Oakland Raiders Must Cut MJD, Bring Back Darren McFadden

The Oakland Raiders are planning to make major changes to their roster this offseason, including at running back. Many feel that Darren McFadden, who's set to become a free agent, has no chance of returning. And there's a very good chance that Maurice Jones-Drew will be cut and follow him out the door.

If you agree that Oakland should cut ties with them, you're half-right.

Of the three main running backs the team used last season, only Latavius Murray is guaranteed to return. Parting ways with both McFadden and Jones-Drew seems destined to happen, but that would leave the team with two spots to fill.

The obvious answer is to let McFadden walk as a free agent and keep Jones-Drew since he’s already under contract. But the right answer is the opposite: Oakland should re-sign McFadden and release Jones-Drew.

McFadden needs to be Murray’s partner in the backfield in 2015. Here’s why.

 

MJD Is Done

Jones-Drew was fast. He was shifty. He was dangerous. He was durable.

He was. But he’s not anymore.



After suffering a foot injury in Week 6 of 2012 (ironically, in a game against the Raiders), Jones-Drew missed the rest of that season—the first time he missed a game in his career. He returned in 2013, but he wasn’t nearly as productive and was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Oakland signed Jones-Drew with the hope that he would be able to return to form. Unfortunately, that never happened.

In 12 games with the Raiders, he only had 43 rushing attempts for a paltry total of 96 yards (2.2 yard per carry) and no touchdowns. The carries went to Murray and McFadden, and Jones-Drew spent most of the season as a spectator.

Jones-Drew will be 30 years old by the time next season's camp starts. That’s late in a running back’s career, especially one with an injury history. Running ...