A few years ago, that kind of talk would have been considered blasphemy by many fans. Now it’s something the Raiders need to consider seriously as next week’s trade deadline approaches.
McFadden is in the final year of his contract and is slated to become a free agent at the end of the season. While there had been minor discussions between the team and its star running back about a possible extension, nothing firm ever developed.
The hope on both sides was that McFadden would return to the form he had in 2010 when he rushed for 1,157 yards and was considered one of the top running backs in the league.
Instead, another injury and five games of mostly disappointing runs have pushed McFadden into the expendable category.
He has just one 100-yard game this season, and it came against the lowly and winless Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. Beyond that, McFadden hasn’t produced much at all.
The fourth overall draft pick in 2008 isn’t even the Raiders’ leading rusher. That honor belongs to quarterback Terrelle Pryor, whose 289 yards rushing are 22 more than McFadden has.
A quick look at McFadden’s stats reveals just how rough a season the 26-year-old running back has had.
Of his 267 yards on the ground, nearly half (108) came on four carries against Jacksonville. McFadden has also carried the ball 69 times but has been held to two yards or fewer on 40 of them, or 58 percent of the time.
To be fair, it hasn’t been all McFadden’s fault.
Oakland’s offensive line is a mess. In the Week 6 loss to Kansas City, only one of the projected starters at the beginning of...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
