The Las Vegas Raiders‘ running back duo of Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. has looked promising through three games. However, the depth behind them is a concern.
Dylan Laube is the only other running back on the active roster, and he has eight rushing attempts in his career. The Raiders had a bit of security with veteran Dare Ogunbowale on the practice squad, but the Houston Texans decided to sign him to their active roster.
That left an opening on the practice squad. The Raiders announced that they’ve filled that opening by signing Owen Wright.
Wright has been in the NFL since he was an undrafted free agent of the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He spent two seasons with the Ravens before spending last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Raiders got a close look at Wright this offseason during joint practice with the Houston Texans. He only has three career carries, so he’ll have an uphill battle getting to the active roster. Regardless, he’s a veteran who has been around for a few years now and will provide some depth. The Raiders would prefer that they didn’t need to call him up, but with Jeanty’s ankle not looking 100%, it doesn’t hurt to have some more depth.
Is Jeanty Banged Up?
Jeanty looked great in Week 1 and was a big reason why the Raiders were able to control the Miami Dolphins. Since then, he hasn’t played well.
On the season, he is averaging 3.3 yards per carry, which is actually worse than last year. Prior to the season, Jeanty suffered an ankle injury in practice, and there was concern he’d miss time. He ended up playing in Week 1, but as he’s played more, he seems more hampered. There is a belief that Jeanty isn’t fully healthy right now.
“You can tell that Ashton is not 100% and that’s unfortunate,” Q Myers said on the “Locked on Raiders Squad Show.”
“He just doesn’t have quite that burst right now. You can tell that that ankle is still bothering him. The problem is you take him off the field and all of a sudden that big home run threat is gone. … I do think Mike Washington has earned more carries. I do still think the Raiders are going to make sure Ashton Jeanty is still out there because he’s still a big-time threat.”
Should Raiders Cut Jeanty’s Workload?
The Raiders were very high on Jeanty coming into the season. He looked excellent in training camp.
However, so far, Washington has played at a higher level. Now, he hasn’t had nearly as many carries, but he clearly has some juice right now. It might not be the worst idea to cut Jeanty’s workload a bit and give Washington more chances.
Jeanty at 100% is much more valuable than he is at 75%. He’s not going to volunteer to give up touches. If Washington keeps playing well, Jeanty may never be the workhorse again. To the Raiders, it shouldn’t matter. They just need to get the run game going if they’re going to keep winning.
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