One of the biggest needs the Las Vegas Raiders had heading into the offseason was at running back. They finished with the worst rushing offense in the NFL by a wide margin.
Much of that was due to poor playcalling and offensive line play but the Raiders didn’t get much from their running backs. The team is likely to overhaul the running back room under new head coach Pete Carroll and they’ve already gotten started.
According to a March 13 X post from Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, the Raiders have signed running back Raheem Mostert to a one-year deal.
Mostert spent the last three seasons with the Miami Dolphins a couple of very productive years. In 2023, he had an NFL-leading 18 rushing touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl. 2024 was a down year due to injury. He missed four games and only rushed for 278 yards. Mostert will be 33 in April so it’s possible he’s on the decline.
That said, he brings a lot of speed to the Raiders’ running back room and some veteran leadership. He won’t be the starter in 2025 but he’ll provide some strong depth to the position, especially since the Raiders aren’t likely to bring back any running back from last season.
Raiders Shopping Zamir White
Former fourth-round pick Zamir White had a golden opportunity in 2024. The Raiders didn’t bring in any serious competition and they were prepared to make White one of the focal points of the offense.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t up to the task. He started the first four games of the year and didn’t rush for over 50 yards once. He then started to battle injuries and lost his starting job. He wasn’t able to get it back outside of one game.
On the season, White rushed for 183 yards while averaging 2.8 yards per carry. The Raiders may not cut him outright because he’s on a rookie contract but according to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the team would like to trade him.
“Running back Zamir White is also believed to be available if some teams want to take a chance on a 2022 fourth-round pick who had some great moments in 2023 before falling off due to scheme, vision and injuries last season,” Tafur and Reed wrote in a Feb. 28 column.
It’s hard to see how White would have value to other teams after his 2024 season so if general manager John Spytek is able to get a draft pick for him, that would be a major win.
Alexander Mattison Signs With Dolphins
While the Raiders are taking Mostert from the Dolphins, Miami is taking on a former Las Vegas running back. According to Schultz, Alexander Mattison has signed a contract with the Dolphins.
Similar to White, Mattison wasn’t able to make much of his opportunities to start. He started seven games for the Raiders last season but only averaged 3.2 yards per carry.
Mattison is better-suited to be a backup running back which should be the case in Miami. He’s capable of making some splash plays and that will help any offense. He just can’t be relied on to be carrying a starter workload.
