Oakland Raiders: Five players to watch in preseason opener with the Lions

Chris Warren III (Running Back)

Given that the Raiders already have Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin, Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington – as well as fullbacks Keith Smith, and Ryan Yurackek – already on the roster, Oakland’s backfield was already a little crowded.

Which made it curious, but interesting that they signed UDFA Chris Warren III out of Texas – especially given that he didn’t have an exceptionally standout college career.

Las Vegas Raiders

As a Longhorn, Warren carried 204 times over his three seasons, gaining just 1,150 yards, and scoring 13 total touchdowns. It’s not like he was exactly – electric.

But, he’s got the kind of size (six-foot-four, 250 pounds), speed, and physicality that Gruden likes in his running backs. He’s cut in that Lynch mold with his violent, powerful running.

In joint practices with the Lions, Warren showed out and caught the eye of the coaching staff with some brusing runs, and flashed the speed and athleticism to break off a few other longer ones.

Aside from Lynch and likely Smith, there are no locks to make the roster in Oakland’s backfield right now. Not even Martin, who Gruden fell all over himself earlier to praise, is guaranteed a spot on the roster.

There’s also the issue of Washington and Richard being virtually identical backs, in terms of size and skill set. It would seem to stand to reason that one (or maybe both) of them, won’t be on the 53-man roster.

Which means that the door is open for Warren to snag a spot in Oakland’s backfield. They’ve seen that he has size, speed, and can be a power runner – which is ideal for Gruden’s system. Now, he just needs to add value to his game by showing he can catch out of the backfield and contribute on special teams.

If he can show out and prove he can be a versatile back, Warren may have a legitimate shot at cracking the 53-man roster.