Las Vegas Raiders: Trey Ragas could not have asked for a better debut
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have a battle going on for the third running back spot, and Trey Ragas had a memorable debut inside Allegiant Stadium.
We have been hearing about how impressive Trey Ragas has been during camp, as the undrafted free agent looks to make a big enough impression to land on the Week 1 roster. Between his running style, and overall drive in practice, Ragas is a player to watch, and on Saturday night, he made the most of his opportunities.
With Jalen Richard out due to injury, this after missing time due to COVID-19, the Raiders have a battle brewing for that third running back spot. Ragas has been a player that some have put on their potential 53-man roster predictions in recent weeks, and he showed why that is the case against the Seattle Seahawks.
Not only did Ragas run the ball well, racking up over 60 yards on 13 carries, including a touchdown, but he also hauled in three passes for 20 yards. While rushing and receiving yards are great, the thing that is going to turn heads in terms of the coaching staff was his ability to pick up the blitz, which he did an outstanding job of doing.
It was the kind of all-around effort that Ragas needed to keep his stock trending in the right direction, as the Raiders have a tremendous two-headed monster in Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake atop the depth chart. Both Drake and Jacobs are solid runners who can make plays in the passing game, while a player like Ragas has that put-your-head down and punish someone style Jon Gruden loves.
Raiders dominate on both sides of the ball
For Las Vegas, this was an outstanding start to the preseason, as they dominated on both sides of the ball, especially up front along the defensive line. The Raiders were able to make life miserable for Geno Smith, who had to leave the game early after a Nate Hobbs sack, before returning, but it did not matter.
The Seahawks’ offense looked slow and lost, while the Raiders’ defense looked deep and fast. As fans piled into Allegiant Stadium for the first time, they were not only greeted by a tremendous atmosphere but good play by their beloved Silver and Black.
Fellow rookie B.J. Emmons is also trying to land a spot on the 53-man roster, and his debut was pretty solid as well. Emmons averaged five yards per carry, a mark that included an impressive 22-yard run, and he showed that he could punch it in from short-yardage with his two-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
For both Emmons and Ragas, Saturday night improved their stock.