Jamarcus Russell
- Thread starter White Power
- Start date
Apparently it's not JaMarcus Russell's fault for his poor performance this year, according to today's story in the San Jose Mercury News. Ann Killion is convinced it's the Raiders fault for not developing Russell correctly, and dismisses any criticism of his smarts as only racial-bias.
Ryan Leaf was a complete bust, in JaMarcus fashion, but never was San Diego to blame.
http://www.mercurynews.com/sportsheadlines/ci_11181062?nclic k_check=1
<h1 id="articleTitle" ="articleTitle">Killion: If Russell fails, Raiders are to blame</h1><div id="articleByline" ="articleByline"><a class="articleByline" href="mailto:akillion@mercurynews.com?subject=San%20Jose%20Mercury%20News:%20Killion:%20If%20Russell%20fails,%20Raiders%20are%20to%20blame" target="_blank">By Ann Killion
Mercury News Columnist</a></div><div id="articleDate" ="articleDate">Posted:12/09/2008 09:03:11 PM PST</div><div id="article" ="article">
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Thirteen starts into his NFL career, JaMarcus Russell already is being
measured and fitted for the "bust" label. In his case, that tag is
going to have to be supersized.
This is predictable, even understandable. But it's unfair.
The
growing frustration of Raiders fans is being channeled Russell's way.
Al's True Believers can't blame their eccentric leader for the
depressing state of the team. So all over blogs and Web sites, Russell
 who will test his sprained ankle today in practice  increasingly is
the target.
The bust talk gathered steam the past few days, after
Russell's terrible performance against San Diego, in which he threw two
interceptions and had a passer rating of 42.0. Russell's off-field
performance was just as bad; he broke protocol by blowing off the NFL
Network crew for a pregame production meeting and then was called out
for his transgression on national television.
Russell certainly
isn't helping himself with such immature behavior. But if Russell is
failing, the blame can be shared all around.
It's a familiar
story: Quarterback selected first in the draft fails and immediately is
called a bust. Didn't the Bay Area go through this same process
recently, on the other side of the bay?
If the 49ers wrote the
textbook on how to ruin a top-pick quarterback in a few easy steps, the
Raiders are not only following the plan but also perfecting it.
If Russell doesn't succeed in the NFL, it will be as much the Raiders' doing as his own..</span></span>Russell
is a big, strong quarterback with a rocket for an arm. He was
dominating in college. He has obvious physical talents. Lately I've
been hearing people say they don't think Russell is smart enough to
play quarterback. That kind of talk makes me flinch and conjures up
memories of Al Campanis and Rush Limbaugh.
If anything about Russell's development as a quarterback is stupid, it's the Raiders' process, not Russell.
Russell
had a tutor, a teacher. If Al Davis is right  as he claimed on his
overhead projector  and Lane Kiffin wasn't sure about drafting
Russell, Kiffin came to terms with the decision, took the quarterback
under his wing and developed a plan. Bring Russell along slowly,
protect him with the run, don't force-feed him the playbook, keep
mistakes to a minimum. I'm sure Kiffin would have liked more productive
receivers and a better offensive line surrounding the young
quarterback. But he wasn't in charge of personnel.
Four games
into this season (and one day after Russell's highest passing output of
the season), the quarterback's teacher was fired. It was a blow.
Russell said as much at the time. Since then, he has had two different
play-callers. In a month or so, he will be starting over with a new
coach, a new philosophy, new terminology.
Maybe he should give Alex Smith a call to find out where to recycle old playbooks.
Russell,
23, also might be developing a bit of an attitude. His holdout his
rookie year was ill-advised and stalled his development. His enormous
diamond earrings and other fashion statements are a bad look for a
young player who has yet to do anything special except cash his checks.
