JAN

09

At the beginning of the year, I tried to evaluate the incoming class of rookies. It was a difficult task as we had learned the previous year when seventh round pick Marques Colston shocked the league as the best rookie on the New Orleans Saints. Now that 2007 is in the books, it's time to evaluate the verdict of this year's rookie class. You will note that I have included my previous assessment of the rookies before 2007 kicked off, as well as my expectations now that year one is in the books. Quarterbacks: Rookie signal callers can be a disaster, but a pretty good crop of QBs came out this year. Let's start with the number one pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. JaMarcus Russell, QB, Oakland Raiders PRE-SEASON EVAULATION: Russell is a physical phenomenon who has the potential to be a great passer and put up Daunte Culpepper numbers. Of course, you're hoping for 2004 Culpepper numbers when he lit up the league and not the guy who was laboring with the Vikings before tearing up his knee. Russell has a cannon of an arm and decent mobility for his figure (6'6" 260), but he is inheriting an offense in Oakland that is a total disaster. Pros: Will get plenty of playing time, so you know he is going to get you numbers (this could be a con, though, since he could rack up the INTs as well). He is strong and physically gifted, which means he should be able to take a pounding when operating behind a porous O-Line. Perhaps he can form a rapport with the malleable Jerry Porter, who was a solid receiver before his run-in with Art Shell last season. Cons: Operating behind a terrible O-Line leads to many rushed decisions, probably leading to plenty of INTs and sacks. There is also some uncertainty with the rushing game as LaMont Jordan is returning from a knee injury. You'll be praying that he returns to 2005 form, when he caught 70 balls (this could help Russell). This means more blitzes and an unbalanced offense. In other words, it won't be the ideal situation for your rookie QB to b...

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