The Las Vegas Raiders enter the 2023 NFL season surrounded by uncertainty. Star running back Josh Jacobs is nowhere to be found on the field as his contract dispute continues, and the team is taking a cautiously optimistic approach with oft-injured quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Raiders play in one of the toughest divisions in football with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs standing in their way. After a six-win season in 2022, anything less will spell some trouble for head coach Josh McDaniels.
McDaniels has one of the best offensive minds in football, but it's translated much better during his time as an offensive coordinator rather than a head coach. The Raiders ranked 12th in total offense and scoring in 2022, but with longtime quarterback Derek Carr out of the picture and no Jacobs for the foreseeable future, those numbers are expected to take a hit.
The Raiders can’t let the Josh Jacobs situation hang over the franchise for much longer, and with Week 1 just over two weeks away, there are decisions to be made. Roster cuts are rapidly approaching, which will give the Raiders and every other team one last chance to evaluate their rosters and make any last-minute trades. Las Vegas should consider this one before it hits the field against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 10.
Raiders running back conundrum
The Raiders running back situation without Jacobs isn’t exactly a trustworthy one. The Raiders have given second-year back Zamir White the bulk of the reps with the first-team offense as of late. And he is expected to be the starter in Week 1 if Jacobs still has not returned. White played just 40 offensive snaps as a rookie, carrying the ball 17 times.
Behind White are veterans Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden and Damien Williams. Those names do not spell a winning recipe in the NFL in 2023, as the three of them carried the ball a combined 23 times last season. It's also a far cry from last year's rushing champion.
Though there is some optimism that Jacobs will end his holdout any day and return to the Raiders, there is no guarantee he'd be ready to jump right back into his bell-cow back role from a season ago. If the Raiders want any chance at making the playoffs in 2023, they need to be able to run the ball efficiently. Las Vegas needs a proven back with some upside in its backfield.
The move to make
Michael Carter is in his third season in the NFL and spent most of his first two seasons in a running back committee for the New York Jets. Carter started 21 of the 30 games he's played to this point but has just 13 games with 10 or more carries.
Though Carter is a decent runner, his value lies within his pass-catching abilities. He caught 77 passes across the last two seasons, which ranks 16th among all running backs. Surprisingly though, he is still without a receiving touchdown in his NFL career.
Those numbers are unlikely to increase if he sticks with the Jets in 2023 with the addition of Dalvin Cook and the return of Breece Hall. That leaves Carter on the outside looking in of the Jets' running back room, and he is far too talented to be a third-stringer. The Jets have not shown any signs that they want to move on from Carter, but then why sign Cook, especially with Zonovan Knight also on the roster, who impressed in a handful of starts last season?
The Raiders are in need of a versatile back whether Josh Jacobs returns or not. Michael Carter can fill that role for them and could even turn into a true No. 1 if given the right opportunity. He seems motivated after a disappointing 2022 season and could feel a bit disrespected after the Jets decided to sign Cook.
Carter is not a name that will sell season tickets, but he's a young player with two years left on his rookie contract who is eager to prove that he belongs at the top of a running back depth chart. He could thrive in Josh McDaniels' pass-heavy offense and lead a Raiders backfield in the absence of Jacobs.
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