Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Reggie McKenzie continues to tweak the Oakland roster, today making a move to help replace the loss of Michael Bush. PFT confirms that the Raiders have traded Bruce Campbell to the Carolina Panthers for reserve running back Mike Goodson.

In the grand schemed this is a very minor move. However it could prove vital should Darren McFadden suffer though yet another injury plagued season.

Nothing indicates Goodson will be anything close to being as productive as Bush was. A former fourth round pick out of Texas A&M, Goodson was buried on Carolina’s depth chart behind DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. His only real chance to contribute came on special teams where he did occasionally shine as a kick returner.

In 2010 Goodson got a chance to show what he could do as a runner. Injuries to both Williams and Stewart allowed Goodson to take on an expanded role including making a three starts as the Panthers feature back. He did not disappoint, racking up over 700 yards in total offense and three rushing TDs in his best season as a pro.

After that it was back to bench. 2011 saw Williams and Stewart return to full health plus the emergence of Cam Newton meant Goodson was a complete afterthought. He didn’t get a single carry last season and only returned 11 kicks.

This trade gives the Raiders a veteran runner that has the game experience Taiwan Jones lacks. While Jones is an explosive talent he’s not at all ready to be an every down back. Goodson is a solid runner with a good frame (5’11”/212lbs) that can contribute in a multitude of ways. He’s also going to be much more valuable in pass protection than Jones.

As for Campbell it goes without saying his time as a Raider was underwhelming. The freakish athlete out of Maryland arrived with all kinds of hype as an offensive tackle. Always viewed as a project player, Campbell was moved from tackle to guard and saw almost no action during his two years in silver and black. In preseason action Campbell was very inconsistent. He would run hot and cold, dominant on one snap then clueless on the next. Technique was always the issue with Campbell. He routinely played with his pad level much too high allowing him to be pushed around by smaller defenders nowhere near his strength.

The Panthers plan to move Campbell back to tackle as they now take on the task of molding a fantastic athlete into a quality football player. While this move was made with an eye on shoring up depth at running back it is hard to ignore this being yet another attempt to rid the roster of Al Davis’ pet projects.