The Las Vegas Raiders welcomed plenty of change this offseason when they brought in Pete Carroll and John Spytek to lead the franchise. While optimism was high to begin the year, that has largely fizzled out after two lopsided losses, giving the team a 1-2 record heading into Week 4.
While some facets of the game have certainly been sharper than others, and the performances have varied by week, a few issues have plagued the Raiders throughout the three weeks. One of them has been the offensive line's poor play, and another, in conjunction, has been the lack of a running game.
Star rookie Ashton Jeanty has been far from the one to blame for these shortcomings, but neither backup Zamir White nor Dylan Laube has been the solution either. The Raiders do have another running back on the roster, veteran Raheem Mostert, but he has yet to be utilized in 2025.
Raiders should free up roster spot if they have no use for Raheem Mostert
In fact, not only has Mostert's lengthy experience not been utilized properly, but he has yet to be active in any of the three games. Although he signed a cheap contract with Las Vegas this offseason, the expectation was that he would be the Raiders' No. 2 running back behind Jeanty.
However, the team does not seemingly think he is good enough to even split carries with the young player, nor to outbid White or Laube for a spot on the gameday roster. If that is the case, it begs the question of why he is even on the team in Las Vegas.
Don't get me wrong, Mostert would likely be a better option behind Jeanty than either of the aforementioned two backups, at least in certain situations and in a more immediate role. But if he's not going to be part of the future or current plans of the organization, they should move on from him.
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Mostert doesn't have much trade value at this point, but perhaps a running back-needy team or one dealing with injuries would send a late Day 3 pick in exchange for his talents. It is more reasonable, however, to think that the Raiders could simply cut Mostert if things do not change.
This would be disappointing, because Mostert can still be an effective NFL running back. To boot, White, who serves in a similar role to the one Mostert would have, has yet to prove himself as a viable option at the professional level.
There is no glaring reason why Mostert has been relegated to a bench role, as the new leadership keeps things close to the vest. But if he isn't going to play on Sundays, and he isn't under contract next year, there is little reason to keep him around.
Las Vegas should open up this roster spot and add either another young running back whom they can develop, or make a move for a player at a bigger position of need. This shouldn't be the case with Mostert, but somehow, it is, and the Raiders should act accordingly.