Oakland Raiders: Way-too-early 53-man roster predictions
By Justin Fried
Running Backs
Roster: Josh Jacobs, Jalen Richard, Doug Martin, Chris Warren III, Alec Ingold [FB] (5)
Cuts: DeAndre Washington, Keith Smith [FB], Ryan Yurachek [FB] (3)
The only locks at this position will be first-round rookie Josh Jacobs and third-down back Jalen Richard — the rest of the spots are up for grabs. In this case, we went with the established veteran Doug Martin and the 2018 preseason standout Chris Warren III for the final two tailback spots.
Martin was re-signed following Isaiah Crowell‘s season-ending torn Achilles and will give the team a dependable workhorse if Jacobs can’t handle a full workload. Warren showed promise last preseason and the powerful bruiser could secure a roster spot with another strong showing.
DeAndre Washington could be a surprise cut to some given his three-year tenure with the team but he simply doesn’t have a role on this team going forward. Martin gets the nod due to his bell-cow ability while Richard and Warren are both better change-of-pace options.
The battle at fullback should be an interesting one to follow as well. The incumbent is Keith Smith but he struggled at times last season which could open the door for undrafted rookie Alec Ingold. Ingold is a physical blocker who’s capable of making plays with the ball in his hands as well. Expect Gruden to keep a close eye on this competition.