Oakland Raiders: Where does Isaiah Crowell fit in the backfield?

The Oakland Raiders added Isaiah Crowell to the running back stable. What’s his projected role at a position with big question marks?

The Oakland Raiders signed Isaiah Crowell on Thursday, which brought mixed reactions from the fanbase. Many want to see Marshawn Lynch back in Silver and Black, that could still happen, and others wondered about Doug Martin. Let’s start with Martin. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur (subscription required), the 30-year old running back wanted a pay raise that exceeded the Raiders’ number.

With Mayock in the saddle, the front office hasn’t gone out of their way to overpay or overcompensate for players at non-premium positions. Frankly, clubs can find a starting running back in the late rounds of the draft. It’s not financially sound to meet the demands of a seventh-year veteran with uneven career numbers.

Before the NFL owner’s meetings, head coach Jon Gruden reiterated the team would welcome Lynch back into the fold, per ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez.

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Tafur previously reported a decision on Lynch could come after the draft. Perhaps the Raiders pick up another running back to go alongside Crowell, Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington and Chris Warren III.

Keep in mind, Richard is primarily a pass-catcher in this offense. Warren hasn’t played a regular-season down. Washington has largely disappeared as a contributor since his solid 2016 rookie campaign.

Right now, Crowell is the lead running back in Oakland. Lynch isn’t a lock to return, which leaves the Raiders’ newest acquisition in position to take on the lead role. He’s exactly what Gruden wants in the backfield.

Crowell can catch, run and pick up blitzes on passing downs. In five seasons, he’s accumulated 3,803 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground with 117 receptions for 922 yards and a score as a receiver. Unlike Martin who struggled with ball security at certain points last season, the 26-year old didn’t fumble once behind a subpar New York Jets offensive line in 2018. He also played clean and only committed one penalty.

There are some exaggerated negatives about this signing in circulation. For starters, Crowell has been labeled a Jets’ castoff because he was available at this stage in free agency.

Gang Green landed arguably the top free agent on the market in Le’Veon Bell. They also have Elijah McGuire, who’s a versatile tailback with a $687,126 cap hit this year, per Spotrac. Former Jets running backs coach Stump Mitchell compared his skill set to LaDainian Tomlinson‘s. That’s a stretch, but the point stands, he’s a talented asset in the backfield. Of course, Crowell would get the axe after Bell’s decision to join the club.

Crowell hasn’t rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season—that caused skeptics to raise their eyebrows. We have to look beyond surface statistics. He’s never averaged more than 13 carries per game in a term but logs 4.3 yards per rush attempt for his career.

In an expanded role, he would’ve likely hit quadruple digits in rushing yards for a winless and one-win Cleveland Browns teams between the 2016-17 campaigns. Crowell averaged 12.4 and 12.9 carries per contest in those seasons and fell short of the 1,000-yard mark by 48 and 147 yards, respectively.

Finally, Crowell agreed to a one-year prove-it deal. He just turned 26 years old in January, still in his prime with a lot to show the league. The 2014 undrafted product out of Alabama State will likely come out strong with an opportunity to strike a long-term deal on the market in 2020.

Based on Gruden’s history, he’s comfortable using multiple running backs in his offense. Crowell won’t eclipse 15 carries per outing with or without Lynch on the roster. If he goes into the season as the No. 1 option, expect to see broken tackles, tough yards up the middle and a safe handle on the football.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Crowell broke at least 21 tackles in each of the last four seasons and averaged a career-high 3.27 yards after contact in 2018.

Crowell isn’t Beast Mode in physicality — that’s a rare quality — but the Raiders have a running back who’s tough to bring down and a threat to grind out extra yardage. The fifth-year veteran averaged 4.8 yards per carry in two of the last three seasons.