“The happiest person in the building should be Josh Jacobs. I know that.” — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on the team’s offensive system under new coach Josh McDaniels
HENDERSON, Nev. — Josh McDaniels landed in Las Vegas with the reputation of an elite playcaller, one who leans heavily on a roster of running backs just as big as it is versatile in skill sets.
Power backs? Check.
Pass-catching backs? Check again.
Pass-blocking backs? Check three times.
Indeed, with seven tailbacks and a fullback on the training camp roster, it might be a good problem for McDaniels to have when it comes to cutting down to an initial 53-man roster.
“It’s pretty interesting,” McDaniels said this week when asked about the depth and diversity of the running backs room. “There are some young guys that are learning but play really hard and give great effort. We have some guys that are kind of multifaceted in terms of what they do and bring. We’ve tried to give them all different opportunities here in the first few games to try to do some of those things.”
Case in point: the (relatively) heavy workload Jacobs, a Pro Bowler in 2020 and presumptive starter this season, played in the Hall of Fame Game. Jacobs starting and getting seven touches (five carries for 30 yards and two catches for 14 yards) on the first two series raised eyebrows.
Or veteran Kenyan Drake, who is returning from a broken right ankle, seeing significant time in both preseason games.
“I mean, the proof is in the pudding,” said Drake, who has carried the ball nine times for 24 yards while catching two passes for 17 yards combined, after the Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings in the second preseason game.
“You see everybody on the field being productive, playing in every and any situation — from four-minute with Brittain [Brown] finishing it off to the two-back set that we have, me and Zamir [White] in the first half, and then, obviously, not to mention the [two] other guys that haven’t played that are going to make a big impact on this team, so the sky’s the limit for this room. I feel like we’re going to be the heartbeat of this team and we’re going to, every game, go out there and be the engine.”
Through two exhibitions, Austin Walter has rushed for a team-high 79 yards with a TD and caught a 3-yard pass,…
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