The Las Vegas Raiders came into training camp with a very young group of running backs. Dylan Laube was the oldest of the group at 26, but he’s only heading into his third season and has eight career carries.
The Raiders have been looking at veteran running backs throughout the offseason, and when they recently decided to release Chris Collier, it was clear that they were planning to sign one. We now know who that veteran running back is.
Las Vegas announced that they have signed Dare Ogunbowale to a contract.
At 32, Ogunbowale is six years older than the next oldest running back on the roster. He’s not a big name, as he only has 594 career rushing yards.
However, that didn’t stop him from sticking with the Houston Texans for the last four seasons. Ogunbowale isn’t going to challenge Ashton Jeanty for many carries. What he does well is block out of the backfield and play special teams.
It makes sense for the Raiders to sign a veteran role player instead of a former Pro Bowler like Miles Sanders. He’s going to be willing to do the dirty work and not complain. Laube now has some real competition for his roster spot.
Jeanty in for Breakout Season?
No matter how many running backs the Raiders sign this offseason, Jeanty is going to get his chance to lead the run game. He was a top-10 pick just a year ago, and while his rookie season was disappointing, there were enough flashes to still believe he can be an impact player.
Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports named him as the biggest breakout candidate for the Raiders this season.
“It’s hard to view his rookie season as anything other than a major disappointment,” Vacchiano wrote. “He rushed for just 975 yards and caught only 55 passes for 346 yards after being drafted No. 6 overall. And not all of it can be chalked up to the Raiders being so awful that defenses knew to key on Jeanty. He simply struggled much more than anyone thought he would. The Raiders might not be much better this season, but Jeanty will at least have an improved offensive line that now features three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum. Las Vegas has a few more weapons this year, too, which should give Jeanty more room to operate. And new head coach Klint Kubiak certainly got a lot out of his running backs in Seattle. The stage is set for Jeanty to show why he was drafted so high.”
Don’t Sleep on Mike Washington Jr.
Mike Washington Jr. may be a rookie fourth-round pick, but he’s about as confident as they come. He has clearly stated that he wants to be an all-time great.
So far, his work ethic has proven he’s serious about being great. Now, he’s going to have to show a lot of promise in training camp and the preseason if he’s going ot take carries away from Jeanty. He’ll likely make most of his impact in the passing game as a rookie. That said, he’ll be a player to watch, especially if Jeanty continues to struggle.
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