The Raiders Have Already Solidified One Position Group

Las Vegas drafted running back Mike Washington in the fourth round of this year's draft to pair with second-year running back Ashton Jeanty. Although Klint Kubiak has stated his preference for giving Jeanty most of the rushing duties this season, Kubiak's offense is better with two capable backs.

The Raiders' addition of Washington gives them a legitimate option at running back, even if Jeanty is off the field. This should help both the Raiders as a whole and Jeanty. There is still plenty to figure out, but Jeanty likes what he has seen so far from Washington.

"I think just being two great rushers. It's always great to come out the game and have another guy come in there and there's no drop down. I truly believe he'll be able to help us win some games," Jeanty said following training camp.

"He's just getting better each and every single day. Obviously, he's got great burst, good footwork. He's continuing to get better each and every single day. I love what I'm seeing from him and he's continuing to up the standard in the running back room and help make it a better room.”

After an offseason filled with solid roster moves, there is no shortage of new aspects of the Raiders. Washington, and the fact that the Raiders have not just one, but two running backs they can continue to develop and build around, is reason for cautious optimism.

Kubiak was heavy on the cautious side following training camp, noting that Washington still has a ways to go, as most rookies do. Yet Kubiak noted that each back on the roster is still competing with each other throughout training camp.

“Mike is a rookie. A rookie back in the NFL is hard work, especially in the protection game. So we're giving him a ton of reps there, and just keep him growing. It's a competition with Mike, with [Dylan] Laube,” Kubiak said.

“We have a lot of good backs here, and those guys also know they're always competing with the rest of the NFL's roster. It's not just our room, so just got to keep giving them reps and see who we can count on."

Las Vegas also added rookie running back Roman Hemby, who has shown potential at camp. This is in addition to already having running back Dylan Laube, who has earned a spot on special teams and likely will again this season.

The Raiders could easily have four running backs make the 53-man roster. Las Vegas has struggled to find a group of running backs it can believe in. It seems that is no longer the case with Jeanty, Washington, Hemby, and Laube.

Las Vegas' front office has quietly all but eliminated running back as a need moving forward. Now, it is only a matter of how they will use their backs this upcoming season and beyond.

Raiders’ Latest Roster Move Confirmed Things

The Raiders reportedly waived/injured running back Chris Collier on Friday. This is undoubtedly confirmation that Las Vegas' coaching staff is confident in the four running backs they have. There is no need for five running backs on any roster, let alone a rebuilding one.

Moving on from Collier was another example of the decisions that come with the type of rebuild the Raiders are looking to complete. The 2026 season will be far from perfect for Las Vegas, but they are improving at every turn. Sometimes, that calls for moves like the one they made Friday.