The
incident with the NFL Network is the kind of thing that gives players a
league-wide reputation that can be lasting. In discussing the missed
meeting this week, Russell didn't sound apologetic and said he didn't
want to be rushed after getting off his flight. That's a one-hour
charter flight from the Bay Area to San Diego. When he finally came
down from his room, the NFL Network folks were gone. And peeved. And
they let him know publicly.
Is it a shock that a Raiders player
blew off the media? Not at all. The Raiders are the most
media-unfriendly organization in sports. The problem is Russell isn't
getting any good advice, either externally from whatever advisers he
has, or internally from the Raiders brass, such as they are.
Davis
claimed at his historically strange news conference that Russell was
going to be a good player and "we're going to make him great." But the
environment Davis creates might prevent that from happening. If you
don't think so, take a look at whom the Raiders will be playing Sunday.
Randy Moss was a sullen, unproductive joke when he was wearing a
Raiders uniform; he has become a different player with the New England
Patriots.
The big youngster with the too-big contract, the
too-big earrings and the getting-bigger attitude is in for another
round of changes and disruption this off-season.
If JaMarcus Russell turns out to be a bust, the blame belongs with the Raiders.</div></span>
Ryan Leaf was a complete bust, in JaMarcus fashion, but never was San Diego to blame.
http://www.mercurynews.com/sportsheadlines/ci_11181062?nclic k_check=1
<h1 id="articleTitle" ="articleTitle">Killion: If Russell fails, Raiders are to blame</h1><div id="articleByline" ="articleByline"><a class="articleByline" href="mailto:akillion@mercurynews.com?subject=San%20Jose%20Mercury%20News:%20Killion:%20If%20Russell%20fails,%20Raiders%20are%20to%20blame" target="_blank">By Ann Killion
Mercury News Columnist</a></div><div id="articleDate" ="articleDate">Posted:12/09/2008 09:03:11 PM PST</div><div id="article" ="article">
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Thirteen starts into his NFL career, JaMarcus Russell already is being
measured and fitted for the "bust" label. In his case, that tag is
going to have to be supersized.
This is predictable, even understandable. But it's unfair.
The
growing frustration of Raiders fans is being channeled Russell's way.
Al's True Believers can't blame their eccentric leader for the
depressing state of the team. So all over blogs and Web sites, Russell
 who will test his sprained ankle today in practice  increasingly is
the target.
The bust talk gathered steam the past few days, after
Russell's terrible performance against San Diego, in which he threw two
interceptions and had a passer rating of 42.0. Russell's off-field
performance was just as bad; he broke protocol by blowing off the NFL
Network crew for a pregame production meeting and then was called out
for his transgression on national television.
Russell certainly
isn't helping himself with such immature behavior. But if Russell is
failing, the blame can be shared all around.
It's a familiar
story: Quarterback selected first in the draft fails and immediately is
called a bust. Didn't the Bay Area go through this same process
recently, on the other side of the bay?
If the 49ers wrote the
textbook on how to ruin a top-pick quarterback in a few easy steps, the
Raiders are not only following the plan but also perfecting it.
If Russell doesn't succeed in the NFL, it will be as much the Raiders' doing as his own..</span></span>Russell
is a big, strong quarterback with a rocket for an arm. He was
dominating in college. He has obvious physical talents. Lately I've
been hearing people say they don't think Russell is smart enough to
play quarterback. That kind of talk makes me flinch and conjures up
memories of Al Campanis and Rush Limbaugh.
If anything about Russell's development as a quarterback is stupid, it's the Raiders' process, not Russell.
Russell
had a tutor, a teacher. If Al Davis is right  as he claimed on his
overhead projector  and Lane Kiffin wasn't sure about drafting
Russell, Kiffin came to terms with the decision, took the quarterback
under his wing and developed a plan. Bring Russell along slowly,
protect him with the run, don't force-feed him the playbook, keep
mistakes to a minimum. I'm sure Kiffin would have liked more productive
receivers and a better offensive line surrounding the young
quarterback. But he wasn't in charge of personnel.
