Raiders RB Chris Warren III reportedly up to 270 pounds

Remember Chris Warren III?

Yeah, the 6’2”, 247-pound running back that showed us enough speed, power, wiggle and vision to lead the NFL in rushing last preseason. He didn’t make it into the regular season as a knee injury landed the undrafted free agent on injured reserve. But what he showed last preseason captured the imagination of many Oakland Raiders fans.

So hopes in him remained high for next year but a recent report now has some skeptical of him. Vic Tafur of the Athletic has reported that Warren has ballooned up to 270 pounds. That’s pretty heavy, but it may not turn out to be a huge cause for concern.

Warren missed the season after having knee surgery so he hasn’t been able to run or do the types of drills to get him in football shape. All he’s been able to do is lift weights which doesn’t keep you trimmed down.

The Raiders’ offseason workout program doesn’t start until April 15, which is 5.5 weeks from now. Professional athletes, especially big ones, often lose 15-20 pounds in that amount of time. So unless he doesn’t want to, Warren should be able to get down to around 255 by then. From there, he’ll have minicamps and OTA’s in May and June then training camp starts in July.

Warren is trying to win a starting job at the RB position next season so his offseason work will likely start soon. Between that and the Raiders offseason program, he has plenty of opportunity to get himself back down to 247. He just has to take that opportunity.