The Oakland Raiders were hoping for a running back competition this season after letting go of Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. The team signed players like Trent Richardson, Roy Helu and Michael Dyer to push for the starting spot, but so far it has been the Latavius Murray show in training camp. Richardson is officially back on the field, but will he contend for the starting job or find himself as a late roster cut?
Richardson started his tenure with the Raiders on a rocky star. The running back failed his conditioning test and was not allowed to practice. Speculation ran wild that the running back was struggling with weight issues, something that plagued him in Cleveland and Indianapolis, but Richardson denies that saying he was dealing with a bout of pheumonia. Head coach Jack Del Rio downplayed his absence and noted he was ready for the running back to get to work.
"Trent is here, he came back very close to the weight, which was a pretty ambitious goal to get to and he's down in the low 220s. That's what we asked of him, that's where he was as a player at 'Bama. I believe that, with Trent committing himself like that and getting in that type of shape, that he'll have a chance to come out here and show what he's really capable of," Del Rio said, via the San Jose Mercury News.
Right now, Richardson is really going to have to push on the field because Murray is earning praise left and right. The running back has been weighting in the wings for his time to shine and can now fully flourish as the starter for the Raiders and he is doing just that. Murray is currently listed as the starter while also expected be the fantasy football standout in 2015. General manager Reggie McKenzie noted that the running back can simply do it all in the offense.
"Size and speed," said Murray, via the San Francisco Chronicle. "Not many guys with that combination. I do watch those two guys, but I know I have to stick to my game. My mentality is to stay where I am at and be that guy. It's big being able to get a series of carries together and getting comfortable back there. Get used to the scheme and the guys I am in there with."
Right now the Raiders are not getting a running back battle. Instead they have a true starter emerging in Murray. The battle appears to be more for the backup job, one that Richardson is not guaranteed to win. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that there is a solid chance Richardson is a roster cut if either Helu or Dyer step up and improve in training camp.
