. And if they don’t, they won’t make this team; they won’t play because conditioning is critical at this level of football. If you’re a little tired, you’re sucking gas a little bit, you are going to get your butt knocked off. I think that’s clear to these guys. They’ve got a lot of work to do – all of them – in their conditioning.”

Elsewhere: In Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck was back throwing on the field for the first day of Seahawks minicamp, far ahead of schedule in returning from surgery on his non-throwing shoulder ….. In Miami, Daunte Culpepper was on the sidelines riding a stationary bike while rookie QB John Beck helped run the team. Of course, we continue to wonder if Daunte’s days in Miami are numbered.

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Minicamp Wrap: Draft Picks Debut

Not surprisingly, LSU QB JaMarcus Russell was the first overall selection by the Oakland Raiders. It wasn’t as obvious as last year when Mario Williams went first to the Houston Texans the day before the Draft, but I think most people agreed that barring a blockbuster deal being presented to the Raiders, they were going to take him #1 as the future of their franchise.

I like this pick for the Raiders. It’s almost a no-brainer when you look at their current QB situation. Oakland doesn’t list their depth-chart at raiders.com, but it’s no secret they’ll need more than Andrew Walter and Josh Booty to make that offense work. Grabbing a guy like JaMarcus Russell is huge and when you team him with Randy Moss (if Randy is not traded, as rumors would have it) and Jerry Porter, it looks like an explosive offense in the making. Watching his highlight reel, what impresses me most about JaMarcus is his arm strength. And I’m not just talking about how far he can throw it — which is far by the way — but he can throw across his body across the field and still have the velocity to put the ball where it needs to be. He makes it look effortless. A very impressive arm. He’s also a big fella at 6′6″ and over 260 pounds, but he can move around well outside the pocket and he’s extremely hard to bring down.

I just got back from his press conference downstairs. His family was there and they were obviously very proud of and happy for him. What’s nice about my job is that every player has a story and it’s interesting and oftentimes inspiring to hear those stories. When you get to see firsthand the people that influenced and participated in a player’s life, it’s extra special to be a part of it. Here’s what JaMarcus had to say. These are not my questions, by the way. It’s just a transcript of his entire press conference that I wanted to share with you.

JaMARCUS: First, I just want to thank God for this opportunity and the chance he gave me when I needed it the most, just coming through with this. Thank my family for being here at this time. I’m going to be ready to go out there and go to work.

YOU WERE RECRUITED BY NICK SABAN AT LSU? IS THAT CORRECT?
JaMARCUS: Yes, sir.

HAVE YOU TALKED TO HIM AT ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT?
JaMARCUS: I talked to Coach a few days ago just talking about how proud he was. He was very happy for me, with all of the guys back at LSU.

HOW MUCH DO YOU EXPECT TO CONTRIBUTE AS A ROOKIE THE FIRST YEAR?
JaMARCUS: The best way I can, helping the guys out in practice, helping him do his job and helping me out in any way possible going in and making plays.

IS THAT WHAT YOU EXPECTED, THEY HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT YOU AS THE #1 PICK?
JaMARCUS: I kind of had faith, everybody had been talking about it for a while. This is a dream come true. Growing up as a kid, you know, playing every sport in life, always see the guys on the professional level and here I am today.

WHEN DID OAKLAND CONTACT YOU?
JaMARCUS: Just a few minutes before they went up to the podium I got a call and a text message just letting me know how happy they were and very excited about the situation and can’t wait until I get in.

NOTHING YESTERDAY?
JaMARCUS: No.

DID YOU TALK TO AL DAVIS?
JaMARCUS: Not yet.

ARE YOU HOPING TO GET A CHANCE TO PLAY WITH RANDY MOSS THIS SEASON?
JaMARCUS: It’s going to be terrific, watching him as a kid, the things he did, he’s still Randy Moss. And it’s going to be exciting to get on the side of him and work one‑on‑one with each other. I just can’t wait to get in and have the opportunity to do that.

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A FRANCHISE QB?
JaMARCUS: Right now, you know, besides all of the franchise and everything else, I’m just very excited. When things happen, they happen for a reason, and who knows what tomorrow may bring.

WHAT’S GOING TO BE YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS YOU LOOK AT IT GOING TO THE RAIDERS AND THE NFL?
JaMARCUS: Just starting all over again. Have to prove yourself once and for all. Just letting the guys know that you come there to work, you do anything and everything is possible and try to help them out and just put them in a position to make plays as a quarterback.

DO YOU EXPECT TO START?
JaMARCUS: I’m expected to do whatever is necessary for the team.

THINK BACK TO THE PRO STYLE OFFENSE YOU PLAYED AT LSU; HOW MUCH HAS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AND MADE YOU MORE READY?
JaMARCUS: A lot. Most people don’t know how much our offense brings to the table as far as checking out the line and switching plays from side to side or from running the pass, pass to run. Coach Fisher did a wonderful job and I appreciate him for giving me the opportunity and really just thank Coach Saban and the rest of the coaches there.