Four games
into this season (and one day after Russell's highest passing output of
the season), the quarterback's teacher was fired. It was a blow.
Russell said as much at the time. Since then, he has had two different
play-callers. In a month or so, he will be starting over with a new
coach, a new philosophy, new terminology.
Maybe he should give Alex Smith a call to find out where to recycle old playbooks.
Russell,
23, also might be developing a bit of an attitude. His holdout his
rookie year was ill-advised and stalled his development. His enormous
diamond earrings and other fashion statements are a bad look for a
young player who has yet to do anything special except cash his checks.
The
incident with the NFL Network is the kind of thing that gives players a
league-wide reputation that can be lasting. In discussing the missed
meeting this week, Russell didn't sound apologetic and said he didn't
want to be rushed after getting off his flight. That's a one-hour
charter flight from the Bay Area to San Diego. When he finally came
down from his room, the NFL Network folks were gone. And peeved. And
they let him know publicly.
Is it a shock that a Raiders player
blew off the media? Not at all. The Raiders are the most
media-unfriendly organization in sports. The problem is Russell isn't
getting any good advice, either externally from whatever advisers he
has, or internally from the Raiders brass, such as they are.
Davis
claimed at his historically strange news conference that Russell was
going to be a good player and "we're going to make him great." But the
environment Davis creates might prevent that from happening. If you
don't think so, take a look at whom the Raiders will be playing Sunday.
Randy Moss was a sullen, unproductive joke when he was wearing a
Raiders uniform; he has become a different player with the New England
Patriots.
The big youngster with the too-big contract, the
too-big earrings and the getting-bigger attitude is in for another
round of changes and disruption this off-season.
If JaMarcus Russell turns out to be a bust, the blame belongs with the Raiders.</div></span>
Quote from the article: "Lately I've been hearing people say they don't think Russell is smart enough to play quarterback. That kind of talk makes me flinch and conjures up memories of Al Campanis and Rush Limbaugh."
That itself is a racist statement, designed to prevent rational discussion of what has been decreed a sensitive subject. What this Cultural Marxist is saying is that to ask questions about a black individual's intelligence is to automatically brand all blacks as not intelligent. The equivalent would be no one in the media talking about an individualwhite player's lack of speed because to do so wouldlabel all whites as inherently inferior in that department.
It's always taboos, double standards and hypocrisy when it comes to discussing race in the U.S.
That itself is a racist statement, designed to prevent rational discussion of what has been decreed a sensitive subject. What this Cultural Marxist is saying is that to ask questions about a black individual's intelligence is to automatically brand all blacks as not intelligent. The equivalent would be no one in the media talking about an individualwhite player's lack of speed because to do so wouldlabel all whites as inherently inferior in that department.
It's always taboos, double standards and hypocrisy when it comes to discussing race in the U.S.
White Shogun
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 6,285
If I recall correctly, Limbaugh never said anything about blacks lacking intelligence anyway. His 'racist' comment was that the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.
From the article:
Thirteen starts into his NFL career, JaMarcus Russell already is being measured and fitted for the "bust" label. In his case, that tag is going to have to be supersized.
She talking about how big a flop he is or his weight??
From the article:
Thirteen starts into his NFL career, JaMarcus Russell already is being measured and fitted for the "bust" label. In his case, that tag is going to have to be supersized.
She talking about how big a flop he is or his weight??
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
"Russell, 23, also might be developing a bit of an attitude. His holdout his rookie year was ill-advised and stalled his development. His enormous diamond earrings and other fashion statements are a bad look for a young player who has yet to do anything special except cash his checks."
Haha, I love this paragraph, it's the only thing she wrote that was actually based on reality. I hope he spends every dime of Al Davis' dirty caste-money on diamonds, clothes, shoes, (not unlike a woman, mind you) and expensive booze.
