ESPN NFL Draft 2007

There is increasing speculation around the league that the Raiders are still torn between selecting LSU QB JaMarcus Russell and Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft. There is a sense around Raiders camp that owner Al Davis is leaning slightly toward Johnson but knows he needs to solidify the quarterback spot before he can pass on Russell.

David Carr is the best available free-agent quarterback at the moment, but Oakland does not appear to be one of the stops on his current tour, which has included visits to Carolina and Seattle. There are also reports of the Raiders' interest in Lions backup QB Josh McCown.

An interesting side plot to all of this is the precarious situation the Lions would face if the Raiders do, in fact, pursue McCown. On one hand, the Lions would like to trade McCown for a pick (likely fourth or fifth round), then replace him with either Drew Stanton (Michigan State) or Trent Edwards (Stanford) from the second or third round of the draft. However, trading McCown to Oakland and allowing the Raiders to pass on Russell and take Johnson could nix a potential deal with the Buccaneers, who have shown interest in trading up to No. 2 in order to draft Johnson.

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