Oakland Raiders Finally Get Murray Some Help In The Backfield – Sort Of

The Oakland Raiders have spent Day Three of the draft addressing the offense, using their fourth round pick on a QB and their fifth round pick on a running back.

Reggie McKenzie and the Oakland Raiders spent the first two days of the NFL Draft focusing on their defense, adding safety Karl Joseph, followed by pass rushers Jihad Ward and Shilique Calhoun. But Day Three started off on an unusual note when they took quarterback Connor Cook, and now in the fifth round, the Raiders have added Texas Tech running back Deandre Washington.

Though McKenzie and Del Rio have insisted all offseason long that adding a running back wasn’t high on their priority list, there has been a general sense that Oakland would be looking to do just that. Though Latavius Murray, in his first season as a starter, performed admirably and broke the 1,000 yard mark – a feat no Raiders back has done since Darren McFadden in 2010 – it was clear that he needed some help in the backfield.

Taiwan Jones and Roy Helu are both ostensibly on the roster to add some depth and versatility to Oakland’s running game. It seems pretty safe to say that neither worked out – not when quarterback Derek Carr was second on the team in rushing yards with 138.

More from Las Vegas Raiders News

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• Raiders: Bryan Edwards out, Henry Ruggs doubtful for Sunday
• Raiders: Damon Arnette re-injures thumb, could be headed to IR
• Raiders fall short in letdown Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots
• Raiders: Game breakdown and prediction for Week 3 at New England Patriots

The problem with both Jones and Helu, are they they are both little more than change of pace backs. They are speedy and can catch the ball out of the backfield – well, we assume that of Helu since we didn’t actually see him do much of anything last season. The problem was that neither one was capable of splitting the load with Murray and helping him shoulder the burden.

Shouldering the entire burden of the running game, Murray seemed to wear down a bit as the season wore on – something you could see in the fact that his yards per carry average tapered off in the latter part of the season.

At 5’8”, 200 pounds, Washington seems more suited to being a third down/pass catching/change of pace back than he is suited to being a back that can actually shoulder some of the load with Murray – or you know, exactly the same type of back the Raiders already have too many of.

Washington rushed for 1,492 yards on 233 carries – an average of 6.4 yards per carry – as a senior last season and added another 385 yards on 41 receptions. His 1,877 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns led Texas Tech last year and while he would appear to be an upgrade over both Jones and Helu, the potential trouble is that at his size, there are going to be some questions about durability and just how much he’ll be able to help Murray shoulder the load.

The Raiders were reportedly very high on Utah running back Devontae Booker and were hoping he’d be available when they picked in the fifth round, but when the Broncos selected him in the latter part of the fourth round, they had to change gears. And Washington may have been their consolation prize.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

Booker could have been the type of back who could have provided fresh legs and helped shoulder the burden with Murray. While Washington will more than likely be great in the third down/scatback role, and will be an upgrade over both Jones and Helu, just how much he’ll help the running game as a whole remains to be seen.

The Raiders needed some help in the running game. It was, without a doubt, the weakest link in their offense last season, and the thing that held it back from soaring even higher. With an anemic ground game, defenses were better able to key in on shutting down the passing game – it was something we saw play out over and over again through the latter part of the season. And it was something we’d hoped to see the team address by adding a back like Devontae Booker.

Next: Reggie Continues to Move in Mysterious Ways

The Raiders needed a back who could help ease the burden on Murray while giving them greater production on the ground as a whole. Washington will be fine at what he does, but they needed more. This pick feels like they were disappointed Booker was gone and settled for the lovely parting gift before leaving the stage. We hope we’re wrong, but this one seems like a swing and a miss by McKenzie.