To hear that even NFL Network has turned on ChubMarcus is the ultimate irony. I desperately hope that more "afflete" QB's are taken in the first round or #1 overall in the future. After all, the media's little plans worked so well with Byron Leftwich, Mike Vick, Vince Young, Duante Culpepper, and my personal flabby favorite, Jamarcus Russell.
Haha, I love this paragraph, it's the only thing she wrote that was actually based on reality. I hope he spends every dime of Al Davis' dirty caste-money on diamonds, clothes, shoes, (not unlike a woman, mind you) and expensive booze.
To hear that even NFL Network has turned on ChubMarcus is the ultimate irony. I desperately hope that more "afflete" QB's are taken in the first round or #1 overall in the future. After all, the media's little plans worked so well with Byron Leftwich, Mike Vick, Vince Young, Duante Culpepper, and my personal flabby favorite, Jamarcus Russell.
Once again, it appears that Russell's failures are everyone's fault but his own. From today's Rotoworld:
CBS analyst Rich Gannon hears that JaMarcus Russell's work ethic is lacking, but doesn't necessarily blame that on Russell.
"The coach comes out and says that the guy needs to...come to work every day and do the work it takes to be successful. That's mind-boggling, how, in this day and age, whether it be a coordinator or a position coach or a head coach, wouldn't demand that the guy come in on Tuesdays and do the work," Gannon said. "If your QB is not the hardest working guy in the building, you have a problem. I think you learn to do that, you learn to be that type of guy."
Another white ex-player, steadfastly defending one of the fat black "affletes" who star in the Caste System.
CBS analyst Rich Gannon hears that JaMarcus Russell's work ethic is lacking, but doesn't necessarily blame that on Russell.
"The coach comes out and says that the guy needs to...come to work every day and do the work it takes to be successful. That's mind-boggling, how, in this day and age, whether it be a coordinator or a position coach or a head coach, wouldn't demand that the guy come in on Tuesdays and do the work," Gannon said. "If your QB is not the hardest working guy in the building, you have a problem. I think you learn to do that, you learn to be that type of guy."
Another white ex-player, steadfastly defending one of the fat black "affletes" who star in the Caste System.
White Shogun
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 6,285
We have no way of knowing if the coaching staff is directing to him to do the work anyway, and he just isn't doing it. Would that really be that surprising?
SoberWF said:
He "was dominating" in college? I haven't missed many LSU games in decades, and I don't recall DuhMarcus being a dominant player. I'm no NFL calibre scout, but I was even surprised at the suggestion that he was a pro prospect. He never did seem like a special player (special as in rare talent, not as in rare size & strength at QB). He had good games, and games where he looked lost. He made highlights and blunders.
Russell had Dwayne Bowe and Buster Davis at WR (2 1st rd picks), plus Early Doucet. He had Hester and Addai in the backfield. 'Hard to not succeed with the wealth of skill players around.
Russell basically became the first overall pick because he "beat" high profile white QB Brady Quinn in a bowl game. That's also essentially why Quinn fell so dramatically in the draft.
The bar is so low for black QBs that all it takes is one big game for them to become top draft picks.
The bar is so low for black QBs that all it takes is one big game for them to become top draft picks.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
"The bar is so low for black QBs that all it takes is one big game for them to become top draft picks."
Well put, Vince Young vs. USC comes to mind as a perfect example of this.
Every jock-boy in america will constantly reference that ONE game as to why Vince still has "potential."
Tim Tebow plays the way Young played vs. USC every week for two years and he's barely being considered a pro prospect at QB. Matt Jones, Eric Crouch, and Scott Frost all got the same treatment....gee, I'm not seeing any trend here, are you?
Well put, Vince Young vs. USC comes to mind as a perfect example of this.
Every jock-boy in america will constantly reference that ONE game as to why Vince still has "potential."
Tim Tebow plays the way Young played vs. USC every week for two years and he's barely being considered a pro prospect at QB. Matt Jones, Eric Crouch, and Scott Frost all got the same treatment....gee, I'm not seeing any trend here, are you?
Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
celticdb15
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 8,469
I saw that too JC. How long sdoes it have to be blame Jamurcus boy for some of the Raiders problems? I dont see him making any strides, ill be surprised if he proves me wrong..
highschoolcoach
Guru
Regarding the article about the quarterbacking situation of the Oakland Raiders by Clifton Brown, I took the time to put in "my two cents worth" and think that all the other Caste Football posters should also do so.
I don't really want to get into a go-around with the aspiring general managers who seem to get off on this sort of thing, but there are some good points that can be brought up, such as:
1.)There are many quarterbacks who can be successful if they have an excellent o-line and great receivers,
2.)There are quarterbacks who do a better job than Jamarcus russell under similar circumstances,
3.)Size and arm strength are not the only attributes needed to be a good quarterback. Jamurcus is bigger and has a stronger arm that Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, etc., etc., but who would you rather have as your quarterback?
4.) Why not just get another quarterback instead of a whole new o-line and new receivers?
These self-proclaimed experts need to be "called out" on a regular basis if common sense is to prevail. Those guys remind me of all the know-it-all high school coaches who have losing seasons year after year, but still think they know it all.
I don't really want to get into a go-around with the aspiring general managers who seem to get off on this sort of thing, but there are some good points that can be brought up, such as:
1.)There are many quarterbacks who can be successful if they have an excellent o-line and great receivers,
2.)There are quarterbacks who do a better job than Jamarcus russell under similar circumstances,
3.)Size and arm strength are not the only attributes needed to be a good quarterback. Jamurcus is bigger and has a stronger arm that Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, etc., etc., but who would you rather have as your quarterback?
4.) Why not just get another quarterback instead of a whole new o-line and new receivers?
These self-proclaimed experts need to be "called out" on a regular basis if common sense is to prevail. Those guys remind me of all the know-it-all high school coaches who have losing seasons year after year, but still think they know it all.
A tidbit on Lard Butt I just ran across:
The work ethic of quarterback JaMarcus Russell is still being questioned by many who have worked with him in the past and are working with him now. After he issued a call to his teammates to practice and finish the OTA days strong, he then disappeared and was AWOL on the last day. Russell must learn that talent alone is not going to make him successful. Dedication to becoming a better player is what he needs.
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Sunday-at-the-post-5987.html
The work ethic of quarterback JaMarcus Russell is still being questioned by many who have worked with him in the past and are working with him now. After he issued a call to his teammates to practice and finish the OTA days strong, he then disappeared and was AWOL on the last day. Russell must learn that talent alone is not going to make him successful. Dedication to becoming a better player is what he needs.
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Sunday-at-the-post-5987.html
green fire317
Banned
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"talent alone wont make him successful". he doesnt have any talent.
Jack Lambert
Hall of Famer
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He has some talent..... if you are talking about a hot dog chugging contest.
But in terms of NFL talent, he has none. Al Davis has truly gone mad. This flabby, talentless QB should be out of the league after 5 years.
But in terms of NFL talent, he has none. Al Davis has truly gone mad. This flabby, talentless QB should be out of the league after 5 years.
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
I don't know- Bubble Butt did look good for LSU against Notre Dame in the Bowl game I saw, but maybe Jamarcus can't cut it in the NFL like Michael Vick or Vick Young. I thought Vince Young would be at least a solid NFL starting QB at first- after his dominant performance in the national championship- but he has failed at the NFL level thus far.
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
BTW I know Jamarcus looked horrible last year, but that was his first partial year starting.
ToughJ.Riggins said:
TJR I respect your opinion on football players, I think you know alot more about it then me but the game I remember most about Vince Young was against Michigan in the Rose Bowl. That was the year before the Bowl Championship and all I saw was him running wild and scrambling open time and again to find wide open receivers. It seemed like that also happened in the BCS game but I don't remember it well. Anyway when do NFL QB's ever play like Vince Young did in college? I don't remember him ever sitting back and picking apart defenses, which is what happens in the NFL. Am I wrong, was he a good passer? A good reader of defenses? I just don't remember it which is why I thought he wasn't a good first round pick.
