The Las Vegas Raiders‘ running back depth was a concern just before the season after Ashton Jeanty suffered an ankle injury in practice. The team decided against adding more running back help, which hasn’t been a problem, as Jeanty hasn’t missed a game yet.
However, they did have veteran running back Dare Ogunbowale on the practice squad, which provided some safety. Unfortunately, they won’t have him as an option going forward. According to Jonathan M Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, Ogunbowale has signed with the Houston Texans.
Though he was technically employed by the Raiders, teams can no longer protect players on the practice squad. That means any team can poach a player from another team’s practice squad at any time.
Since he’s a veteran, the Raiders had to have known that Ogunbowale could be poached at any time. Regardless, this shouldn’t be a problem for the team. They haven’t needed to use Ogunbowale this season, and Jeanty is mostly healthy. Ogunbowale previously played with the Texans, so this will be a reunion.
Houston has gotten off to an ugly 0-3 start, and they don’t have much of a running game. Ogunbowale isn’t likely to rush for a hundred yards a game, but he’s a veteran and a leader for the Texans.
Mike Washington Talks First Career TD
Another reason the Raiders didn’t feel the need to add more running back depth was the emergence of rookie Mike Washington Jr. The fourth-round pick looked excellent in the preseason and is quickly proving that wasn’t a fluke.
He’s averaging 6.8 yards per carry and ran for his first touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. It was a memorable one, as he took the ball 36 yards into the end zone.
“I didn’t know how it was going to happen,” Washington said of the NFL touchdown, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I knew I was going to get in somehow, some way. But I didn’t really know. That was great.
“The long run makes it pretty cool. But just scoring is the blessing.”
Washington Thinks There’s Room For Improvement
Washington played a role in why the Raiders were able to beat the Saints in Week 3. At times, it looked like the game was slipping away from Las Vegas, but Washington thinks the team stayed calm under pressure.
“Nobody panicked. That was the big key to the comeback,” Washington said. “We know we have everything we need to be successful. We just had to finish.”
Washington is off to a strong start, but he’s still the backup running back. He’s made some big plays, but he’s not getting too high on himself yet. He thinks his game can still reach another level as long as he continues to learn.
“There’s so much more to learn and so much growing to do,” Washington said. “That’s my biggest thing right now. I had a decent game.
“How can I have an even better one next week?”
If Washington keeps playing like this, the Raiders have a very good running back duo for the foreseeable future.
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