Raiders director of squad development Willie Brown says that quarterback JaMarcus Russell is working hard to get in shape this offseason. Brown told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area that Russell has undergone a transformation and wasn't present at the first day of the offseason program tending to personal business. "He's trying to close a home in Alabama. It's something that he couldn't get out of," Brown said. "You don't want to lose your home. So he'll be back in town today and ready to go (Tuesday)." Brown alluded to the fact that conditioning won't be an issue for Russell this spring. "You'll be surprised when you see him," Brown said. "It's quite a bit of weight that he's lost ... I don't want to pin it down and say how much he lost but it will be a significant difference when you see him compared to last year. "The most important thing is he's getting in shape. Not only losing weight, but getting in shape. He's watching his diet, he has special meals brought in that he's eating, and we have one of the Raiders, a former player there with him to monitor him and make sure things are going fine. The weight thing, he'll get it down. He'll get it down."