A LOT OF TEAMS, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON THE CONDUCT POLICY; HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT?
JaMARCUS: A lot. The guy that I am and the mom that I have, that won’t be a problem. I was raised better than that and I know right from wrong. I don’t think it will be a problem.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO JOIN YOU OUT IN CALIFORNIA?
JaMARCUS: A good friend of mine, I just can’t wait to get out there.

DID YOU DRESS IN BLACK ON PURPOSE?
JaMARCUS: I kind of, you know, wanted to dress all‑black beforehand. It’s just a coincidence.

OF ALL THE CRITICISMS OF YOUR ABILITY, WHAT’S ONE THING THAT MAYBE HAS RUBBED YOU WRONG THE MOST?
JaMARCUS: When people tell you what you can’t do. They are not inside your body and most of the guys have not played football during their life. For me, most things don’t really get to me. I kind of let it roll off my back and just keep going.

WHAT PART OF YOUR GAME DO YOU NEED TO WORK ON?
JaMARCUS: Everything. As a quarterback you can’t forget something, because you might work on something too hard and lack in others, so everything is important.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PLACED ON YOU? THE RAIDERS HAVE STRUGGLED; A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT YOU AS THE SAVIOR OF THE FRANCHISE; HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU’LL PUT UP WITH THAT KIND OF PRESSURE?
JaMARCUS: Whether it’s other people or myself, I set my standards very high and for the expectations that everybody has. But you know, you can only do what God has set for you to do. I’ll be very pleased to go out there and work as hard as I can to make everything possible for the Raiders.

ON MEDIA DAY YOU SAID THE RAIDERS DID NOT CONTACT YOU YET; DID ANYTHING HAPPEN BETWEEN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND TODAY?
JaMARCUS: Sat down with the coach and basically told him what he expects if things work out like they did today and how do I feel about it and just making sure my head was on my shoulders and that I was not going to get caught up in the hype and everything.

ARE YOU ABLE TO ENJOY YOURSELF THIS WEEK? DID YOU FEEL YOU HAD TO BE NO. 1?
JaMARCUS: Not exactly. I’m just very fortunate to be in the position that I am. Everybody don’t get a chance or an opportunity to make it to the NFL, and just very fortunate to be here. I would go anywhere in the world and play ball and I’m just happy that I’m at the Oakland Raiders today.

WHEN DO YOU LOOK FOR A CONVERTIBLE FOR YOUR GRANDMOTHER?
JaMARCUS: That’s a secret. She’s back there; I can’t say yet. (Laughter).

YOU GO FROM ONE MINUTE BEING A COLLEGE PLAYER TO THE NEXT MINUTE, MILLIONAIRE, BIG CONTRACT. WHAT’S THAT TRANSITION LIKE AT 22 YEARS OLD?
JaMARCUS: I ain’t got that yet ‑‑ I plan on doing good things and just be happy that I’m in that situation. Right now I’m so excited, man. Like the whole week has been fun but this morning it started hitting me that I was going in the NFL Draft. I’ve seen it on TV for quite some time and just to be standing up there with the commissioner and all of the fans in the stands, I’m very excited. That’s when it really hit me.

THIS COULD BE A BIG DAY FOR LSU, THREE PLAYERS THAT MAY GO IN THE FIRST ROUND; HOW MUCH ARE YOU GOING TO STAY IN CONTACT WITH THEM TODAY?
JaMARCUS: Those guys, we’re brothers. Me and Dwayne stayed together for a while and we have a great relationship, I think the other guys will do a wonderful job wherever they get drafted to. Good luck and best wishes to those guys.

WERE YOU ABLE TO SLEEP TONIGHT OR WERE YOU TOO NERVOUS ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING?
JaMARCUS: To be honest, man, I was knocked out. Like I say, it really didn’t hit me last night. Just thought the faster go to sleep, the quicker the day will come; so I had to get to sleep.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GOING TO OAKLAND AND PLAYING IN FRONT OF THOSE FANS?
JaMARCUS: We had great fans at LSU and I heard those fans are a little bit better somewhat right up above that, so I just can’t wait to go out and play in front of those guys and hear those guys go crazy.

DO YOU HAVE THE STRONGEST ARM IN THE LEAGUE?
JaMARCUS: Oh, man, I’ve got to get there first. I’ve got to get in and get a chance to make things happen and we’ll see from there.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THOSE RAIDER FANS? SOME OF THEM LOOK SCARY.
JaMARCUS: They are behind me 100%, so they have got my back.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A LEADER?
JaMARCUS: Myself, you know, I’m the type of guy that will lead by example. I try to do my best each and every day every week so it rubs off on my guys and make sure they play up to par and make sure they play at my level every time they go out.

