Heading into the season, rookie running back Dylan Laube was making some headlines for the Las Vegas Raiders. He had a solid training camp and some fans thought he could have a role on the offense.
However, the team had other ideas. In the first five games of the season, Laube didn't get a single a single touch. In the Week 6 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he finally got his first carry, which he fumbled and lost the ball.
The Raiders have not made him active in a game since. With the season officially off the rails and the team dealing with injuries at running back, Laube is set to see his most significant action yet in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos.
“These past couple of weeks, I’ve been working my a** off,” Laube said this week, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Raiders used a seventh-round pick on Laube in the 2024 NFL Draft and there's no reason they shouldn't be giving more young players a chance to make plays. He knows that he has to earn the trust of the coaching staff if he's going to get consistent touches.
“In this league, it’s about trust,” Laube said. “If they can’t trust you, you can’t play.”
If Zamir White and Alexander Mattison can't go against Denver, Ameer Abdullah will likely be RB1. Laube should be RB2 in this situation but Sincere McCormick may also see some snaps.
This is Laube's best chance yet to prove that he belongs on an NFL roster. He's expected to be more of a receiver out of the backfield but he should get a chance to take some carries. The Raiders need one offensive player not named Brock Bowers to step up and Laube could earn a roster spot next season by playing well through this final stretch of the season.