"Every conversation about Jason Campbell gravitates toward professionalism.

He is always prepared. Handles his business. Carries himself the right way.

"He's exactly what you want in your quarterback," tight end Zach Miller said.

In other words: exactly what the Raiders didn't have in JaMarcus Russell. As the Raiders try to emerge from the wreckage of the Russell era, hope of ending a string of seven seasons with at least 11 losses has settled squarely onto Campbell's shoulder pads.

Though he still has much to prove as an NFL quarterback, his teammates can't question his commitment to excellence. And for the once-proud Raiders, that's a good start.

"Guys talk to me a lot about things that have gone on here in the past," said Campbell, 28. "All I can do is show them that no matter how rough it gets, I'll be right there with them. Guys just want to see somebody who cares as much as they do."

And yet the stark reality is that Campbell needed this fresh start just as much as the Raiders did. He is only 20-32 as an NFL starter. Campbell endured five tumultuous seasons in Washington, where he was battered by opposing defenses on the field and bruised off it by management's constant efforts to find a replacement for him.

It's nice, he said, to be wanted again.

"I feel I can be a really good quarterback in this league," Campbell said. "It's a new beginning. It would mean the world to me if I could help turn the Raiders around."

It's impossible to overstate just how disastrous Russell's selection as the top pick of the 2007 draft proved to be. It isn't just the numbers, although they are ugly enough. (The Raiders paid him $39 million for winning seven games in 25 starts before he was released in the spring.)"