The Las Vegas Raiders' rushing issues from last season have been talked about ad nauseam. Letting Josh Jacobs go was a mistake, and replacing him in the aggregate with Zamir White and Alexander Mattison was a poor choice by former general manager Tom Telesco.
However, with Ashton Jeanty and Raheem Mostert now in the backfield, a resurgence is expected for this group. Not to mention, the offensive line has another year of experience under its belt, the passing game is more of a threat, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is a savant in the run game.
Expectations have been high for the running back group this offseason, and through OTAs and minicamp, it sounds like the unit lived up to the hype. Jeanty has drawn praise from almost every player and coach on the roster, and Mostert is the consummate professional with gas still in the tank.
Zamir White could be cut if Raiders' RB room is as advertised
If these reports are indeed true, then the writing could be on the wall for White. He was just a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he has largely underdelivered through three seasons, outside of a dominant four-game stretch in 2023.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore even noted in a mailbag in late May that White will be fighting for a roster spot this upcoming season. Suddenly, the running back room is crowded, and based on potential, White could be the odd man out.
Sincere McCormick burst onto the scene late last season after White suffered a season-ending injury in Week 11. He is a year younger than White is, and his upside could be something that head coach Pete Carroll wants to tap into.
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Carroll has been complimentary of White this offseason, as he spoke to the press about how impressed he was with him after mandatory minicamp in June.
"I think Zamir [White] had a really, really good camp too," Carroll said. "He made a statement of being the bigger of the guys. He's really fast, and he's the biggest guy that we have."
While this is certainly a vote of confidence for White from the team's new coach, it may eventually be perceived that his skill set is not unique enough to be a part of the group. Jeanty is an every-down back, Mostert is a homerun hitter and strong near the goal line, and Laube provides a bit of a spark in the receiving game and can play special teams.
White is going to have an uphill battle if he hopes to differentiate himself at training camp later this month. The preseason will be incredibly crucial for him, as he looks to earn a roster spot in the final year of his rookie contract and keep himself afloat in the NFL.