Gradkowski brings confidence to Raiders

<p>OAKLAND – Raiders wide receiver Louis Murphy said JaMarcus Russell is as good as Bruce Gradkowski. This was in answer to a journalist asking him to compare the leadership of both quarterbacks after the Raiders had come back, improbably, to beat the Bengals – largely because of Gradkowski.</p><p>You have to admire Murphy’s loyalty and his diplomacy. But you also have to disagree. Gradkowski did something essential for the Raiders, something Russell almost never does. He provided a minimum standard of what a quarterback can and must be.</p><p>The operative word is “minimum.” Russell, for whatever reasons – and the reasons are legion – cannot reach even a minimum standard enough of the time. Gradkowski reached it in his first start. Whether he actually can exceed the league minimum, whether he is a long-term player for the Raiders is yet to be determined. One game does not make a career. But it’s a beginning.</p><p>He led the Raiders on two touchdown drives – the Raiders, a team that has trouble scoring two touchdowns on any given Sunday. The second drive, all 80 yards of it, tied the game and set the stage for the Raiders’ win. The TD pass went to Murphy but Murphy was Gradkowski’s second option. He was looking for Darren McFadden. In the blink of an eye it takes to make these decisions, Gradkowski concluded McFadden wasn’t open. And he threw to Murphy who pushed himself into the end zone. </p><p>You never could imagine Russell having the presence of mind to look away from McFadden, to find Murphy, to calmly make the throw and, miracle of miracles, to complete the darn thing. It was a terrific drive and it is the minimum a good NFL quarterback must do. It’s been a long time since the Raiders reached that level. </p><p>What is Gradkowski’s demeanor in the huddle? It is a significant question requiring a serious answer. </p><p>Here is guard Robert Gallery: “He’s just what a quarterback should be. Confident. He has the trust of everybody. He knows what he’s doing. He has our backs if something breaks down. Just what a quarterback should be.”</p><p>That is high praise, especially the part about trust. What player in his right mind can trust Russell, a $30 million bust, a bowl of JELL-O posing as a professional athlete? Russell had everything handed to him and he couldn’t grasp it. He compounds his sins with the body language of a loser. Gradkowski has fought for every meager opportunity and enters the huddle bravely and aggressively. </p><p>Here is Justin Fargas on Gradkowski: “You see his poise. That’s big for a guy to be an emotional leader and to inspire a team that way, but also be able to keep his poise in the pressure situations. He rallies guys around him and we just want to make plays.”</p><p>This we know about Gradkowski. He seeks out Cable on the sideline and talks about what he has seen and what he knows. Cable made a point of mentioning this. He also said Gradkowski runs from the sideline to the huddle with key thoughts – call them working hypotheses – about what will work in the upcoming drive.</p><p>All this means Gradkowski is intellectually engaged. No Raiders player said Russell is not intellectually engaged. Do you believe Russell is intellectually engaged? We also know Gradkowski tends to sling the ball on long passes. He does not throw perfectly. He is not tall and sometimes linemen knock down his throws. </p><p>This is how he described himself: “My confidence has been there.”</p><p>It is a revealing statement. The first requirement for a quarterback is confidence. Gradkowski believes in himself no matter what - even if no one else, including his mother, thinks he’s good, even though he has moved from team to team. </p><p>“I understand that’s the nature of the game,” he said. “You’re going to get bounced around. I had a mentor in Jeff Garcia and he started in Canada.”</p><p>Gradkowski also mentioned Kurt Warner as someone he admires – someone who came from nowhere to become a star. </p><p>Clearly that’s how Gradkowski sees himself, a hidden gem who will shine when given the chance. He seems deserving, certainly compared to the other guy. He works hard, doesn’t complain and his teammates endorse him. He will start the next game in Dallas while the other guy watches and hopefully learns something. </p><p>If Gradkowski succeeds against all odds it will be a Cinderella story. </p><p>If he doesn’t, it won’t. </p><p>For more on the world of sports in general and the Bay Area in particular go to the Cohn Zohn at blog.pressdemocrat.com/cohn. You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at lowell.cohn@pressdemocrat.com.</p>