JaMarcus Russell Selection Remains Massive Raiders' What-If?

April 28th, 2007. A date that lives in infamous history. With the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select...JaMarcus Russell, quarterback, LSU.

Russell was a bust as we all know. Russell held out until the start of the season, a season in which first-year head coach Lane Kiffin needed his quarterback ready for. It paid off for Russell, as he signed a six-year, $68 million contract with $31.5 million guaranteed.

Russell would play three seasons, 31 games total, before being released by the Raiders following a gluttony of issues in May, 2010.

However, according to Broncos Insider Ben Allbright, Al Davis and the Denver Broncos reached an agreement for the Raiders to trade the first overall pick used on Russell.

"What if Al Davis doesn’t back out of the verbally agreed to trade in the 2007 draft with the Broncos, who were going to move from 17 to 1 and take Calvin Johnson," wrote Allbright.

Here's the thing. Looking back, the only thing I could find on this topic was The Denver Post's Mike Klis' report back from 2007 and updated in 2016. However, Klis reported that the Broncos were in discussion with the Lions. However, the Lions' general manager at the time was Matt Millen, who warned Davis about selecting Russell.

"Yet to date, the only known draft play by the Broncos’ three-headed think tank of Mike Shanahan, Ted Sundquist and Jim Goodman has been to seek receiver Calvin Johnson through the No. 2 draft pick held by the Detroit Lions," wrote Klis. "And not just once did the Broncos go after Johnson, but twice."

"The first time, the Broncos proposed adding middle linebacker Al Wilson and their No. 21 overall pick as an extension to finalize a deal that sent Tatum Bell and George Foster to the Lions in exchange for Dré Bly. The second time, the Broncos offered picks in the first, second and third rounds, plus their first-round pick in 2008, for the Lions’ No. 2 selection, a trade contingent on the Oakland Raiders not taking Johnson with their No. 1 choice."

Here's the thing though. Al Davis did what he wanted, especially in the late 2000s. He wanted Russell, and it's hard to say he would have willingly let him go while giving a division rival Johnson. Keep in mind the Broncos had Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall at that time.

And the end of the day, whether or not the trade was executed, the Raiders missed out on Calvin Johnson, and it's a decision that has haunted them since.

Another what if in a series of what ifs that have haunted the Raiders since the 2002 season.