The Oakland Raiders, who have the top overall selection in this weekend's NFL draft, have had preliminary contract negotiations with representatives for Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson and quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell of Louisiana State and Brady Quinn of Notre Dame, sources familiar with the deliberations said yesterday.
But according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Raiders have not commented publicly on the matter, it remains unclear if the team will sign the player it intends to choose Saturday before the draft begins, as NFL rules permit.
The Raiders aren't tipping their hand about which player they prefer. Most people in the league seem to expect the Raiders to pick Russell. But Johnson is regarded by many as the best player available in the draft and he apparently remains a strong possibility.
"There's probably only one guy in the world who knows what the Raiders are going to do, and that's [owner] Al Davis," former Tennessee Titans general manager Floyd Reese, now a draft analyst for ESPN, said during a conference call with reporters yesterday.
Reese said he believes Johnson is the best player in the draft, but the Raiders need to take Russell, Reese said, if they're convinced that he's going to be a standout quarterback in the NFL.
"If you need a quarterback, you have to take him as soon as you can," said Reese, who selected quarterback Vince Young for the Titans with the third overall choice in last year's draft.
