<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span class="vitstorybody"><span class="vitstorybody"> <font class="bilinelead">ALAMEDA - </font>The calls for JaMarcus Russell to play already have started from disgruntled Raiders fans. The franchise quarterback said he's ready, and Coach Lane Kiffin admits he often thinks about playing the rookie.</p> It's just a matter of time before the Raiders turn their struggling offense over to Russell and begin to see whether they made the right decision by making him the No. 1 pick in the draft and guaranteeing him at least $29 million.</p> "You got to make sure JaMarcus is ready to play," Kiffin said. "This is our franchise."</p> While Raiders fans have grown tired of watching Josh McCown and Daunte Culpepper struggle to move the offense on a 2-6 team, they'll have to wait a little longer to see Russell. McCown will start Sunday against Chicago, and Culpepper will back him up. But Kiffin said there's a chance Russell would be the second quarterback soon, allowing the coach to use the rookie for a few early drives if he chooses.</p> Complicating matters is the fact that Russell missed all of training camp and the exhibition season in a contract dispute. He signed three days after the season opener.</p> "It's just a matter of time before you get in there and have confidence to be yourself," Russell said. "I'm a very competitive guy. I'm very confident in myself. I'm pretty sure those guys are as well."</p> How to handle rookie quarterbacks is an open question. Of the 19 quarterbacks taken in the first round this decade before Russell, the average player started six games as a rookie and played in eight.</p> The Raiders are weighing the value of gaining experience against the potential harm of playing Russell before he's ready.</p> "Just because you play doesn't make you a better player," Kiffin said. "There are guys who can go through really bad experiences and you have to deal with that. ... Now all of a sudden, you got to go rebuild him from a guy who has been successful his whole career playing quarterback. You got to rebuild him from him doubting himself."</p> Russell, who sat behind Matt Mauck and Marcus Randall his first year in college, went 25-4 as LSU's starting quarterback, finishing his career with the Tigers having thrown the second- most touchdown passes (52) and with the second-highest completion percentage (.619) in school history.</p> However, receiver Ronald Curry said it would be hard to start a rookie quarterback when the offense is struggling as much as Oakland's.</p> The Raiders are tied for the seventh-most sacks allowed and have committed the most holding and false start penalties. While the running game has been solid, Oakland lacks the game-breaking receivers to take pressure off the QB.</p> "It's easier to step right in if we had this great offense that was scoring, even though you wouldn't be asking for him," Kiffin said. "Then it's easier; it always is.</p> "That's the whole thing. A lot of times the guys that get drafted later in the first round do better. Why do they do better? Well, they got drafted later and went to a team with better personnel around them."</div></p> Source: Riverside Press Enterprises</p> </span></span></p>
It's that $3.85 offensive line that's keeping Jamarcus on the bench. I'd give him at least 4 games before the season ends, however.</p>
The best thing for the team is to have Russell sit until he is ready. The Raiders are ready for Russell, but Russell is not ready to play NFL football. The rookie missed all of training camp, and plays the most complicated position on the team. I am ok with him not playing right now. Like Bob said, he would just be more grinder meat standing behind that offensive line.</p> </p>
