DeAndre Washington, running back, Oakland Raiders
https://twitter.com/zesty_raiders/status/858862386869960704
Regardless of what you think of Washington as a player, he faces a simple math problem coming into the season. The Raiders brought Marshawn Lynch out of retirement this offseason and seem to consider him an impact guy.
Exactly how many carries that translates to, nobody knows. But it looks like Lynch will at least start the year as Oakland’s No. 1 back. That’s fine and good for Washington, who was originally supposed to back up Latavius Murray last season. The problem for him is Jalen Richard. Richard was signed as an undrafted free agent last season (Washington was a fifth-rounder) and outperformed the Texas Tech product.
The two had almost the same number of carries in 2016, but Richard averaged 0.5 yards per carry more than Washington. He was also a much bigger threat in the receiving game, racking up 29 receptions to Washington’s 17. Washington will undoubtedly have a chance to take the second-string job in training camp, but Richard undoubtedly comes in the favorite.
If Lynch and Richard come in ahead of Washington on the depth chart, it’s tough to imagine him improving on a solid rookie year. This sophomore slump may be at no fault of his own, but Washington may struggle to get on the field next season.