As much as I can't stand the Dome, I really think that Brady Quinn would be a MUCH better pick than Russell, though there are probably QBs out there who are better than both. A receiver might be a good pickup with the first pick, but only if they think the line is up to snuff. The QBs last year absolutely got killed. It sounds like Jerry Porter, the so-called bad apple from last year, is getting on reallly well with the new coach. Perhaps him, a rookie, and maybe giving The Dancer a call would be a real help if they pick up a decent free agent QB AND give him time to throw. They'll also want a decent FB/TB tandem, though that's never been one of Al's fortes. The Raiders haven't really had a decent RB since Marcus Allen.
Regardless, though, I agree that taking on a project such as Russell would be a HUGE mistake.