With free agency a month away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ running back position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.
Starter: Sincere McCormick
Backups: Zamir White
Free agents: Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah
Zamir White was the incumbent starter after finishing the 2023 season on a strong note. None of that showed up to begin this season and it became clear quickly that he was probably the worst running back in the room. Mattison came in and ran better, but still not great. It wasn’t until both White and Mattison were out with injury that the Raiders discovered they had a bit of a hidden talent in Sincere McCormick. Along with some solid contributions from Ameer Abdullah as a receiver.
Condition: Critical
McCormick may be a gem for this team, but they can’t really afford to go forward on that hope alone. That’s the mistake they made going with White after letting Josh Jacobs leave in free agency. And that backfired. McCormick should make a very nice complementary piece for whomever they bring in to start at running back. Pete Carroll loves to run the ball and he had some good ones in Seattle, including Marshawn Lynch. Finding his next great back should be a very high priority.