WHEN DID YOU THINK YOU COULD PLAY AT THIS GAME LEVEL?
JaMARCUS: When I was a kid I was always a little bit above the rest of the kids. My mom, believe it or not, I was so tall, she had to carry my birth certificate around to different parks to prove to people that I wasn’t too old.

A LOT OF THE STUFF PEOPLE SAID BEFORE THE DRAFT WAS THAT BRADY QUINN IS MORE POLISHED AND MORE PREPARED TO PLAY, BUT THAT YOU HAVE THE BETTER ARM AND YOU’RE A BETTER ATHLETE; IS THAT INSULTING AT ALL?
JaMARCUS: People have their opinion. I wish the best for Brady and I think he’ll be really good at what he does. Like I say, people don’t know what goes on behind those closed doors, the things that go on on your offense. They just look for what they see on TV. But what people are saying, I try not to get too caught up in it and go about my business and just try to do my best out there.

BETWEEN ACCURACY AND BEATING DEFENSES, WHAT IS ONE THING THAT YOU IMPROVED ON THAT MADE YOU REALIZE YOU’RE READY FOR RIGHT NOW?
JaMARCUS: From my first year up until now?

YES.
JaMARCUS: You get a feeling for the defenses coming out of high school but it takes your coach to sit down and go over that with you and the more experience you get, the better off you’ll be at that. I think I do a great job at both.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM AL DAVIS FROM YOUR DEALINGS WITH HIM AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM?
JaMARCUS: Great things. Sitting down and talking to him really got a chance to hear a lot of things from him. He told me that he likes touchdowns. I told him I did, too, so we’re going to try to make some things happen.

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NFL Draft 07: JaMarcus Russell

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Nike Ad Features NFL Rookies

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Players Named For Draft Day

Since JaMarcus Russell and Ted Ginn Jr. were sitting this out, both watching from the sidelines, projected top-five pick Calvin Johnson was on center stage and although he chose not to work out, he apparently borrowed a pair of shoes to run. And run he did. Johnson is 6-5, 239 pounds and he ran a stunning 4.35 40-yard dash. Not only was that one of the best times among ALL WRs, but for someone his size, that is amazing. This guy is a freak of nature. When you factor in his body control, hands, strength, and endurance (he never missed a game in college) with his long-striding speed, in my opinion, he is the best player in this Draft class. Anyway, here are the best results from Sunday’s workouts:

Quarterbacks: Ball Speed (Toby Korrodi, Central Missouri State, 63)

Running Backs: 20 Shuttle (Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois, 4.08); 60 Shuttle (Kenny Irons, Auburn, 11.47); Three Cone (Garrett Wolfe, 6.69); Vert Jump (Darius Walker, Notre Dame, 40.5); Broad Jump (Chris Henry, Arizona and Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma, 10′7″); 40-yard Dash (Chris Henry, Adrian Peterson and Antonio Pittman, Ohio State, 4.40)

Wide Receivers: 20 Shuttle (Mike Mason, Tennessee State, Jared Zabransky, Boise State, and Anthony Gonzales, Ohio State, 4.08); 60 Shuttle (Rhema McKnight, Notre Dame, 11.28); Three Cone (Anthony Gonzales, 6.54); Vert Jump (Legeda Naanee, Boise State, 40); Broad Jump (Mike Mason, Dallas Baker, Florida, Jacoby Jones, Lane, Drisan James, Boise State, 10′9″); 40-yard Dash (Yamon Figurs, Kansas State, 4.30)

For a while, Illinois State’s Laurent Robinson (who appeared on BPR61) was holding the lead with an impressive 4.38-40 time and it brought to mind one of his comments to another reporter after I had interviewed him. When asked what his plan was in the 40, Laurent said: “To run as fast as I can.” And then when asked how fast he thought he would run, he laughed and said, “Fast!” There’s no question that with his speed and strength (he had 19 reps on the bench press), he’s moving up the Draft boards of those teams needing a WR. (Note: There were eight wide receivers who ran under 4.4-40s.)

Off the RCA Dome floor, in an AP wire report, Jeff Foster, president of National Football Scouting, said the Combine would return to the RCA Dome next year and organizers plan to open negotiations with the city to move into the new Lucas Oil Stadium here in Indy in 2009. The new retractable-roof facility will be the Colts new home starting in late summer of 2008, and also has a deal to become a regular site for the NCAA’s men’s and women’s final fours. I saw the construction going on but never really had an opportunity to wander around the area. An AP reporter from Indy told me over lunch one day that the current RCA Dome will be renovated to become part of the Convention Center and that the new Lucas Oil building will not surprisingly be connected, as most things in Indy are.

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NFL Scouting Combine: Day Four