Throughout the preseason, the Las Vegas Raiders' running back room felt pretty cut-and-dried. Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. would eat up the bulk of the reps, and Dylan Laube and Dare Ogunbowale would be the third-down backs and key contributors on special teams.
Roman Hemby, for as much promise as he has and for as big a fan favorite as he is within Raider Nation, seemed like the odd man out. He just didn't get a whole lot of opportunity in the exhibition games, and seldom were there reports about him shining during training camp.
But Las Vegas shocked folks on roster cutdown day by releasing Ogunbowale in a surprise move, according to The Ringer's Tom Pelissero. This certainly changes the complexion of the Raiders' running back room, so it'll be interesting to see what the team does now to fill out the 53-man roster.
Will they keep Hemby or look externally for that fourth running back spot?
Raiders' surprise Dare Ogunbowale cut begs an obvious question for Las Vegas
Ogunbowale had a solid preseason, running the ball 14 times for 72 yards and a touchdown while also catching one pass for nine yards. By contrast, Hemby ran 11 times for just 38 yards and no scores while notching three catches for 22 yards. Ogunbowale always entered the game before Hemby did.
And yet, Ogunbowale is now reportedly off the roster, while Hemby is still in the building, for the time being, at least. The Raiders now have a decision to make about whether they keep Hemby as the fourth running back behind Jeanty, Washington Jr. and Laube, or look for an external addition.
As the holder of the top spot in the waiver order, Las Vegas could try its luck with a young player who was discarded at cutdowns. Based on how late the Raiders put Hemby in the game and how few chances they gave him to show his stuff, it stands to reason that John Spytek will scour the market.
Or maybe Las Vegas knew what it had in Hemby and didn't need to see a ton of him during the preseason. Ogunbowale running the ball so many times in the exhibition finale, looking back, seems like the team wanting him to show them something -- a reason to stick around. Apparently, he didn't.
This could be some roster gymnastics, as the Silver and Black may not want to subject Hemby to waivers, where he may get scooped up by another team, ending his time with the Raiders. Cutting Ogunbowale with the understanding they'll re-sign him to the practice squad is much cleaner.
That way, Hemby stays in the building, and Ogunbowale can still be activated on game days to begin the year, particularly if Jeanty is still sidelined with his injury. By doing this, the Raiders would keep the same room and not have to make an addition, and Ogunbowale could still be a veteran presence.
It may be a bit careless to have a running back room comprised of Jeanty, who is in his second year, Washington Jr., a Day 3 rookie, Laube, a third-year pro with little offensive experience, and Hemby, a UDFA rookie who didn't even get much of an opportunity in the preseason.
For that reason, it seems logical for Las Vegas to add another piece to the room or keep Ogunbowale on the practice squad, if possible. But the Raiders are in the early stages of a rebuild, so if they want to let a young running back room rock out and prove themselves, fans won't necessarily disagree.
Releasing Ogunbowale came as a bit of a shock, though, and it begs an obvious question about who becomes the fourth running back behind Jeanty, Washington Jr. and Laube. It could be Hemby, or it could be an external player. We're just going to have to wait and see.
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