Raiders add RB Isaiah Crowell on 1-year deal

This offseason has been interesting to say the least with regard to the running back position. We’re going on three months now that the team didn’t have a starting running back on the roster. Today, they got one.

The team has signed recently released running back Isaiah Crowell to a 1-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

A deal worth “up to $2.5 million” is incredibly cheap for a potential starting running back. That means the base salary is quite a bit less before incentives.

At the league meeting this week, Jon Gruden said he was looking for a 3-down back and Crowell can be that for them. He isn’t an elite level running back like, say, Marshawn Lynch, but he has started 51 games in five seasons with the Jets and Browns, including starting every game for the Browns in 2016-17 and he has averaged 4.6 yards per carry the past three seasons.

While this move doesn’t rule out the possibility of bringing back Marshawn Lynch — which Jon Gruden has said “the door is always open for Marshawn”, it finally fills a need position for the team which means there is no pressure to draft a running back.