Getty Trey Ragas after scoring a Las Vegas Raiders touchdown.
Despite Jon Gruden’s reputation as an old-school coach who loves to run the ball, the Las Vegas Raiders‘ running game has struggled to start the season while the passing game thrives. The team leads the NFL in passing yards with 1,139 in three games but is 24th in rushing yards with 274 yards. While that’s concerning, the running game should improve for the team soon.
Josh Jacobs and Jalen Richard have been injured to start the season but should be returning in the near future. That’s evident by the fact that the Raiders announced that they have waived rookie running back Trey Ragas.
We have waived RB Trey Ragas.
Ragas was signed off the team’s practice squad ahead of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins. With Jacobs ruled out, Las Vegas was thin at running back. However, Peyton Barber and Kenyan Drake stayed healthy and were able to carry the load. That led to Ragas not seeing any playing time. Though he didn’t get a chance to play, he should be back with the Raiders soon. If he can clear waivers, the team will likely sign him to the practice squad.
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Richard Expected to Return to Practice
The Raiders have been getting nothing but bad injury news all season. Luckily, it looks like they could finally be getting a bit of good news. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the team is expecting Richard to return to practice this week.
FYI: There is an expectation that RB Jalen Richard will practice this week for the @Raiders.
The veteran running back is technically on injured reserve but can be moved back to the active roster this week. Cutting Ragas give the Raiders an open roster spot which could be meant for Richard. He shouldn’t be expected to do much in the run game but Richard is the team’s best pass-blocking running back. The offensive line has had its fair share of struggles so there’s no doubt that quarterback Derek Carr would be happy to have Richard back. He can also be a difference-maker in the passing game as he’s caught 179 passes in his career.
Gruden Updates Jacobs’ Status
While the Raiders will be happy to have Richard back, they’d be much more excited to get Jacobs back. The team’s run game is simply nonexistent without him. Barber has a nice game against the Miami Dolphins with 111 rushing yards but that’s not sustainable. Las Vegas needs their star running back on the field. Gruden believes that his return could be coming soon.
“I met with Josh this morning and we’re going to see how he feels on the practice field this week,” Gruden said of Jacobs Monday. “Not making any predictions, but we’re hopeful we can get him back on the grass at some point this week.”
The Raiders have an extra day to prepare as they face the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football this week. That extra day certainly works in Jacobs’ favor. The Chargers are coming off a massive win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders are in for a tough matchup. Having Jacobs back would certainly help their chances.
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