Going into the summer, the Raiders don’t have many needs on their roster. Of course, they could use a franchise quarterback, but they don’t grow on trees and they certainly don’t come available in May. But outside of that position, they are pretty much set.
But if the Raiders were going to add a veteran to their roster before training camp, which position might they want to attack? In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they wrote about a move that every AFC team needs to make ahead of the season.
For the Raiders, that move is to acquire another running back to pair with Zamir White. Here is a snippet of what they had to say about the backfield in Las Vegas:
The NFL backfield with one of the biggest question marks for fantasy football purposes is in Las Vegas. The Raiders are now through the main part of free agency and the draft, and the only competition they have added for Zamir White, who forced 15 missed tackles on 104 carries in 2023, is Alexander Mattison.
It’s entirely plausible that the Raiders staff has faith in White replacing Josh Jacobs after how well he performed in the final four games of the 2023 season, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team make another addition at the position.
It’s worth noting that the Raiders did add Dylan Laube during the 2024 NFL Draft, but that wasn’t until the later stages of Day 3. The Raiders could use another younger back to pair with White, but the list of names that are available is less than inspiring.
Could the Raiders be interested in someone like Khalil Herbert, who is in the final year of his deal with Chicago? Herbert knows Luke Getsy’s offense but is currently buried on the depth chart with the Bears. It likely would only cost a late Day 3 pick to acquire Herbert, but he would be a significant upgrade in Las Vegas.
Look for the Raiders to shop around for another quality back ahead of the 2024 offseason. Otherwise, their roster is pretty much set heading into the new year.
