JaMarcus Russell runs a 5.2-second 40-yard dash, is he playing out of position?

Ben Cornfield | February 21, 2013 at 4:26 pm | 1 Comment

Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (2) is hit by San Diego Chargers inside linebacker Stephen Cooper (54)for a sack late in the the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. The Raiders lost 24-16. (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

JaMarcus Russell just ran a 5.2 40. @richeisen ran a 6.0 at last year’s combine in suit. Good luck w/ that NFL comeback…

— LostLettermen.com (@LostLettermen) February 21, 2013

So there’s this guy. His name is JaMarcus Russell. You may not have heard of him because he has not done anything since leading LSU to a Sugar Bowl victory over Notre Dame back in 2007 — before the dawn of Twitter, basically.

He was drafted No. 1-overall by the Oakland Raiders, signing a fat contract but then promptly getting fat himself. He was supposed to be the Raiders’ franchise passer for a decade, but that was at a relatively svelte 270-some pounds. Once the dude started rockin’ at over three bills, the Raiders were forced to go in another direction.

[Settle It: Is JaMarcus Russell the absolute biggest NFL Draft bust of all time?]

Is it pretty tough to take a guy seriously when he is literally the same size as the offensive linemen in front of him, or is it just us?

Nope. It is not just us. In fact, news of Russell’s attempt at an NFL comeback largely drew laughs from around the league and blogosphere.

But the big man was serious, even posting this video to YouTube showing himself working out to prepare for teams this offseason. However, on Thursday, Russell was clocked in at a snail-paced 5.2-second 40-yard dash.

Don’t hate, though.

See, we here at Gamedayr sat down and really took some time to think this one through (well, not really, but it’s whatever). We crunched a number or two (again, not really) and came to a world-beating realization:

The 6-foot-6, 308-pounder is only 27 years old. He is still young enough and strong enough to play in the NFL.

Just not at quarterback — the dude’s just been out of position all this time, no big deal.

So many young stars are asked to make the switch from quarterback to a different position. Michigan’s Denard Robinson set records as the Wolverines signal caller, but he is embracing a move to tailback/wideout with open arms. If Tim Tebow had more wholeheartedly taken on running back duties in New York, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound powerful runner may have actually seen the field in 2012.

Antwaan Randle El played quarterback (as well as basketball and baseball) at Indiana before winning a Super Bowl as a wide receiver for the Steelers.

Granted, the quarterback-to-offensive lineman move is a little less conventional.

Think about it, though: He obviously understands blocking schemes enough to lead offensive linemen. He has the size to go along with that knowledge, and the footwork he worked on as a quarterback will be perfect for a zone blocking team.

Hey, if this were a McWorld, it could happen.

And no JaMarcus, that doesn’t mean we want you to pick up McDonald’s, you’re supposed to be in training!