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
Thanks Jaxvid for the compliment, here is my opine. I would say Vince never looked good on long throws, but he bought time with his legs in college and made good short throws to open receivers and was solid at finding receivers on intermediate routes at Texas. I thought his game would translate for the most part to the pros and that he could run for some first downs- "to play it safe"- when only a real difficult throw was there, like he did in college. I certainly never thought he'd be as good as Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but I thought he could be, maybe, a slightly above average starter.
Vince never showed great touch though- on his passes- and also has trouble gunning it into real tight spaces and this has become more apparent at the NFL level. Vince also isn't intelligent when you consider his Wonderlic score, his written apology (grammar problems etc.) or his inarticulate speech. His original score on the Wonderlic is low enough that it would make him close to illiterate (Learning disabled? or just stupid?), so maybe I should have predicted his high bust ceiling. Vince did look excellent in the national championship from what I remember, just as Jamarcus Russel looked at least good against Notre Dame in the bowl game. I may have bought into the hype with these guys. We'll see how Jamarcus does this year and if he can work on his body fat problem and "laziness".
Vince never showed great touch though- on his passes- and also has trouble gunning it into real tight spaces and this has become more apparent at the NFL level. Vince also isn't intelligent when you consider his Wonderlic score, his written apology (grammar problems etc.) or his inarticulate speech. His original score on the Wonderlic is low enough that it would make him close to illiterate (Learning disabled? or just stupid?), so maybe I should have predicted his high bust ceiling. Vince did look excellent in the national championship from what I remember, just as Jamarcus Russel looked at least good against Notre Dame in the bowl game. I may have bought into the hype with these guys. We'll see how Jamarcus does this year and if he can work on his body fat problem and "laziness".
ToughJ.Riggins said:
LSU versus Notre Dame in that Sugar Bowl was such a mismatch that DuhMarcus was merely the recipient. NFL is not about chucking the ball up to wide-open receivers who blow by their defenders. Russell is a thrower, but not a passer. He is lost when he has to think quickly. His lack of true QB talent is compounded by his flaky character.
NFL Scout / Fox NFL Analyst Chris Landry warned teams away from DuhMarcus Russell. The Raiders will pay for a long time because they did not listen.
green fire317
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that was not a hard thing to predict. i really hope Garcia gets the starting job this year. But with Al Davis running the show i dont think that will happen. If they stick with Russell for all 16 games they might go 1-15 or something like that.
Jeff Garcia on DuhMarcus and the Raiders. Russell must be a complete not-give-a-crap a-hole:
Garcia: Raiders in 'unfortunate situation'
Free agent Jeff Garcia felt the need to get away from the Oakland Raiders.
After a short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, it's more than apparent why.
"I have no problem going into a situation and helping a young guy out and really trying to help the team out overall more so than anything," Garcia said Friday during an appearance on Fox Sports Radio, referring to Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell. "I just feel like it's an unfortunate situation when the entire work ethic and the entire goal of the team is really put upon one guy's shoulder."
Garcia, 39, who was cut last month by the Eagles only weeks after his release from the Raiders, with whom he signed in April, said despite Russell's talent, he "really isn't maybe ready for that situation or ready to take on that sort of responsibility."
"When you put him on the field in a one-on-one workout session he'll make every throw for you," Garcia said during the radio show. "But when it comes down to making things happen in the heat of the battle and rallying the troops around you and making a case for the team, that's where maybe things aren't where they need to be."
With Russell slumping -- he has an NFL-worst 39.8 pass rating -- Garcia could've been an option for the Raiders to re-sign.
