.jpg)
To this point in his comeback attempt, JaMarcus Russell has done everything right. He's slimmed way down to a playing weight that is at least reasonable for his frame, and he's finally been able to convince teams that he's truly committed to football. Still, Russell isn't a good fit on all 32 teams. Here's the top teams that make sense for Russell.
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports that JaMarcus Russell would like to go to a team with an established starting quarterback. That would allow him to be the backup for a season or two, relearning football at the NFL level, and that brings us to our first fit.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have an aging veteran under center in Carson Palmer. Palmer is there to win games, but he's also a true professional. That's something that Russell could learn a lot from. If Russell could pick up some of Palmer's habits in practice and during preparation, Russell could be ready to start for the Cardinals or a different team in a year or two.
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are also a good fit. Like the Cardinals, Philip Rivers fills the role of the established, veteran quarterback that could be a model worker for Russell to emulate. Like the Cardinals, I don't see it as a long term fit. Russell wants to sit behind a starting quarterback for a period of time, but at some point, you would have to imagine that Russell wants to be a starting quarterback in the league. With a short, two year contract, Russell could walk out of San Diego ready to start in the NFL.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Although Russell would like to work under an established starter, the Jaguars are just looking for quarterbacks that could push Blaine Gabbert, and a committed JaMarcus Russell could do just that. If Gabbert were to beat Russell for the top spot, Russell would likely serve as his backup, but from the Jaguars' perspective, could it really hurt to bring in a guy with the tools to actually become a starting quarterback in the NFL? I think not.
