Oakland Raiders rumors: Darren McFadden has the edge to start over Maurice Jones-Drew
By Jack Crosby
Nothing is ever for certain in the NFL preseason, especially when it comes to the Oakland Raiders. But with the acquisition this offseason of Maurice Jones-Drew, you can assume that he and Darren McFadden could create one of the scariest running tandems in the entire league. However, only one of them can start when the season begins, and the team veteran, McFadden, may have that advantage.
In his Raiders report for TheMMQB, Robert Klemko noted that, at this point in camp, it appears as if McFadden has the slight edge over Jones-Drew to start in the backfield come the beginning of the regular season for the Raiders.
"At this stage Darren McFadden has the starting edge over Jones-Drew but this should be a committee backfield considering McFadden’s injury history—he’s yet to play a full season in six. Should McFadden miss a start, Jones-Drew could be a great matchup play in light of his receiving ability."
As Klemko stated in the report, while one of them eventually will be listed on the depth chart as the starter, both will get ample opportunities to make an impact out of the backfield.
More from Las Vegas Raiders
- Raiders: Saquon Barkley’s new contract may have screwed over Josh Jacobs
- Raiders sign coveted All-Pro ahead of training camp
- Raiders RB Josh Jacobs leaves Vegas in dramatic fashion amid contract dispute
- NFL Rumors: Insider predicts great news for Raiders on free agency front
- Austin Ekeler leading RB revolt with Zoom meeting of biggest names
Jones-Drew has that pass-catching ability that can wreak havoc on opposing defenses. And while McFadden isn’t considerably terrible in that department, he’s not at the level of MJD.
Nonetheless, the Raiders have a good problem on their hands with this backfield situation, which is never a bad thing, especially with this organization.