But his comments seemed to indicate he wasn't interested in that scenario -- in which case the Raiders likely would have to turn to Bruce Gradkowski, who sits at No. 2 on the Raiders' depth chart with Charlie Frye the third-stringer.
But Garcia said the scope of the Raiders' problems spans beyond the quarterback position.
"It was to a point where I felt like guys who walked through those doors that just were there to collect a check and not really interested in putting everything that they had within themselves on to the football field," he said. "And that was the frustrating thing for me to see.
"There were a lot of good young guys in that locker room who really want to do whatever it takes to win, but unfortunately it's not everybody," Garcia added. "In order to compete at this level in this game, everybody needs to be on board."
"Maybe it's because how things have been for a number of years now out there and they just don't see the hope," he said.
Garcia, who has started 116 games in 10 seasons, signed a one-year deal with the Raiders in April and said then that the idea of backing up anyone didn't sit well.
"There was some talk about how he would fit but the best way for me to approach it is the other two played so well and we are committed to JaMarcus as our starter," Raiders coach Tom Cable said shortly after Garcia's release. "Whether or not [Garcia] was comfortable in a role as a backup, it is what it is."
Garcia said Friday that he attempted to infuse a different outlook and a "fresh new start" into his Raiders teammates.
"To see the reality of the situation and realize what I may be up against staying here for the entire year, it hurt me, it broke my heart to do that to step up," Garcia said. "But I just felt like it was something I really didn't want to put myself through anymore."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4528142
Garcia: Raiders in 'unfortunate situation'
Free agent Jeff Garcia felt the need to get away from the Oakland Raiders.
After a short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, it's more than apparent why.
"I have no problem going into a situation and helping a young guy out and really trying to help the team out overall more so than anything," Garcia said Friday during an appearance on Fox Sports Radio, referring to Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell. "I just feel like it's an unfortunate situation when the entire work ethic and the entire goal of the team is really put upon one guy's shoulder."
Garcia, 39, who was cut last month by the Eagles only weeks after his release from the Raiders, with whom he signed in April, said despite Russell's talent, he "really isn't maybe ready for that situation or ready to take on that sort of responsibility."
"When you put him on the field in a one-on-one workout session he'll make every throw for you," Garcia said during the radio show. "But when it comes down to making things happen in the heat of the battle and rallying the troops around you and making a case for the team, that's where maybe things aren't where they need to be."
With Russell slumping -- he has an NFL-worst 39.8 pass rating -- Garcia could've been an option for the Raiders to re-sign.
But his comments seemed to indicate he wasn't interested in that scenario -- in which case the Raiders likely would have to turn to Bruce Gradkowski, who sits at No. 2 on the Raiders' depth chart with Charlie Frye the third-stringer.
But Garcia said the scope of the Raiders' problems spans beyond the quarterback position.
"It was to a point where I felt like guys who walked through those doors that just were there to collect a check and not really interested in putting everything that they had within themselves on to the football field," he said. "And that was the frustrating thing for me to see.
"There were a lot of good young guys in that locker room who really want to do whatever it takes to win, but unfortunately it's not everybody," Garcia added. "In order to compete at this level in this game, everybody needs to be on board."
"Maybe it's because how things have been for a number of years now out there and they just don't see the hope," he said.
Garcia, who has started 116 games in 10 seasons, signed a one-year deal with the Raiders in April and said then that the idea of backing up anyone didn't sit well.
"There was some talk about how he would fit but the best way for me to approach it is the other two played so well and we are committed to JaMarcus as our starter," Raiders coach Tom Cable said shortly after Garcia's release. "Whether or not [Garcia] was comfortable in a role as a backup, it is what it is."
Garcia said Friday that he attempted to infuse a different outlook and a "fresh new start" into his Raiders teammates.
"To see the reality of the situation and realize what I may be up against staying here for the entire year, it hurt me, it broke my heart to do that to step up," Garcia said. "But I just felt like it was something I really didn't want to put myself through anymore."
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