The Las Vegas Raiders have been hit with a bit of a blow at the start of training camp. Runnng back Jalen Richard is out indefinitely with a foot injury and his timeline for return is murky. With him being out, the team has signed a replacement.
The Raiders announced the signing of veteran running back Bo Scarbrough.
The team has worked out Scarbrough in the past but this is the first time they’ve actually signed him. The former Alabama running back joins two former college teammates in Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake. Relying on former Alabama players has been the Raiders’ calling card over the last few years.
Scarbrough will have an uphill battle trying to make the team. His most notable stint was with the Detroit Lions in 2019. He started five of six games and rushed for 377 yards. He spent last year with the Seattle Seahawks and only played in one game. In that one game, he averaged 5.2 yards a carry on six attempts. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, he could be a solid power running back for the Raiders.
In order to make room for Scarbrough, the team had to waive rookie offensive tackle Devery Hamilton.
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Jon Gruden ‘Disappointed’ Theo Riddick Retired
Outside of Drake and Jacobs, the Raiders are having a hard time at running back. Richard is in a boot right now and the team just lost Theo Riddick to retirement. Head coach Jon Gruden was disappointed by that news.
“We’re disappointed Theo chose to retire,” Gruden last week. “He was contemplating that and I think he was considering that last year. Possibly, with some of my recruiting skills I’ll be able to talk him out of that. He leaves a void in his presence, it starts there. They called him pops. He was a leader. He was great for Josh (Jacobs) and all of those guys.”
Riddick’s days as an impact player on the field were likely behind him but Gruden clearly liked his leadership qualities. Richard’s injury certainly makes losing Riddick feel worse but the Raiders will be fine.
Jacobs Praises Raiders’ Mentality This Season
The Raiders are entering a very important season. A fifth straight season without a playoff berth could lead to serious changes. Luckily, the team is practicing with a sense of urgency in training camp. Jacobs has noticed the difference.
“The way his mentality is this year — it’s an ‘all or nothing’ mentality,” Jacobs said last week. “It’s definitely been different. But you can see it from the team. [Derek Carr] started practice over because guys weren’t getting it right.
“It’s definitely a different type of feeling … I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself or nothing like that, but I just like the way that the guys are working right now.”
The Raiders have been close the last two seasons but weren’t able to get over the hump. The talent is there for the team to win games, they just need to figure out how to stay consistent.
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