Is JaMarcus Russell now the biggest bust in draft history?

No. 1 overall pick three years ago is about to get cut by one of the worst teams in the league.

He weighs over 300 pounds.

He received $31.5 million in guaranteed money.

For my money, he's far worse than Ryan Leaf.

For once, I don't think you can blame the Raiders. He was a no-brainer in that spot.

 

The two first-round quarterbacks that year were Russell and Brady Quinn. Yikes.

 

Worse that Ryan Leaf? Now that's an insult!

 

Good draft too... Joe Thomas, Darrell Revis, Patrick Willis and Adrian Peterson. Four players who are arguably the best three players in the league at their positions.

 

Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Joey Harrington.

Rogers especially since it was fairly widely known he was a heavy doper and utterly uncoachable while still in college.

THEN he failed a drug test at an NFL pre-draft camp only a couple days before the draft.

SOMEBODY decided all that didn't matter, and decided to piss away the No. 3 pick on him anyway.

Now who do you think that might have been?

 

Actually, anyone who watched Russell play in games other than the blowout against a horrible Notre Dame team knew that he was extremely raw and could very well never develop into a QB who deserved to even be taken in the top 15. Tons of raw talent and arm strength, but he rarely showed any touch during his college career. He just got lucky that his last game was against one of the worst defenses ever to play in a BCS bowl game.

 

Look at the rest of the QBs taken in that draft ... this is just like 1983, but the exact opposite

Kevin Kolb
John Beck
Drew Stanton
Trent Edwards
Isaiah Stanback
Jeff Rowe
Troy Smith
Jordan Palmer
Tyler Thigpen

I know Kolb hasn't yet had a chance to prove himself, but when you say that Trent Edwards or Tyler Thigpen is the cream of the crop, that's bad.

 

Rogers was an awful pick, especially that high. Harrington wasn't coachable and Mariucci hated him. I think he wanted to deal him the second he got there. I really can't help but wonder how good Mike Williams could have been if he didn't hitch himself to Maurice Clarett's wagon.

 

Hell, Gaines Adams was a better pick than Russell.

 

Can't count Leaf since he was not #1 overall.

Russell is right there. Worst in my lifetime was Walt Patulski drafted by the Bills in 1972 - just a huge bust.

Sam Bowie still leader in clubhouse for all leagues

 

Here is full list of # 1's :

