Raiders have spirited competition to find No. 2 RB behind No. 2

HENDERSON, Nev. — When Ashton Jeanty went down in practice Sunday at the Las Vegas Raiders’ indoor practice facility, fear and panic spread through Raider Nation.

Nobody was quite sure what had happened. Some reports said he had hurt his knee after trying to catch a pass and landing awkwardly on the turf. Others said his leg. Ultimately, it was a sprained ankle.

So it’s quite likely the Raiders are not rushing their talented second-year running back to return to the field. He probably wasn’t going to play more than a series or two, if that, on Thursday in the final preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. But with two-plus weeks between the final preseason game and the Week 1 regular-season opener against Miami on Sept. 13, it should provide Jeanty enough time get himself right and return to the field.

Which is all well and good. And if he misses the opener against the Dolphins, so be it. It’s a long season and the Raiders are going to want Jeanty at 100 percent whenever he does return to action.

If you were looking for clarity on Jeanty, that wasn’t happening. Head coach Klint Kubiak deflected all questions regarding the star running back following Tuesday’s practice, simply stating “He’s on the mend.”

In the meantime, his absence opens an important window of observation for Kubiak and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko. It means more reps for Mike Washington Jr., for Dylan Laube, for Dare Ogunbowale and for Roman Hemby. They’ll all play Thursday against the Niners and it’ll give Kubiak and Janocko a glimpse of just how deep the running backs room truly is.

Washington, a fourth-round pick from Arkansas, has looked good in the preseason. In 15 rushing attempts, he’s averaged 7.9 yards a carry and has a run of 53 yards. He’s also caught a pair of passes for minimal impact (18 yards). But he has displayed quick bursts of energy and speed and at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, he has the strength and size to run inside and make positive yardage.

"Well, I would say that he has done a phenomenal job of growing up really fast,” Kubiak said of Washington’s progress. “I think he got here, we drafted him, you come to the NFL, there's a lot on your plate, and then we throw all these new protections at you, these new fronts and blitzes and routes, and I think that he's a guy that understands that we are counting on him, and he needs to get up to speed quickly. And he's been mature about that, and he's going to keep working."

So far, the knock on Washington — his propensity for fumbling — has not reared its ugly head. With the Razorbacks, he had three fumbles. At Buffalo and New Mexico State, his two prior stops before Fayetteville, Washington had seven fumbles. That’s 10 total in college and that can be a red flag for any running back, especially for an NFL rookie.

But ball security has not been an issue yet. And if Washington expects to have a productive pro career it better not be.

However, he’s not the only one who gets to impress come Thursday. Laube, who is in his third season, has averaged 4.4 yards in 11 carries and has also caught two passes. He’s also a proven punt returner so having a player who can do multiple things on the field is always an asset.

Ogunbowale, an eight-year NFL veteran, has averaged 8.8 yards in just four carries and has two runs of 19 yards. I would expect the Raiders, who recently signed Ogunbowale, to take a long look at him and see if he’s worth keeping. General manager John Spytek knew him from their days together at Tampa Bay.  And like Laube, Ogunbowale can contribute on special teams.

"Yeah, it takes a whole room for the whole season, and those guys have to contribute a ton on special teams,” Kubiak said. “So, just really pleased with Coach Joe D (DeCamillis) and Tim (McConnell) and Marquice (Williams) and how they develop them on that side of the ball, because when you're not in that early role, then you have to make sure you're contributing on fourth down, and they do."

So while no one wishes injuries on anyone, Jeanty’s unavailability may work out for the Raiders. They know what he can do. Yes, he’s a featured part of the offense that Kubiak has installed. But depth is critical in the NFL and running back is no exception. The Raiders need to see what they have behind Jeanty and who can produce in Kubiak’s offense.

They’ll have Jeanty back. But there’s no time like the present to determine who will be No. 2 behind No. 2.