Professor

Still awaiting big-bucks deal, Russell expected to be no-show

excerpt:

ro Bowl defensive end Derrick Burgess is reporting to camp for practice today, though he's not exactly thrilled. No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell isn't expected in town, though the coaching staff isn't panicking yet.

Turns out the Raiders can take the most mundane of events - reporting day for training camp - and inject it with excitement and intrigue. How many other teams coming off a 2-14 season can pull that off?

"We'd like everybody to be here when we start practicing," rookie coach Lane Kiffin said Thursday evening as veterans and rookies arrived at the Napa Valley Marriott.

That would be boring, and the Raiders are anything but.

The day started with Burgess' agent confirming in a phone interview his client was "unhappy" because the Raiders declined to renegotiate his contract, which is well below market value for two-time Pro Bowl sack leaders. Burgess decided to report anyway, and will not ask for a trade.

By day's end, it became clear Russell, the first pick overall in April's draft, was unlikely to report in time for today's first mandatory camp function, a 7 a.m. team meeting, with the first practice at 2:45 p.m.

Unlikely, as in he was still in his hometown of Mobile, Ala., on Thursday as his agent continued to negotiate a contract with an undisclosed team of Raiders officials. Second-round draft pick Zach Miller also wasn't signed as of Thursday evening.

Russell reportedly wants a rookie-record contract that includes up to $30 million in guaranteed money. His agent, Eric Metz, is not commenting on contract negotiations.

Kiffin said the talks are "going very well," but hinted this could take awhile. That means the Raiders are facing their first holdout by a first-round draft pick since returning from Los Angeles in 1996.

"We're extremely excited about the way we're going about it," Kiffin said. "We're moving along very quickly, but at the same time, we're doing things in the best interest of our future as well.

"We have a lot of time. He may not be here. We'll deal with it at the time and coach the players that are here."

The longer Russell is out, the less of a chance he has to compete for an opening-day starting job. Josh McCown, considered by team observers to be ahead of Andrew Walter at quarterback, figures to benefit most, and even he wants Russell in camp as soon as possible.

"It's huge," McCown said, "because these first few weeks, the practices that you get and the work you get, you never get back. Hopefully, it will get worked out to where everybody's happy and we can get him in here and get him working."

Kiffin has maintained a dialogue with Russell, and doesn't seem upset that the contract issues have not been resolved.

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Professor

Russell, Raiders are ready to reap riches

http://www.contracostatimes.com/raid...nclick_check=1

Raiders rookie quarterback JaMarcus Russell is on the verge of being a very rich man. It's only a matter of how soon that happens and how much he reaps from the Raiders by virtue of his being the top pick in the NFL draft in April.

Russell's agent Eric Metz and the Raiders have been in continual contact in recent weeks about outlining the parameters for a deal that figures to net Russell at least $25 million in guaranteed money over the next five or six years.

This much we know based on the hauls made by 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams as the past two No. 1 selections.

Williams last year reportedly signed a six-year, $54 million contract that includes $26.5 million guaranteed. Smith inked a six-year, $49.5 million deal that includes $24 million guaranteed.

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