Raiders RB Room Offers the Versatile Offense They Are in Search Of

The Las Vegas Raiders will take a different approach to the running back position this season. While the unit does not have any household names on it, their respective skill sets add versatility to the Raiders' offense.

Dec 31, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (22) runs the ball in the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports | Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Since drafting Josh Jacobs in 2019, the Las Vegas Raiders have had an offensive system that primarily featured one running back. While Jacobs was a productive player and one of the most critical players on the team, the Raiders only won more than eight games once during that span. In addition, Jacobs demanded more money and a more extended contract in a market that has seen the running back position devalued by the owners. 

Jacobs’ demand for a heftier contract and many other factors have led the Raiders to a new offensive philosophy. Not only was the running back market dwindling for aging running backs with plenty of miles, but the Raiders also introduced a new general manager this offseason. In addition to a new general manager, running back Zamir White performed admirably in Jacobs’ absence over the final few games of last season. This made Jacobs even more expendable. Or, at the very least, White’s emergence made paying Jacobs a big contract a bad business move for a new general manager looking to revamp his roster. 

General Manager Tom Telesco was tasked with rebuilding the Raiders’ roster, which inevitably came with some difficult decisions. What to do at running back was arguably one of the team’s most pressing concerns heading into the offseason. After Jacobs and the Raiders could not agree on a contract, Telesco resigned veteran running back Ameer Abdullah. He then signed veteran running back Alexander Mattison in free agency and drafted back Dylan Laube in the NFL Draft. 

Along with a new general manager, the Raiders introduced a new offensive coordinator this offseason, Luke Getsy. One of the reasons Getsy was hired was to bring more creativity and versatility to an offense that desperately needed it. While the addition of tight end Brock Bowers to a list of receiving options that include receivers Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Michael Mayer, and Bowers will undoubtedly give Getsy versatility in his playcalling, so will a running back unit of White, Abdullah, Mattison and Laube. Each back possesses a unique skill set that Getsy can use at any moment. While the Raiders no longer have a well-known, workhorse running back, their group of backs gives them versatility in the backfield they did not have before.

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