Raiders to sign veteran RB

The running back carousel continues. According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Raiders are signing free-agent running back Alexander Mattison. 

Schultz reported earlier on Monday that the two sides were meeting, with the reporter adding that “multiple teams” were in play for the running back.

The former third-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career backing up Dalvin Cook in Minnesota. That still meant plenty of carries for Mattison, as he topped 500 yards from scrimmage in each of his first three campaigns.

Mattison’s counting stats took a step back in 2022 when Cook unexpectedly started all 17 games. The Vikings re-signed the backup last offseason before moving on from Cook, leading to Mattison getting a full workload for the first time in his career. 

Ultimately, the fifth-year player wasn’t able to elevate his play with a larger role. He finished the season with only 3.9 yards per carry, and his 4.2 yards per touch tied a career low.

After finishing the season with only 892 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, the Vikings moved on from Mattison last month. The organization has since signed Aaron Jones as a replacement.

With Josh Jacobs having left for the Packers, the Raiders had a hole atop their depth chart. Zamir White looked capable when he had a chance to start at the end of this past season, with the former fourth-round pick averaging more than 114 yards from scrimmage in his four games as the lead back. 

Mattison provides the Raiders with another capable running back, but neither of the players possesses the same pedigree as the player they’ll be replacing.