Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable said today at the annual league meetings that quarterback JaMarcus Russell is on the right path by participating in the team’s voluntary workouts.
“The fact that he’s there working is really important right now,” Cable said, per David White of the San Francisco Chronicle. “That’s the biggest step right now, and that’s a big step.”
But it’s not a big enough step to guarantee Russell a spot in the starting lineup. Cable said Russell will have to compete throughout the offseason with Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye. Last year Russell started nine games and had a passer rating of 50.0, Gradkowski started four games and had a passer rating of 80.6, and Frye started three games and had a passer rating of 65.3.
Also worth noting from Cable’s session with the media: He declined to answer when asked how much Russell weighs, neither confirming nor denying the report that Russell weighs 271.
