Oakland Raiders: Why there’s no need for additions at running back
The Oakland Raiders have two running backs at 29 years or older. Should the front office consider adding another player at the position?
The 2018 draft class came in packed with running back talent. Three came off the board in the first round. LSU product Derrius Guice fell to the Washington Redskins at No. 59. Did the Oakland Raiders mistakenly skip on an opportunity to find their ball-carrier for the future?
Running back Marshawn Lynch turned 32 years old five days before the draft. Doug Martin, Oakland’s newest acquisition at the position, will play in his age-29 season. Critics have been down on third-year tailbacks DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard. Elijah Hood hasn’t taken a regular-season handoff yet.
No one would fault the Raiders for selecting a running back at any point in April’s selection process, but it didn’t happen, and the exclusion isn’t a mistake.
In two ways, the Raiders committed to Lynch for the upcoming season.
First, according to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, Lynch and the team agreed to restructure his deal before a $1 million roster bonus activated, which gave him a $5.5 million base value with $4.5 guaranteed for the year:
#Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch restructured his contract Saturday before his $1M roster bonus was due. Base value in 2018 is now $5.5M — $500K less than before — but he’s practically guaranteed $4.5M of that (instead of $0) ... and can earn up to $9.25M total with incentives.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 21, 2018
The restructured deal makes sense for Lynch because he didn’t have guaranteed cash for 2018 on the initial deal.
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Secondly, the Raiders hired Tom Cable. Lynch experienced his best years with the Seattle Seahawks under the offensive line coach. Between the 2011-14 seasons, Beast Mode’s legacy took off like a runaway freight train. But why would the team recommit to him at this stage in his career hoping to reignite an old flame?
Lynch listed ninth in rushing yards with 625 between Weeks 8 and 17 during the previous season when he saw significantly more carries in the backfield per game. He also averaged 4.6 yards per carry in that period.
Believe it or not, there’s still some Beast Mode left in Lynch, but he’ll have help churning out yards in the backfield.
Intrigue, Inconsistency in the Reserves
Those who follow the team acknowledge the offense took a major step backward under former offensive coordinator Todd Downing, but the same people have already sold their stocks in DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard.
You can’t have it both ways.
Is it Downing’s ineptitude or did Washington and Richard truly regress? Take the former on that question. How do we know? Again, several players, not limited to the pair of third-year running backs experienced down years including wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
Washington and Richard haven’t shown the ability to take on the lead role in the backfield, but both increased receiving yard totals in their sophomore campaigns despite a down year.
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Richard struggled with ball security on special teams, but he only fumbled once as a ball-carrier — so did Lynch and Washington. One time. It’s not a reason to boot the Southern Mississippi product for poor hands.
Some have been quick to dismiss Martin as a veteran who doesn’t make it the 53-man roster. Pump the brakes there as well. Despite his inconsistencies, he has two 1,400-plus yard seasons on his NFL resume. After two subpar years, there’s a possibility for a bounce-back term, especially in a reserve role with fresher legs.
The Raiders waived tailback Elijah Hood, who didn’t log a single rush attempt during his rookie season, and signed running back Chris Warren III Monday.
Looking Ahead to the 2019 Draft
After so much talk about a deep pool at running back in April’s draft, we should consider the potential names for next year. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller released his early 2019 big board. Four running backs stand out: Damien Harris (Alabama), Justice Hill (Oklahoma State), Myles Gaskin (Washington), and Bryce Love (Stanford).
We can anticipate Harris, Gaskin and Love coming out as they go into their senior years. Keep an eye on Hill as an underclassman. That’s three-to-four high-caliber running backs in the 2019 class before the season starts. Oakland will have its pick at a potential lead back next April.
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The Raiders have enough talent at the position to carry them through the 2018 season even if Martin doesn’t make the roster—he should though. Once his contract expires along with Lynch, Oakland can simply target a top talent within the first two rounds to fill the void.
Love or Gaskin would give head coach Jon Gruden’s offense a solid dual-threat ball-carrier-receiver to lead the backfield for four-to-five years.