Oakland Raiders: 6 Questions That Need Answers Ahead of the Draft
By Kevin Saito
Dec 7, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) runs the ball against the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Will They Draft a Running Back?
Having parted ways with Darren McFadden – who ended a largely disappointing career in Silver and Black with a horribly disappointing 2014 season – and with Maurice Jones-Drew opting to retire after an equally abysmal year, the Raiders have some questions in the backfield.
With only Latavius Murray and Marcel Reece as viable options at running back, they’ve addressed those questions by bringing in Roy Helu and Trent Richardson. Helu is mainly a change of pace back and given his excellent hands and elusiveness catching passes out of the backfield, will serve as an important safety valve and viable weapon for Derek Carr.
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Richardson though, is something of an enigma. We simply don’t know what to expect from him. Based on his track record in the NFL to this point, nobody could be blamed for not expecting much from him. But he’s young, athletic, and still has a ton of upside. If what Richardson said is true, and he simply wasn’t a good schematic fit with either Cleveland and Indianapolis, and that he feels far more comfortable in the system the Raiders will be running, it could be one of the most underrated free agent signings in the league this year.
But as of now, there are still huge “if’s” surrounding Richardson. If he doesn’t pan out the way McKenzie had hoped – and given the questions they have about Murray – the cupboards are pretty bare in Oakland’s backfield.
Though it likely wouldn’t happen until the later rounds of the draft, it’s feasible the Raiders could take a running back. And they probably should. If for nothing else, as an insurance policy against potential injury to Murray and/or ineffectiveness by Richardson.
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