Raiders’ Jon Gruden: New Game Plan for Running Back Position

Raiders' head coach Jon Gruden explained his reasoning for adding running back Kenyan Drake as ground game support while stating running back Josh Jacobs will remain No. 1.

With the recent off-season signing of free-agent running back Kenyan Drake to a two-year deal worth $11 million, it was bound for the Raiders’ running back strategy to shift.

Raiders’ head coach Jon Gruden explained why Drake will be beneficial to the Silver and Black running core moving forward.

“A lot of people say ‘Why Kenyan Drake?'” Gruden said on “The Raiders Report” television show. “Well, Doug Martin had 190 touches three years ago when [Marshawn] Lynch went down. DeAndre Washington had 144 touches when Jacobs went down two years ago. And this past year, Josh went down and Devontae Booker got 110 touches. So we’re going to try to circulate the touches Kenyan Drake’s way.”

“He’s a guy that’s made big plays.”

Drake is on the same page with his new head coach. The former Arizona Cardinal says Jacobs and himself create a “classic thunder and lightning type of feel.”

“I think what our styles kind of complement each other the most with is his bruising, attacking ability and my ability to do the same with a little bit more pace in the open field,” Drake said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“That would kind of give us almost a classic thunder and lightning type of feel.”

With that said, Jacobs will remain the starting running back for the Las Vegas squad. Gruden says Jacobs is not just a Pro Bowl player but an “MVP-caliber back.”

“We’d like to see him (Jacobs) get more and more real estate,” Gruden said.

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