Big Fat JaMarcus

I have spent the good part of my last 15 years watching Georgia football on Saturday evenings in the fall. While I won't claim to be as hardcore as those who live in the South, I do think I know a thing or two about the SEC. That is why I was so shocked when the Raiders selected Big Fat JaMarcus with the first pick in the draft three years ago.

I never thought he was any good. Never. It was hard not to be impressed by his collegiate performance - 67.8% completion pct, 3129 yards, 28 td, 8 ints during his Senior season. He topped it all off with an impressive Sugar Bowl performance where he shredded the Notre Dame defense for 332 yards and 2 td's. I'm a statistician and I know it is easy to lie with numbers. Simply put, his numbers didn't give the whole picture. While he had great arm strength, I questioned his decision making and his size, even back then. (I know it is easy to say all this now, but this is the one pick in recent history I knew was going to be a bust). He reminded me of Byron Leftwich, not because of his skin color, but because he was a 6'5, 248lb QB with great arm strength. Let me tell you - if you are a 250 lb QB coming out of college, you will probably be a 260/270 lb QB after you graduate unless you have a great work ethic. Hearing what is coming out of Raiders camp - that Big Fat JaMarcus slept through team meetings - it is no surprise that he is out of shape and totally lost as a NFL QB.

He ended his tenure with a 7-18 record and had more than 250 passing yards in a game once. The look on his face always portrayed the same though - "Holy shit! I am totally lost out here." I There will be some team who takes a chance on him because every NFL coach is arrogant enough to think he is the one to be able to turn this guy around. But it won't work - JaMarcus is the biggest NFL punchline since Ryan Leaf. That does not exactly lead to confidence.