The Oakland Raiders are making one thing clear, heading into training camp there is not a quarterback competition. Matt Schaub will be the starter for the time being at least. However, almost every other position on offense is up for grabs. The Raiders especially have a nice competition brewing at the running back position with two players accustomed to being starters. So who does head coach Dennis Allen give the nod to, Maurice Jones-Drew or Darren McFadden?
Both McFadden and Jones-Drew are in need of career resurgence. Both players have lacked consistency over the past few seasons. Last season, McFadden was once again plagued by injuries as he was overshadowed by young players. Jones-Drew put up career-lows once again while also suffering from injuries and inconsistencies. The Raiders are giving both running backs a chance to turn things around, planning big things for them in the offense. But who gets on the field first?
According to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, Jones-Drew is predicted to be the starting running back heading into the 2014 season. Allen told media that in training camp, McFadden was expected to be No. 1 on the depth chart simply because of his familiarity with the offensive scheme. Allen is hoping to also use McFadden as a kick returner if he can stay healthy. However, Tafur believes that Jones-Drew will upseat the running back for the role because of his abilities to run between the tackles and carry a bigger workload.
Jones-Drew told NFL Network earlier in the offseason that he was told the starting running back spot was up for grabs. He would not have signed with the Oakland Raiders if that was not the case. He is hoping the competition between the two can only push them to be better players and hopefully be productive in the offense.
Schaub needs both Jones-Drew and McFadden at their best. The quarterback is coming from the Houston Texans where he had star Arian Foster dominating the run game. He needs the same in Oakland if he is going to be successful as the starter and not get upseated himself by rookie, Derek Carr. Allen stresses that right now the quarterback depth chart is set with Schaub at the top, if the veteran cannot work the weapons in place, rookie Carr might see some playing time sooner rather than later.
