Oakland Raiders: Full Position Breakdown, Depth-Chart Analysis at Running Back

Much of the excitement around the Oakland Raiders surrounds quarterback Derek Carr, but the Raiders front office has injected their running back stable with dynamic talent capable of moving the chains.

Running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden have left town—the former for retirement and the latter renewing his career with the Dallas Cowboys. The Raiders have a slew of running backs entering new phases in the beginning stages of their careers. Initially, it seemed as though a two-man RB committee would emerge, but one particular player has separated himself from the pack.

Latavius Murray: The Lead Back?

There was very little said about running back Latavius Murray’s progress up until the first day of a three-day mandatory minicamp this week. ESPN’s Adam Caplan shared a glowing report (via Twitter) about Murray: 

Based on Caplan's sources, the Raiders will commit to tapping into Murray’s potential and propelling him into the conversation of top RBs in the league.

What sticks out most is the reference to his football IQ, which was an area in which new head coach Jack Del Rio wanted to see an improvement, per ESPN’s Bill Williamson. 

Secondly, the improvement in his pass-blocking evens that advantage Trent Richardson once possessed over all the RBs on the roster. Murray will be able to stay on the field for all three downs with an improved aptitude for picking up blocking assignments.

Despite the positive reports, Del Rio isn’t going to hand over the job. The second-year RB must continue to make strides in training camp to put a stronghold on the starting role.

Trent Richardson: Contributor or Cut?

My theory on Richardson is he’ll share a significant amount of the carries, or he’ll be cut before the season starts. Yes, it’s the either of the two extremes, but that’s the type of player he has been over his collegiate and professional career. In Alabama, he was considered one of the best to take a handoff, but in recent memory he has been one of the worst starting RBs in the league.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Which Richardson will show up in Oakland? That partially depends on Oakland’s scheme and personnel.

Oakland has a dilemma on its hands. How will a bigger offensive line perform within an up-tempo offense expected to run more plays per game? Are those larger linemen on the left side able to get to the line of scrimmage and snap the ball with fluidity or without penalties?

New offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave intends to bring the fast-paced action from Philadelphia to Oakland, per Levi Damien of SilverandBlackPride.com, but he’ll have to tailor it a bit to suit a less agile offensive line, particularly on the left side.

Here's a comparison between the Eagles' key offensive linemen from last season and the six offensive linemen expected to play extensively for the Raiders in 2015:

Eagles	Position	Measurements	Position	Raiders	Measurements
Andrew Gardner	OT	6'6", 308 lbs	OT	Austin Howard	6'7", 330 lbs
Todd Herremans	OG/OT	6'6", 321 lbs	OG/OT	Khalif Barnes	6'6", 320 lbs
Lane Johnson	OT	6'6", 317 lbs	OG	Jon Feliciano	6'4", 323 lbs
Jason Kelce	C	6'3", 295 lbs	C	Rodney Hudson	6'2", 300 lbs
Evan Mathis	OG	6'5", 298 lbs	OG	Gabe Jackson	6'3", 336 lbs
Jason Peters	OT	6'4", 328 lbs	OT	Donald Penn	6'4", 340 lbs

Will the Raiders have to sacrifice a tailor-made offensive line suitable for Richardson to get the most out of their high-powered offense? If linemen are huffing and puffing while walking up to the line of scrimmage, it does Richardson a disservice. As a power runner, he needs solid blocking to make an impact.

Another issue is Richardson’s schematic fit. In 2011 at Alabama, Richardson succeeded within a methodical offense. Quarterback AJ McCarron only threw for 2,634 yards and 16 touchdowns. Richardson dominated the offense with 283 carries for 1,679 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.

In 2012, the Cleveland Browns operated within a methodical sledgehammer-type offense that featured the power RB. Quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for 3,385 yards and 14 TDs. Richardson had 267 carries for 950 rushing yards and 11 TDs.

Anyone see a pattern here?

