ALAMEDA, Calif. — Charlie Frye will start at quarterback over former starter JaMarcus Russell when the Oakland Raiders visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Coach Tom Cable said Wednesday that Russell will be his No. 2 quarterback, with the newly signed J.P. Losman third.
Frye has not played at all this year and worked strictly with Oakland’s scout team.
“It will be good to get back out there with the offense and run some plays that aren’t on cards,” Frye joked. “I’ve got a lot of fire in me. I’ve been that crutch and that supportive guy all season, so now it’s my turn to be the fiery leader.”
The move raises serious questions about Russell, who started the first nine games of the season before being benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski before Oakland’s Nov. 22 home game against Cincinnati.
Gradkowski he missed the second half of Oakland’s loss to Washington last week with injuries to both knees.
What does Frye’s promotion mean to Russell, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 draft? “It means he continues to develop,” Cable said.
Russell passed for just 74 yards and failed to move the offense consistently while being booed by the crowd at the Oakland Coliseum.
Oakland signed free agent Losman, who is a former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills and most recently led the Las Vegas Locomotives to the first United Football League championship.
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