Who needs the horrors of training camp when summer comes early to the East Bay? It was well over 90 degrees on the practice field at Raiders headquarters Thursday as they wrapped up their first three-day bunching of organized team activities (OTAs), though nobody was complaining.
“Oh, man, this ain’t nothing,
” said second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell, auditioning for the media for the first time in 2008. “You get breeze out here. I’ve been in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, man. You don’t get no breeze. It’s very humid out there. A 110 degrees with humidity, with pads on, a Saturday scrimmage practice. I’ve been through it all.
”
Right about the time the Bunyanesque passer was uttering those words, the man who could salvage his offense was speaking to a much smaller contingent of reporters. As Javon Walker talked, a ladybug crawled harmlessly on the 7 of his No. 17 jersey. It might have been the symbol of a fresh start and renewed life. Or maybe he just had a bug on his shirt. Anyway, Walker is embracing the fresh-start theory.
“Oh, it feels like a great start,
” he said. “Just coming back and playing on a team where they’ll give you the opportunity to make plays. When you know you’re a playmaker, you never doubt that.
”
Russell is the focal point of Lane Kiffin’s offense, but he’s still learning the game and will need plenty of help to succeed. Rookie running back Darren McFadden could be a superstar, but Kiffin may integrate him into the offense slowly; the Raiders have some pretty good running backs beyond McFadden, too.
The real key may be Walker. If he were taken out by another leg injury, Oakland’s receiving corps would be down to Ronald Curry, Drew Carter and a cast of extras. If Walker were to rebound and have a big season, Russell would have some weapons at his disposal.
The receiver looked solid in practice Thursday, catching one pass from Andrew Walter that was tipped by cornerback John Bowie. But Kiffin didn’t sound entirely thrilled with the receiver’s conditioning.
“Javon has done some good things,” the coach said. “He’s a little bit heavy right now, which is normal for him in the offseason, so we’ve got to work him down to his playing weight and get him ready to go.
”
According to Walker, any weight gain has nothing to do with the knee injury that limited him to eight games, five starts, 26 catches, 287 yards and zero touchdowns in 2007 — after he began the year with 17 receptions for 220 yards in the first two games. He said the knee feels fine. And perhaps more important, he doesn’t believe last year’s injury had anything to do with the torn ACL that wiped out his 2005 season in Green Bay, though it happened in the same knee.
“It’s just the National Football League,” Walker said. “You get bumps, you get bruises, and you try to play the season with it. And, you know, it bothers you.
”
Walker, 29, admitted that he tried to come back from arthroscopic surgery too soon, and never felt right. He also complained that the Broncos chose not to feature him, making his medical issuers appear worse than they were.
It was the proximity of his two injuries that no doubt convinced the Broncos to waive him, then scared away a lot of potential NFL suitors. The Raiders boldly stepped into the void and ponied up $16 million guaranteed, a probable $27 million over three years for the two-time 1,000-yard receiver. Many feel they overpaid. Kiffin doesn’t care. He praised Walker’s mental commitment Thursday, noting that the receiver got a head start on the playbook before the OTAs began.
“I don’t make the decision how much money is made, but we’re excited to have him on the roster,
” Kiffin said.
Now Walker is looking forward to getting better acquainted with Russell. Having played with Brett Favre for four seasons in Green Bay, he’s ready to hook up with another potential Hall of Fame QB.
“He has a good arm,
” Walker said of Russell. “I’ve been fortunate enough in my career to play with a quarterback who had a strong arm, and that’s something I developed into, catching a fast ball. He’s one of those guys that has that ball.
”
Walker believes he’s one of the guys who can catch it, and the Raiders are banking that he’s right.
