Las Vegas Raiders: 3 things to watch for in 2021 preseason Game No. 1
By Alex Perl
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 things to watch for in 2021 preseason Game No. 1
The possible end of Jalen Richard in the Silver and Black
The longest-tenured Raider is Derek Carr, as the captain has been in charge of the Raiders offense since 2014. Would you care to guess the second longest? Well, that would be running back Jalen Richard.
Since signing as an undrafted rookie in 2016, he has never been the starting running back for the Raiders but has plied his trade in a multitude of ways. Whether it was backup running back, passing downs, or even special teams, Richard has always found a way to make it out on the field in some capacity.
Now, after being struck with COVID-19, and now a foot injury that has the back out indefinitely, it seems the writing may be on the wall for Richard’s inevitable exit. The pressure to put the final nail in the coffin lies with undrafted running back Trey Ragas, who we should see a heavy dose of against Seattle.
Josh Jacobs and newly signed backup Kenyan Drake do not look set to take the field this weekend, but we should see plenty of Ragas and newly signed back Bo Scarbrough. The hope and expectation are that the undrafted rookie (Ragas) has a solid display vs the Seahawks and surpasses Richard as the third back on the depth chart.
Although Ragas does not possess much in the pass-catching department, he is a downfield bruiser who can move the sticks and will add more power to the Raiders backfield. Expect to see plenty of Ragas early and often.