The name JaMarcus Russell will forever be the albatross around the neck of the Oakland Raiders franchise. It seems no matter how far removed we are from JaMistake the longer his shadow grows. Until Oakland rises from the ashes of this dismal decade the name of Russell will haunt our Silver and Black dreams.

Of course if some other sucker makes the unimaginable mistake of giving Russell another NFL check then the curse of JaBust will be lifted.

Thankfully the New York Jets exist. Hopefully the reports of their interest in Russell are real. Maybe the best thing that could happen to Raider Nation is the worst thing possible to happen to the career of Mark Sanchez.

No secrets the Jets were a mess in 2012. The Tim Tebow circus came to town and before you can say biggest draft bust ever Russell-mania could be on the way as well.

But hey one man’s trash is another’s treasure…so they say. Russell recently expressed his desire to get back into the game and judging by his 300-pound physique you know he’s serious. Maybe nothing will come of this but if nothing else just know the reality of Russell retuning to the NFL is becoming very possible.

Just when you thought he would disappear forever JaMarcus Russell has reemerged from the depths of football obscurity thanks to a piece penned by Kristian Dyer of Yahoo! in which the former draft bust proclaims his desire to mount a comeback. Russell is said to be getting himself in shape which is definitely a relative term.

According to the article Russell currently tips the scales at 308 down from 320. So obviously he’s taking this effort very seriously.  He’s also working out with LSU alum and former NFL receiver Mike Clayton and will eventually make his way to the TEST football academy where a team of former athletes and a full training staff will get Russell ready for the greatest challenge of his…ummm…career?

The cynic in me wants to lampoon Russell like Manti Te’o in a celebrity roast. However I do sincerely hope Russell finds something in him that will fuel his passions.

If I’m being honest I don’t see any way in which Russell ever makes it back to the NFL as anything more than an emergency QB. Not only does he have a long way to go in order to get into playing shape but he’s years behind the NFL learning curve now. With all the success rookie QBs are having these days who is going to spend an hour on a project veteran?

That said if the only thing that comes of this process is Russell finally challenging himself, getting in shape and hopefully realizing he has a life ahead of him that requires effort to accomplish his goals then it will be worth it. Although something tells me this might be more about Russell’s need for income than his supposed love of the game.

But that’s just the cynic in me talking. Hard to quiet that voice when the name JaMarcus Russell pops up.

Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

I’ve said it just about everyday of my adult life. Timing is everything. I remind myself of that whenever I’m mad at myself for arriving too early and use it as a mantra when I’m running late.

Timing is everything.

For Nnamdi Asomugha his timing couldn’t have been worse from a team standpoint. He arrived in Oakland just in time for the franchise to endure its worst decade ever. Then he managed to jump ship for Philadelphia just in time for the Eagles to endure one of their most disappointing seasons on record.

I’m not going to take any shots and Aso as I still respect him for all he does both on and off the field. However he is severely mislead in thinking expectations are higher in Philly than they are in Oakland.

Asomugha said as much in an interview when he compared the differences between going 8-8 in the East Bay to going 8-8 in Philly.

“It’s true. The 8-8 in Oakland? We were perennially the last team in the AFC West. We would win maybe two games a year or four games a year. When we got to 8-8 and it was like wow! There is so much improvement. You’re not excited you didn’t make the playoffs, but you’re excited that we were moving in the right direction. I love how different that is over here because 8-8 is not acceptable. It doesn’t matter where you have come from. 8-8 should always be we are playing below where we should be playing. Out here that is the mentality. 8-8 shouldn’t be anywhere near what we are thinking. That was great.”

I see the point Nnamdi is trying to make but he’s not seeing the big picture.

The Raiders are a historically great franchise that had fallen on hard times. He just so happened to be around when, yes, 8-8 was truly an improvement. Nobody in Raider Nation was celebrating that our beloved silver and black had reached mediocrity. Quite the opposite, most of us were disappointed that we missed the playoffs these last two years.

As for he Eagles and all their “expectations”, again Aso is slightly confused. You see Raider fans have seen a Super Bowl team or five over the years. Eagle fans…not so much. Nnamdi makes the classic mistake of the modern athlete by confusing media hype with greatness.

The only reasons expectations were so high in Philadelphia is because the front office dropped major cash in free agency then self-glossed with the “dream team” moniker.

And while we’re keeping it real, let’s be honest. Who in their right mind had high expectations with JaMarcus Russell, Aaron Brooks, and Josh McCown calling signals? I would hope Philly fans expect more of a team loaded with talent.

But I digress.

Like Nnamdi’s statement it all comes down to timing. Had he said this before last season then maybe there would have been some merit to his claims. To say so afterwards cheapens what he endured in Oakland while overstating what he’s seen in one season as an Eagle. Then again, if Nnamdi had said 8-8 would be unacceptable before last season then he would have gotten a nice taste of the merciless media in Philly. So I guess in some ways his timing couldn’t have been better…or…worse? Only time will tell.