From Bleacher Report:
The debate goes on.
Is JaMarcus Russell of the Oakland Raiders the biggest bust of all time?
In order for that to be true, Russell must surpass Ryan Leaf of the San Diego Chargers, taken second overall in the 1998 NFL draft. Leaf is generally considered the biggest bust ever taken in the NFL draft.
Most articles relative to Russell have been nothing more than case studies in the quixotic decisions of Al Davis.
Thus, those articles are nothing more than veiled attempts to define the legacy of Mr. Davis by Russell, which merely reflects gross bias that is not based on facts.
This argument is two-fold. The first component is the empirical evidence (stats, cost), while the second component is the intangibles (work-ethic, locker room presence).