Gradkowski Wants Raiders Gig

By MikeBullock  |   Thursday, February 11, 2010  |  Comments( 3 )

Oakland Raiders
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The only signal caller on Oakland’s squad in recent years to fire up the offense and deliver big wins has been Bruce Gradkowski. Much like Rich Gannon, Gradkowski was signed to the Raiders amidst little fanfare and even a groan or three from Raider Nation. Odds are the amount of people who predicted Gradkowski to light it up in the way he did last season can be counted on one finger. Maybe two if you consider Gradkowski’s mother.

In his five starts in 2009 before suffering dual knee injuries, Gradkowski went 65 of 1290 for 844 yards, six touchdowns and one pick. His completion average was a respectable 54.4% and while working behind one of the more porous lines in professional football, was only sacked eight times. Add in his four fumbles, and the x-factor of being the first Raider quarterback to throw for over 300 yards since 2007 and you have a decent effort for a guy who was little more than an afterthought in training camp.

What’s obviously a bigger hurdle for Gradkowski than anything opposing defenses can throw at him are the deficiencies on his own team. From the aforementioned offensive line, (which should be the number one player priority for Oakland this offseason), to the terrible play calling, that should now be fixed with the acquisition of Hue Jackson as new offensive coordinator, to a defense that struggles to prevent the offense from having to play catch up all game long, Gradkowski has a tough road to hoe. Despite that, he still wants the job.

Worst of all is the man standing in front of him, blocking out the sun. That would be JaMarcus Russell. When comparing the QBs, to make it apples to apples, let’s look at Russell’s starting stats for 2009. Russell went 115 for 219 with a 48.8 completion percentage. He racked up a paltry 1166 yards, two touchdowns and 10 interceptions. All this and seven fumbles, too. That’s only 322 more yards than Gradkowski, with four less touchdowns and nine more picks. And he accomplished that in five more starts than Gradkowski was given. It’s no wonder Al Davis believes in Russell…

In order for Oakland to return to prominence sooner rather than later, the team needs to give Gradkowski a fair shake in training camp and then hand him the keys to the offense when he proves he’s still the same guy he was before the knee injuries. Odds are, Russell won’t make any miraculous improvements, nor show a sudden football intelligence he’s lacked at every level of the game this spring.

With a team that needs some major rebuilding, you must build around your quarterback’s strengths, and Russell’s big arm isn’t something to build a team around. No matter how you slice it, if Oakland continues to put their money on Russell, the team will have yet another top ten draft slot in 2011.

Gradkowski has shown a chemistry with the young receiving corps and the leadership to spark this team to comeback victories. He’s also exhibited a “student of the game” mentality that Russell clearly lacks. While many solid QBs wouldn’t come to Oakland on a dare, the Raiders already have the rights to a player who knows the system, works well within it, and wants to be there. What more could they ask for?

Maybe it’s time for a billboard demanding Davis pulls the plug on Russell. I’m sure Gradkowski would appreciate it.
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