How well did Richardson fare within the Indianapolis Colts high-powered offense? Quarterback Andrew Luck is the centerpiece of Indianapolis' offense much like Carr is the centerpiece in Oakland.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The Raiders aren’t the Colts in terms of flashy passing stats, but they’re not interested in methodically moving down the field in an up-tempo offense with weapons like Carr and a wide receiving corps featuring Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Rod Streater. 

Through this observation, Richardson is going to struggle if he cannot make the most of his limited touches. Clearly, the offense will not run through Richardson even if he manages to outperform Murray. The Raiders have surrounded Carr with a plethora of perimeter weapons, which indicates the vertical attack as the focal point of the offense in 2015.

Richardson must hit the open lanes with decisiveness or risk not fitting into the new scheme in Oakland, which could lead to another quick separation from his third team in three years.

Roy Helu: The wild-card Back

Running back Roy Helu brings some valuable utility skills to the Raiders' RB stable. He’s equally effective catching the ball and taking handoffs out of the backfield:

Year	Rushing Yards	Receiving Yards	Yards Per Catch
2011	640	379	7.7
2013	274	251	8.1
2014	216	477	11.4

*Helu missed 13 games in the 2012 season.

Helu won’t take carries away from Murray or Richardson, but he’s capable of contributing as an extra receiver on the field, racking up yardage in chunks as noted in the table of above.

In past references to Helu, I’ve continually compared him to former New England Patriots RBs Shane Vereen and Kevin Faulk.

He’s not going to break out for 50 yards down the field or drag a couple of defenders en route to a first down. However, if Carr wants to take advantage of a busted coverage in the flat, exploit a mismatch against a linebacker who’s poor in coverage or find a sure pair of hands for three yards to extend a down, Helu is the perfect weapon.

Michael Dyer: The Sleeper Back

I usually start off addressing Michael Dyer as the former Auburn star RB because no one remembers him after his fall from grace. A checkered past knocked Dyer off the map and kept him off the NFL radar.

He signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent after a season plagued with injuries in a reduced role, playing under Bobby Petrino in Louisville.

At 25, don’t categorize Dyer as washed up just yet. He showed a glimpse of his Auburn days against Florida State in 2014:

This wasn’t a Dyer highlights video—he actually spent his day shredding the Florida State defensive line, which featured defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman, both second-round picks in this year’s draft.

Dyer’s sparkling performance came in a losing effort, but he managed to score three out of the team’s four TDs against the second-ranked team in the country. Who knows, maybe Louisville would have won the game if they had a solid passing attack.

Nonetheless, it’s clear Dyer still has the legs and ability to make defenses look silly. He also came into the offseason chiseled with a body that looks ready for the grind of an NFL season:

"

So I hear Michael Dyer is big. pic.twitter.com/IuQBxacqko

— RaiderTruths (@RaiderTruths) May 12, 2015"

Injuries are part of the game, and maybe the Raiders part ways with Richardson if he struggles; either circumstance should provide Dyer with an opportunity. He has speed comparable to Murray and hits the hole similar to Richardson in his Alabama days.

Taiwan Jones: Special Teams

If you don’t pay close attention to special teams, Taiwan Jones hasn’t come to mind. He was a fourth-round draft pick in 2011 and hasn’t made a ton of contributions on offense or on defense as a cornerback.

According to Pro Football Talk writer Josh Alper, the Raiders preferred to add depth to the RB position by switching him back to RB.

Jones won’t see the field much outside of kick and punt returns, but every team needs a set of grinders. As Alper noted, Jones has been a major contributor to the special teams unit, which should help solidify a roster spot in the upcoming season.

Marcel Reece Disclaimer

According to Caplan, (via Twitter) the Raiders won't implement the fullback position within the new offense. Instead, Marcel Reece will be used as an H-back, positioned similarly to a tight end but slotted steps behind the line of scrimmage:

Advanced statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com.  

Player measurements courtesy of Raiders.com, Colts.com, Philadelphiaeagles.com.

You can follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for the latest on the Raiders and NFL chatter.