Year Player Position School Team Years Played Pro Bowls
2009 Matthew Stafford QB Georgia Detroit Lions 1 0
2008 Jake Long OT Michigan Miami Dolphins 2 1
2007 JaMarcus Russell QB LSU Oakland Raiders 3 0
2006 Mario Williams DE N. Carolina State Houston Texans 4 2
2005 Alex Smith QB Utah San Francisco 49ers 5 0
2004 Eli Manning QB Mississippi San Diego Chargers 6 1
2003 Carson Palmer QB Southern Cal. Cincinnati Bengals 7 2
2002 David Carr QB Fresno State Houston Texans 8 0
2001 Michael Vick QB Virginia Tech Atlanta Falcons 9 3
2000 Courtney Brown DE Penn State Cleveland Browns 7 0
1999 Tim Couch QB Kentucky Cleveland Browns 6 0
1998 Peyton Manning QB Tennessee Indianapolis Colts 12 10
1997 Orlando Pace OT Ohio State St. Louis Rams 13 7
1996 Keyshawn Johnson WR Southern Cal. New York Jets 11 4
1995 Ki-Jana Carter RB Penn State Cincinnati Bengals 8 0
1994 Dan Wilkinson DT Ohio State Cincinnati Bengals 13 0
1993 Drew Bledsoe QB Washington State New England Patriots 14 4
1992 Steve Emtman DT Washington Indianapolis Colts 8 0
1991 Russell Maryland DT Miami, (Fla.) Dallas Cowboys 10 1
1990 Jeff George QB Illinois Indianapolis Colts 13 0
1989 *Troy Aikman QB UCLA Dallas Cowboys 12 6
1988 Aundray Bruce LB Auburn Atlanta Falcons 11 0
1987 Vinny Testaverde QB Miami, (Fla.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21 2
1986 Bo Jackson RB Auburn Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 1
1985 Bruce Smith DE Virginia Tech Buffalo Bills 18 11
1984 Irving Fryar WR Nebraska New England Patriots 15 5
1983 *John Elway QB Stanford Baltimore Colts 16 10
1982 Kenneth Sims DT Texas New England Patriots 8 0
1981 George Rogers RB South Carolina New Orleans Saints 7 2
1980 Bill Sims RB Oklahoma Detroit Lions 5 3
1979 Tom Cousineau LB Ohio State Buffalo Bills 6 0
1978 *Earl Campbell RB Texas Houston Oilers 8 5
1977 Ricky Bell RB Southern Cal. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 0
1976 *Lee Roy Selmon DE Oklahoma Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9 6
1975 Steve Bartkowski QB California Atlanta Falcons 12 2
1974 Ed 'Too Tall' Jones DE Tennessee State Dallas Cowboys 15 3
1973 John Matuszak DE Tampa Houston Oilers 9 0
1972 Walt Patulski DT Notre Dame Buffalo Bills 5 0
1971 Jim Plunkett QB Stanford New England Patriots 15 0
1970 *Terry Bradshaw QB Louisiana Tech Pittsburgh Steelers 14 3
1969 *O.J. Simpson RB Southern Cal. Buffalo Bills 11 6
1968 *Ron Yary OT Southern Cal. Minnesota Vikings 15 7
1967 Bubba Smith DE Michigan State Baltimore Colts 9 2
1966 Jim Grabowski RB Illinois Miami Dolphins (AFL) 6 0
1966 Tommy Nobis LB Texas Atlanta Falcons (NFL) 11 5
1965 Lawrence Elkins WR Baylor Houston Oilers (AFL) 2 0
1965 T. Frederickson RB Auburn New York Giants (NFL) 6 1
1964 Jack Concannon QB Boston College Boston Patriots (AFL) 10 0
1964 Dave Parks WR Texas Tech San Francisco 49ers (NFL) 10 3
1963 *Buck Buchanan DT Grambling Kansas City Chiefs (AFL) 13 8
1963 Terry Baker QB Oregon State Los Angeles Rams (NFL) 3 0
1962 Roman Gabriel QB N. Carolina State Oakland Raiders (AFL) 16 4
1962 Ernie Davis RB Syracuse Washington Redskins (NFL) DNP -
1961 Ken Rice G Auburn Buffalo Bills (AFL) 6 1
1961 Tommy Mason RB Tulane Minnesota Vikings (NFL) 11 3
1960 Billy Cannon RB Louisiana State Los Angeles Rams 11 2
1959 Randy Duncan QB Iowa Green Bay Packers 1 0
1958 King Hill QB Rice Chicago Cardinals 12 0
1957 *Paul Hornung HB Notre Dame Green Bay Packers 9 2
1956 Gary Glick DB Colorado A&M Pittsburgh Steelers 7 0
1955 George Shaw QB Oregon Baltimore Colts 8 0
1954 Bobby Garrett QB Stanford Cleveland Browns 1 0
1953 Harry Babcock E Georgia San Francisco 49ers 3 3
1952 Bill Wade QB Vanderbilt Los Angeles Rams 13 2
1951 Kyle Rote HB SMU New York Giants 11 4
1950 Leon Hart E Notre Dame Detroit Lions 8 1
1949 *Chuck Bednarik C/LB Pennsylvania Philadelphia Eagles 12 8
1948 Harry Gilmer QB Alabama Washington Redskins 2 0
1947 Bob Fenimore HB Oklahoma State Chicago Bears 1 0
1946 Frank Dancewicz QB Notre Dame Boston Yanks 3 0
1945 *Charley Trippi HB Georgia Chicago Cardinals 9 2
1944 Angelo Bertelli QB Notre Dame Boston Yanks 3 0
1943 Frank Sinkwich HB Georgia Detroit Lions 4 0
1942 *Bill Dudley HB Virginia Pittsburgh Steelers 9 3
1941 Tom Harmon HB Michigan Chicago Bears 2 0
1940 George Cafego HB Tennessee Chicago Cardinals 4 0
1939 Ki Aldrich C Texas Christian Chicago Cardinals 7 2
1938 Corbett Davis FB Indiana Cleveland Rams DNP -
1937 Sam Francis FB Nebraska Philadelphia Eagles 4 0
1936 Jay Berwanger HB Chicago Philadelphia Eagles DNP -
* Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

 

Bingo. I know it sounds like hindsight or whatever, but I was never impressed with Russell. He just never looked like an NFL QB to me. Was always chunky, so it's really not a surprise that he blew up like he did. I never did see what everyone thought was so great about that kid.