Raiders Predicted to Cut Loose Promising Former Starting RB
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Las Vegas Raiders RB Zamir White.
The Las Vegas Raiders had the worst running game in the NFL last season and only averaged 79.8 rushing yards per game. While the offensive line wasn’t great, the team’s running backs didn’t do much to help.
Zamir White went into last season as the starter, and there was excitement around him. It was his first chance to be the full-time starter after being Josh Jacobs’ backup. He had previously shown flashes that he could be a productive NFL running back, but he wasn’t able to hold onto the starting job.
He got banged up and was relegated to a backup role. White only averaged 2.8 yards per rush. He has impressed the new coaching staff this offseason, but that might not be enough for him to keep a roster spot. Sportsnaut’s Moe Moton predicts that the Raiders will end up cutting White before the season.
“In the Raiders’ Week 2 preseason outing with the 49ers, Raheem Mostert and Zamir White entered the game after Ashton Jeanty, which indicates a battle for the No. 2 running back spot,” Moton wrote. “In that game, Mostert logged three carries for nine yards and caught three passes for 16 yards. Meanwhile, White recorded a carry for five yards and didn’t see a target. Because of his pass-catching ability, Mostert should be able to beat out White for the No. 2 spot.
“In 39 games, White has only 21 receptions for 128 scoreless yards. He may be expendable with Sincere McCormick flashing in a short stretch last year and Dylan Laube offering more experience on special teams.”
Ashton Jeanty Is the Future at RB for Raiders
White’s disappointing season last year was a big reason why the Raiders decided to use their first-round pick on Ashton Jeanty. He had one of the best seasons for a running back in the history of college football.
Jeanty has looked the part for the Raiders so far, and he’s already pencilled in as the starter. He’s going to get a vast majority of the carries. White could be a solid backup for Jeanty, so the team doesn’t wear him down too much during his rookie season.
Jeanty Talks Development
Running back is one of the position groups that translates quickly from college to the NFL. The only concern with Jeanty is that he played at Boise State, so he wasn’t facing a ton of NFL-level talent.
Jeanty took a big hit against the San Francisco 49ers that led to him getting checked by trainers. He knows he needs to be smart about picking his battles.
“I think it’s just being smart, picking and choosing your battles,” Jeanty told reporters on Tuesday. “With DBs, you want to be a little more physical. Linebackers, little bit less, (more) shake and bake, kind of attack them.”
Everybody talks about Jeanty’s ability as a rusher, but he thinks he’ll be an impact player in the passing game.
“I take a lot of pride in it,” Jeanty said. “It’s something that wasn’t really shown as much in my college career. So being able to have that opportunity, and (offensive coordinator Chip Kelly) has done a great job at getting running backs involved in the passing game so we’ve just got to continue to work at it and get better every single day.”
