The Oakland Raiders ground game has left a lot to be desired over recent years. The team continued to place their faith in Darren McFadden and he continually came up short despite his high draft status. In 2014, the Raiders attempted to pair him with Maurice Jones-Drew in hopes that both running backs could revive their careers. That failed to happen and now the Raiders have the cap space to sign a true top rusher in hopes of balancing the offense for Derek Carr.
The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that McFadden will not be re-signed in Oakland. The chances Jones-Drew is released are very high. That leaves Oakland with 2014 breakout star Latavius Murray who will be good, but is not yet great. That leaves the Raiders to make a move for a top rusher either by trade or the free agent market. According to ESPN.com, Oakland is still in the mix for a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire LeSean McCoy.
According to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, the Eagles are eyeing the No. 4 pick of the Raiders in order to grab Marcus Mariota. What would it take to jump up and get that spot? The package could include the No. 20 pick, a second round pick and McCoy to sweeten the deal. That would allow the Raiders to still potentially get a top wide receiver in the draft while also getting a star running back as well. Current Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was the quarterback's coach at Philadelphia last year and could be the x-factor to pushing for the McCoy trade. The Eagles are reportedly willing to do whatever it take to trade up for Mariota and the Raiders could be willing to help with that deal.
Oakland can look a lot of directions for a top rusher, something afforded to them with the amount of cap space they have. Murray could be a starter, but he is not an every-down back just yet. The Raiders could look for more affordable options like Shane Vereen, Justin Forsett or Mark Ingram. They could aim high in a trade for Marshawn Lynch or persuade DeMarco Murray with a top contract. There is also the draft which has players like Todd Gurley and TJ Yeldon all at the top of their positions.
The Raiders are looking for a top receiver and star running back to pair together for Carr in his second season. With plenty of options on the table, the Raiders could be on the move for some big roster upgrades.
