JaMarcus Russell To Visit Halas Hall This Week For A Tryout
Louisiana State University football quarterback JaMarcus Russell talks about his intention to enter the NFL draft and skip his senior year of college at a press conference in Baton Rouge, La. Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The news broke today that JaMarcus Russell will be visiting Halas Hall on his quest to find an NFL job again. A week ago the reports were out there that Russell had lost 50+ pounds and was back down to his playing weight at LSU of around 265. Of course this was floated around because Russell is out of money and figured out that a 320LB Jared Lorenzen wannabe wasn’t in NFL team interests in 2013.
The problem with Russell wasn’t his weight, but his ability to complete passes to the right team. In 31 games Russell stats read like this 354-680 52.1% 18TD’s 23 INT’s. Even though it was for a pretty pathetic Oakland Raiders team, these stats are not very good PERIOD which is why Russell is no longer in the NFL not because of his weight issue.
The reason the Bears are interested one would guess is that Marc Trestaman is a QB guru, and it always seems like these guys need a project on the side to keep them fully engaged. Jim Harbaugh kept Alex Smith around a lot longer than most NFL experts every thought he would, and now Trestman may be looking for a project with Jay Cutler fully in place as the starting Bears QB.
Twitter was in rare form when the news broke so here is some reaction from social media.
Report: Bears To Work Out JaMarcus Russell « CBS Chicago http://t.co/IqBAyqWPO5 why not? low risk, high upside.
— Brian (@TeamStradley) June 4, 2013
The Bears will work out JaMarcus Russell on Friday...at the Wendy's on 41
— MARK GIANGRECO (@mark_giangreco) June 4, 2013
So Phil Emery's disappointed w/ a player having multiple issues w /the law on the day he invites JaMarcus Russell in for a workout? #Bears
— Tab Bamford (@The1Tab) June 4, 2013
One final thought about the Russell tryout can be summed up by this note from ESPN’s NFL expert Adam Schefter
Bears - or any other team - don't bring in JaMarcus Russell for a workout without giving real consideration in advance to signing him.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 4, 2013
How do you feel about the Russell tryout? Big deal? Little Deal? A whole lot of commotion about nothing in the first week of June?
BEAR DOWN!!