JaMarcus Russell Likely Going Pro

After a great performance in the Sugar Bowl last week, LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell has had his draft stock soar through the roof.  Considering he lined up against Brady Quinn, who many believe will be the #1 overall pick, Russell got a big boost with draft experts when he absolutely dismantled the Notre Dame defense.  Although it may seem a little premature, many think he will be the #1 overall pick, that is, if he does go pro.

Many sources are now reporting that Russell will enter the 2007 draft.  He is scheduled to announce his decision Wednesday morning, but most suggest that he has already made that decision.  Pro Football Talk reported Friday night that he had signed with an agent, and although his mother denies that, it very well could be true.

Banking on the fact that JaMarcus Russell does opt to go pro and enter the draft, what exactly does this mean for Detroit?  Well, there are quite a few Lions fans that have hopped on the Russell bandwagon since his Sugar Bowl performance.  The big QB does have a cannon of an arm and some mobility.  There is a slight chance Detroit could wind up drafting Russell, but I sincerely doubt it.

The impact that Russell could have on Detroit, however, may be even greater on the side that he doesn't get drafted by the Lions.  Oakland is probably going to take either Quinn or Russell, meaning that Detroit would be in a great position when it comes to trying to trade down. Currently, Quinn is very popular with the Cleveland Browns.  If Oakland were to skip over Quinn, then Detroit could lure the Browns in for a trade.  Hey, the last time Detroit traded with Cleveland in a draft worked out pretty well, they only got Roy Williams and Kevin Jones out of it.

At this point in time it's really just speculation considering you can't really make predictions so early in the process.  But if there is one thing that is true it is the fact that the possibilities for what Detroit does in the draft are endless.  This is shaping up to be one exciting offseason.