In 2015, the Oakland Raiders upgraded their wide receiver corps drafting Amari Cooper and signing Michael Crabtree. That worked out well during the season and for quarterback Derek Carr. Another thing that worked out well was giving Latavius Murray the starting job as he put together a career-high season. However, it still was not enough and Oakland must make roster adjustments this offseason. Will the team target a veteran to add to the rotation?
According to Bleacher Report, the Oakland Raiders were considered a top landing spot for Marshawn Lynch. The fit seemed perfect. The Seattle Seahawks were expected to release the running back and the Raiders are his hometown team. Having a tandem that included a veteran like Lynch and a younger rusher in Murray would be the perfect mix for the Raiders. However, Lynch has announced his retirement from the NFL leaving the Raiders to look elsewhere for running back help in 2016.
In their report, Bleacher Report says the Raiders are looking for veteran talent at the running back spot and Arian Foster or Matt Forte could be next on the list. Either veteran running back would be a big upgrade over Roy Helu who could be released and Taiwan Jones. Foster would come much cheaper than Forte given his injury history. The Houston Texans running back is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon which leaves him as a likely salary cap casualty. The Raiders were his favorite team growing up. Having Murray as the guaranteed starter would give Foster less work to do on offense and a bigger chance to make an impact if he stays healthy.
Forte would be a better addition than Foster given he is healthy, but he will cost more. Foster might command a one-year contract where Forte is worth at least a three-year deal according to Spotrac.com. Forte's numbers have never dipped and he would be worth the money, but he might not like the idea of running tandem with Murray. Forte told the Chicago Sun-Times that he is not ruling out a return to the Bears, but if they do not offer a contract, the Raiders could come calling.
There is also a chance that Oakland targets a rookie in the draft to put youth behind Murray instead of someone older. Oakland would not even consider a player until a later round, but talent can be found then. Players like Kenyan Drake, Alex Collins or Kenneth Dixon are all projected to be real talents in the league when they get drafted, but would not be taken any higher than the fourth round. That would free up the Raiders to address other needs first before getting someone that could be an excellent addition to the rotation.
