Rashad

Jennings

Once considered a starting-caliber back behind Maurice Jones-Drew, Jennings flopped in his opportunity to showcase his skills as a featured back. He averaged just 2.80 yards per carry and showed an inability to stay healthy in 2012. He adds to the list of players whose careers are trending in the wrong direction being considered by Reggie McKenzie. Former Bengal Bernard Scott also worked out for the team.

Jennings was supposed to be a free-agent priority for the Raiders, but they let him walk without much of a fight. According to CSN Bay Area, the Giants offered “a lot more.” Jennings is two weeks shy of his 29th birthday, but has just 484 career touches. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season, and is an excellent pass catcher. He’s a nice insurance policy for David Wilson.

Virtually every reporter covering the Raiders expects McFadden to sit out Sunday night’s game against the Chargers and also the Week 6 game at Kansas City. That would give his hamstring a full month of healing before the Week 8 game against the Steelers. “I think (sitting out is) going to help me out a whole lot,” McFadden said Friday. “Just walking around and stuff you can feel it a little bit. It’s tight, sore, so hamstrings are one of those things you want to be careful with. I’d rather miss one or two games than to come back and pop it and miss four or five.” Rashad Jennings will fill in as candidate for 15 touches.

Everybody’s favorite injury-prone, would-be RB2 isn’t going to be active for Week 10. Rashad Jennings will get the start against the Giants, and is a plug-and-play FLEX option.

Rashad Jennings is simply playing too well to lose starting duties. Over the last three weeks, he’s rushed 57 times for 340 yards (5.96 YPC) with two touchdowns and added 11 catches for 91 more yards. "(Jennings has) been a guy we’ve called on to come in and run the ball and he’s done a great job,” Allen said. “As he continues to run the ball like he’s doing, he’s going to continue to get opportunities to run the ball.” McFadden is averaging just 3.59 YPC on the year, and no one knows when his hamstring will be ready to go.

McFadden’s hamstring must be feeling reasonably good if he’s going to suit up with the Week 7 bye on the horizon. Expect him to start and see how much burst he has. But with Jennings/Marcel Reece also looming and a brutal matchup at Arrowhead, there’s not a ton of upside here. Consider DMC a desperation RB2 and Jennings a weak handcuff that belongs on benches.

McFadden’s carry came with 13:33 remaining in the second quarter, but the Raiders didn’t formally rule him out until halftime. DMC’s day finishes with five carries for 12 yards. He had caught only one pass for three yards. Rashad Jennings is handling lead back duties, but Marcel Reece should also get some work in a blowout. McFadden, of course, missed Week 5 with a hamstring issue. Aggravations often result in longer absences than the initial injury. His status will be updated no later than Monday.

In the Week 4 loss to the Redskins, the oft-injured McFadden pulled his hamstring. He missed just one game and appeared to be over the injury following the Week 7 bye, but aggravated it Sunday. Hamstring pulls in the same spot often lead to multi-week absences -- ask Michael Vick and Miles Austin. If McFadden can’t go in Week 10, Rashad Jennings will draw the start.

Once viewed as a promising backup, 28-year-old Jennings was a total flop while filling in for injured Maurice Jones-Drew in 2012. He started six games before being benched for ineffectiveness, returning to the lineup and then suffering a shoulder injury and concussion late in the year. Jennings will compete with Marcel Reece and Jeremy Stewart to back up Darren McFadden.

Barring a setback, Jennings is ready to roll for Week 15. The Chiefs boast a middle-of-the-road run defense, but the Raiders will have to keep things close for Jennings to have a big day on the ground. His passing-game involvement helps his floor, however. Jennings is a mid- to low-end RB2.