Between the hiring of head coach Pete Carroll and having the worst rushing attack last season by a notable margin, the Las Vegas Raiders' running back depth chart was sure to be reshaped this offseason.
Las Vegas' dream draft choice of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty came to fruition when he fell into the team's lap with the No. 6 overall pick. He will clearly be the team's lead back in 2025 in what should be a fairly run-heavy offense with Chip Kelly as the Raiders' offensive coordinator.
This offseason, the team essentially swapped veteran running backs with the Miami Dolphins in free agency by letting go of Alexander Mattison and picking up Raheem Mostert. The incumbents from last year - Zamir White, Sincere McCormick and Dylan Laube - are either unimpressive or unproven, so the room lacks any semblance of depth.
Proposed Raiders trade candidate would leave uncertainty at key position
Mostert is already 33 years old, so he was never going to be the team's only addition made at running back. Jeanty's coming aboard is not a harbinger for Mostert that he is now expendable, because he was never going to be the bellcow back anyway.
Pro Football Network's Sterling Xie made an incorrect assumption, then, when he asserted that Mostert was a candidate to be traded or cut by the team because of Jeanty's arrival.
"The Raiders still have Zamir White, while Sincere McCormick showed promise in a cameo starting role at the end of 2024," Xie wrote. "Las Vegas also signed Raheem Mostert to a one-year deal in free agency before they could’ve known they’d be landing Jeanty. While running back was a need even after Mostert’s arrival, the veteran could be the logical candidate to move."
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Mostert was always going to have a supplemental role to whatever young running back the team picked in the 2025 NFL Draft. His No. 1 spot on the Raiders' depth chart in March and April was never going to be permanent, and he will be the team's backup running back this year, which was always the plan.
White has been on the trade block all offseason, but it is hard to imagine that another team will give up capital for him, so he may end up being cut. McCormick showed promise in a couple games as the Raiders' lead back last season, but he has 39 career carries and Laube played just two offensive snaps as a rookie.
The experienced Mostert can still add value on the field in a rotational role, but his veteran presence and history with Coach Kelly will be even more paramount to the success of the running back room. Coach Carroll is not the kind to let this intangible value go, so there is almost no chance that Mostert will be moved this offseason, contrary to what some outlets believe.