Oakland Raiders: 5 Players Who Could Lose Their Jobs
By Austin Gayle
Taiwan Jones
Behind Pro Bowl running back Latavius Murray, the remaining members within the Raiders’ backfield combined for just 259 yards and one touchdown, and in turn, Oakland finished with the 28th ranked rushing offense in the NFL. Though Taiwan Jones was responsible for just 16 of those carries, the combination of his frequent injuries and underwhelming consistency likely has offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave looking for any kind of spark in the Raiders’ backfield.
Fortunately for Musgrave, McKenzie made an effort to add that spark in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft, as he selected former Texas Tech running back DeAndré Washington.
At 5’8”, 204 pounds, Washington is a compact, quick runner who carries the ball with an above average amount of confidence for a running back of his stature, as he is both willing and able to run in between the tackles and on the outside. Though Murray is expected to take on a bulk of the carries, Washington is expected to make an immediate impact as the Raiders’ primary third down back because of his adept receiving and pass-blocking ability.
“DeAndré is a young guy out of Texas Tech,” Musgrave said. “He’s really worked well for us thus far, so we’re putting him in different situations, again, to get a feel for his strengths and how we can tailor plays, tailor situations so he can really flash for us. He’s going to be good on first, second or third down. I know Brad [Seely] is excited to have him on special teams also.”
Similarly to Hansley and Mickens, Washington will have an opportunity to have his presence felt on special teams, but he will have to make a significant impact on offense if he is going to start inching his way up the depth chart.
Other than his one stellar play against the New York Jets in 2015, Jones’ play both as a receiver and as a runner has been easily forgettable; therefore, look for both him and Washington to compete for carries come training camp.