With The First Pick
Fansided

Oakland Raiders Now Made in Al Davis’ Image

By Carl Cockerham

Nov 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Members of the Armed Forces light a torch in honor of Al Davis before the start of the game between the Oakland Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Members of the Armed Forces light a torch in honor of Al Davis before the start of the game between the Oakland Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 10
Next
Dec 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) scores on a 22-yard touchdown run against the San Diego Chargers during an NFL football game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) scores on a 22-yard touchdown run against the San Diego Chargers during an NFL football game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Running Backs

When running the football Davis wanted to come off the ball and knock your block off with those huge offensive lineman. And if you can get off of their blocks you had to deal with a big, powerful, run away back. It all started back in the ’60s, when they had Clem Daniels at running back.

Daniels was 6’1″, 220 pounds, which is huge for the ’60s and he had plenty of speed to go with it. Then you had Charlie Smith as the scat-back and Marv Hubbard and Pete Banaszack as the short yardage backs. In the early ’80s, Kenny King, Frank Hawkins, and Mark Van Eegen split carries.

Then Marcus Allen was the exception to the Raiders’ running back committee. And even he would go on to share the backfield with Bo Jackson and others later on. In 2002, the last Raiders Super Bowl team, Tyrone Wheatley was the thunder and Charlie Garner was the lightning.

Now, the Raiders have 6’3″, 230-pound, 4.3 40 running Latavius Murray as the battering ram. And it looks like 2016 fifth-round pick DeAngelo Washington will be the scat-back. While Murray has the size and speed, Washington is elusive and catches the ball well out of the backfield.

Next: Tight End

Home/Las Vegas Raiders