By Jordan Long
The Oakland Raiders decided to bring back running back Doug Martin. They had a need to fill since Isaiah Crowell tore his Achilles while he was working out with the team and is done for the year and Marshawn Lynch retired. Martin adds depth to the position.
The Raiders were hoping Crowell was going to be the #1 running back when they signed him during the offseason. He spent last season with the New York Jets. Crowell rushed for 685 yards and 6 touchdowns. His stats weren’t the best, but his average yards per rush was 4.8 yards. This was going to help the Raiders in 2019.
Unfortunately, he won’t be able to after tearing his Achilles. The Raiders don’t have much depth after Crowell. The core includes Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, Chris Warren, and Josh Jacobs before Oakland agreed to a contract with Martin. Richard is the most experienced of the 4 appearing in 48 games while rushing for 1,025 yards and 3 touchdowns. His average yards per rush is an impressive 5.3 yards.
Washington played in 39 games in his 3-years with the Raiders. He didn’t do much with 735 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns. His problem has been holding onto the football. Defenders knock the football out of his hands for fumbles with a total of 3, far too many in his short time in the NFL.
Jacobs and Warren haven’t played a single down in the NFL yet. Jacobs was selected 24th overall by the Raiders in this year’s NFL Draft. He is the future for the Oakland Raiders, and they hope he sees playing time this season. Warren missed last season because of knee surgery. Warren is going to be lucky to make the team.
This left Oakland without a veteran running back. Crowell was expected to be it but with his injury he won’t be able to. The Raiders decided to bring back Martin. Martin was in Oakland last year. He was the backup behind Marshawn Lynch to start the season. Martin was the #1 running back when Lynch went down with a groin injury on October 19th. He carried the rock well for the Raiders with 723 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
The Raiders know what Martin can do for the team. They let him go after the 2018 season because they felt Crowell was a better fit when they signed him. Now that Crowell is out for the year, Martin will be the #1 running back on the roster. He should help their running game and help protect Derek Carr on passing plays. List T
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