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Darrell Russell

"Once a great player" might be stretching it a bit, but clearly he's no longer near that level. And the reasons the Bucs gave for releasing Darrell doesn't bode well for giving the the guy another chance.
General Manager Bruce Allen and Coach Jon Gruden had made it clear that Russell would be under heightened scrutiny after a checkered pro career that began with the Raiders in 1997 as a first-round pick out of Southern Cal.

``We had strict parameters for this young man, and those parameters were not met,'' Gruden said. ``We put in all these hurdles to test how much of a price Darrell was willing to pay. It's disappointing, because even before the relationship begins, the relationship is over.''

Gruden and Allen wouldn't specify what obligations Russell failed to live up to, but Allen denied any suggestion of illegal activity on Russell's part.

``You can rule that out - Darrell didn't break any laws,'' Allen said. ``But he didn't comply, and it didn't work out for him. It is what it is. You feel for the player because this was a second, third or fourth chance for him.''
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Allen and Gruden are guys who scouted and coached Russell in Oakland. They gave him an opportunity in Tampa and he threw it away. Not to mention, the guy is in denial regarding the reason he was cut.
``This is all about Tampa Bay freeing up a position they felt they were stacked in,'' said Russell, who registered four tackles in eight games with the Redskins in 2003. ``Even though I had a rapport with Bruce, Coach Gruden and [defensive line coach] Rod Marinelli, I was competing against guys like Chuck Darby and Ellis Wyms, who had been in the program for years.

``It was strictly a business decision and a numbers game. They've got a bunch of other guys they have to cut before camp starts.''
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Russell's a 2 time offender of the NFL drug policy, been dumped by the guys who know him best as a player, and doesn't believe he can compete with guys like Chuck Darby or Ellis Wyms (whoever they are). I'm confident in stating that the Texans won't get anywhere near Darrell Russell.
 
Russell is a known heat-case. I would steer wide of him. From Gang-rape allegations to designer drugs he has been nothing but trouble everywhere he has been.
 
__V__ said:
Russell is a known heat-case. I would steer wide of him. From Gang-rape allegations to designer drugs he has been nothing but trouble everywhere he has been.
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From accounts that I have heard he is one of those guys that when you talk to him, Russell seems to be able to express himself well and understand the difference between right and wrong, but whose actions don't follow the sort of "nice,bright" guy persona he gives off.

No interest in having Russell's cloud of trouble to roll into Houston.
 
the allegations against him were not minor. This guy has a knack for finding trouble or worse, creating it for himself. He's a waste of ability. I want someone else to find that out, not us.
 
He just doesn't have discipline, a no-no in Capers' team.

Buccaneers | Russell Release Update - from www.KFFL.com
Tue, 13 Jul 2004 18:29:42 -0700

Updating a previous report, Jim Flynn of PewterReport.com, reports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recent release of DL Darrell Russell may have been tied to his reporting to minincamps nearly 20 pounds overweight, although Buccaneers' general manager Bruce Allen would not confirm that was the sole cause. "We gave him the opportunity to succeed here and it just didn't work out for him," said Allen. "I'm not going to get into specifics, but there were certain things we wanted him to adhere to and he didn't do that."
 
I don't think it's the money. It's the guy himself. No mater how cheap, a problem child is still a problem child and not worth wasting the time with in the hopes he works out.
 
both Chuck Darby or Ellis Wyms would start for us ahead of Deloach. So lemme get this straight, Trade (ie give up something) for Antonio Bryant and pay his salary, but don't sign DR for the vet minumum and give him a chance? hypocritical.
 
Not gonna happen Hosuton is a conservative town look at Julio Lugo of the Astros. He was cut before charges were filed. TO bring on a known crimeinal would be a disaster in Houston and Mcnair knows it.
 
Ediddy73 said:
both Chuck Darby or Ellis Wyms would start for us ahead of Deloach. So lemme get this straight, Trade (ie give up something) for Antonio Bryant and pay his salary, but don't sign DR for the vet minumum and give him a chance? hypocritical.
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1. It isn't a given that either of those guys would start ahead of DeLoach.

2. Even though I wouldn't touch Bryant with someone else's ten-foot pole, he doesn't have anywhere near the same kind of past as Russell. Bryant has not been suspended by the NFL (yet). Russell has to be on the straight and narrow or he will get suspended indefinitely (for more than a year), even if he just forgets to show up for a drug test.

3. There is absolutely no way that McNair/Casserly/Capers would tolerate Russell.

4. There is very little chance that McNair/Casserly/Capers would trade for Bryant. I think the talk show rumor was blown way out of proportion and that there was actually no talk between the Texans and Cowboys beyond the Cowboys saying "Would you like to offer something for Bryant" followed by the click of Casserly hanging up the phone.
 
Darrell Russell's release Tuesday by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was preceded by a positive test last month for alcohol, a banned substance in the player's treatment program, according to NFL sources.


Russell is facing another indefinite suspension by commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Sources say the positive test approximately five weeks ago was his seventh infraction of the league's substance abuse policy since he was selected second overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 1997 draft.
 
You cannot compare Darrell Russell and Antonio Bryant. Bryant threw his shoulder pads at his coach. Frustration, hotheaded, but not off the field issues.

Russell "allegedly" fed a girl ecstacy gang raped her and video taped it. Has been cut from 2 teams now after being a pro bowl caliber player. Still has pending issues.

Bryant maybe a little immature but his issues stem from wanting the ball in his hands and football related issues, Russell is the kind of player that can cause other players to go down the wrong path.
 
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