Las Vegas Raiders: 5 things to watch for against San Francisco

Las Vegas Raiders: 5 things to watch for against San Francisco

The battle between BJ Emmons and Trey Ragas

The Raiders have not announced one way or another if Jalen Richard will be placed on injured reserve but it is a safe assumption that he will be out for a significant amount of time. Richard has been out for all of training camp with an undisclosed foot injury and has not been practicing with the team.

With his injury, a spot opens up for the third running back on the active roster and there are two main candidates for that slot. BJ Emmons and Trey Ragas have been duking it out in the preseason with Ragas being the feature back in week one and Emmons getting the bulk of the carries in week two.

Ragas has been the more impressive player as he has shown versatility as a pass-catcher out of the backfield and some proficiency as a short-yardage or goalline back.

Many fans are pushing for Ragas to win the third running back job over Richard because of the amount of money owed to the veteran back, but Gruden and Derek Carr’s trust in him as a receiver and pass blocker may be the deciding factor.

Even if the long-term decision is in favor of Richard, he will likely not be healthy enough to suit up in week one and the team could put him on the PUP list or IR. This weekend we should get to see both Ragas and Emmons getting plenty of game action and whoever gets the bulk of the touches could wind up being the one that makes the 53 man roster.