Former Raiders' quarterback Jamarcus Russell was arrested on Monday for possession of codeine syrup, a key ingredient of Purple Drank. Russell was arrested at his home in Mobile, Alabama Monday afternoon. He was later released from custody on $2,500 bail.

Jamarcus Russell was released from the Oakland Raiders in May of this year.

Prior to Russell's arrest, the New York Jets had expressed interest in the former LSU star quarterback. This recent brush with the law may sway the Jets against picking up the former Raiders first round pick, and may serve to put the final nail in the coffin, closing the lid on an already disappointing and underachieving career.

Purple Drank

Purple Drank aka Sizzurp, originated some years ago in the Houston rap scene, but has since seen its use become widespread across the country. It's a drink made from codeine and the antihistamine promethazine, mixed with Sprite or 7-Up, along with some Jolly Ranchers or other hard candy.

Purple Drank's popularity has been on the rise in recent years, with users treating it like it's a typical alcoholic beverage. Because it's sipped from soda bottles, students have brazenly used the concoction while in public schools, with teachers totally oblivious to what it is the students are actually consuming.

After flirting with the idea of signing Garcia back in 1999, and then again in 2007, the Raiders have finally pulled the trigger on a deal that will return Garcia to his Bay Area roots.

A native of Gilroy, Garcia attended Gilroy High School, Gavilan College and San Jose State. The high point of his NFL career came during his stint with the 49ers, where from 1999-2003 he started 71 of 80 games and was voted to the Pro Bowl 3 times.

Cable's decision to sign Garcia as a backup will undoubtedly leave current backups Andrew Walter and Brad Gradkowski competing for the number 3 spot.

With his long term contract of $32 million, the Raiders are definitely all-in when it comes to Jamarcus Russell as their starter. As long as Russell is playing well, it is highly unlikely that Garcia will see any action as a starter. This move does however bring depth to the Raiders' quarterback position, as well as some veteran leadership both on and off the field.

Although, Russell's starting job may not be necessarily threatened by Garcia's presence, it may help to elevate his level of play knowing that the Raiders now have a veteran Pro Bowler waiting to step in if needed.

If only for one season, Garcia is pretty happy to be back in the Bay Area and playing for the Raiders.

"I grew up a fan of the Raiders," Garcia said in December. "I grew up a fan of the great players that came through there and so many great things that had happened through the '70s and '80s with the team.

"And I remember those years, and I idolized so many of the players. So, if I couldn't play for the Raiders, to play against the Raiders was just a great thrill to me in the sense of really creating a sense of excitement and

emotion during the game."

The Oakland Raiders are having a pretty good off-season so far, especially when compared to where they were a year ago at this time. Heading into the 2009 season they have no coaching controversy plagueing the the team and their two stars on offense, Russell and McFadden, appear to be recovering quite well from their post-season surgeries. Russell had an operation on his ankle to remove some bone chips and McFadden had a minor shoulder surgery, which up until now has been kept on the down low. Both are expected to be ready for action when March workouts begin.

The Raiders have already been making personnel decisions too. They locked up starting cornerback Chris Johnson with a four year deal and they brought in former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bruce Gradkowski who they claimed off of waivers. The Gradkowski acquisition is not so significant, but securing one of their strating corners is. Johnson performed well last year starting opposite Nnamdi Asomugha, who is eligible for free agency this year. Retaining Johnson's services will prove to be especially important if the Raiders end up losing Asomugha this off-season.