Grading the Las Vegas Raiders additions on offense
Rod Smith, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Rod Smith’s journeyman career continues with another stint with the Raiders after joining the team in December of the 2019 season. Smith’s signing is likely due to his familiarity with Raiders special team coach Rich Bisaccia who he worked with on the Dallas Cowboys for three seasons. The former Ohio State running back has been a special teams maven for the Cowboys and will likely do the same in Las Vegas.
Theoretically Smith could be the big bruising back at 6’3” and 235lbs that the Raiders have been missing but it is not a lock that he makes the opening day roster. Smith has just 101 carries for 364 yards in five years and had no carries for the Raiders in 2019. The bulk of his carries came during the 2017 season while Ezekiel Elliott served his suspension and Smith shared the backfield with Alfred Morris.
Smith also provides some versatility as he has played fullback for the Cowboys in the past and during the ’17 season showed he can be a receiving threat with 19 catches for 202 yards. If this signing is strictly for special teams then it’s a stellar signing but if he is expected to share the load with Josh Jacobs then it’s a vast overestimation of Smith’s abilities.