Loss of Rhodes won’t kill Raiders’ backfield

By Anthony Carroll  |   Thursday, July 05, 2007  |  Comments( 61 )

Oakland Raiders
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The bad news came on Tuesday.

The Oakland Raiders -- for the first four weeks of the regular season -- will be forced to play with only their starting running back, their leading rusher from 2006 and one of the top rookie rushers in the '07 draft.

Without putting it that way, though, the four-week loss of recently acquired running back Dominic Rhodes comes off as a season-ending event.

Earlier this week, the NFL suspended the 28-year-old Rhodes for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Rhodes was stopped by Indiana state police six months ago for speeding, and he later pleaded guilty to reckless driving in March. In exchange for the reckless-driving sentence, the ex-Indianapolis Colt had DUI charges dropped, even though his blood-alcohol level measured 0.01 above the legal limit.

The NFL, though, needs no legal documentation to suspend a player for violating substance-abuse policy.

So, a day before team owner Al Davis' 78th birthday, the league ruled that Rhodes would serve a four-week suspension that would span from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30 and cost the 203-pound back $352,941 in base salary.

Although the soon-to-be-seventh-year halfback was considered a major addition to the Oakland offense, the loss won't be as detrimental as it appears.

The Raiders have three very capable rushers outside of Rhodes. At least.

Rebounding from a torn MCL that sidelined him for six weeks last season, LaMont Jordan, who previously rushed for 1,025 yards in 2005, is reportedly up and running. The 28-year-old ex-New York Jet participated in the team's organized activities in late March, and he has partaken in all of the Raiders' camps this offseason.

Jordan rushed for just 434 yards on 114 carries last season, good for just 3.8 yards per attempt, and appeared in only nine games, starting in eight. However, fans know just how effective the 230-pound tailback can be when used the right way. Under ex-head coach Norv Turner, Jordan racked up 1,588 total yards and 11 touchdowns on 342 touches in '05.

The Maryland grad undoubtedly has the physical prowess to produce a repeat season. It just takes a knowledgeable, offensive-minded coach (Lane Kiffin, for example).

Aside from Jordan, Oakland also houses 220-pound back Justin Fargas, who has rushed for 1,016 yards in four years with the Raiders. Last season was undoubtedly the speedster's most impressive campaign since entering the NFL in 2003. Fargas, in his first year sporting the No. 25, carried the ball 178 times for a team-leading 659 yards.

The USC grad, when given the opportunity, proved in 2006 that he has the ability to stretch the field and run outside the tackles effectively. Imagine him behind an offensive line that knows what it's doing.

Finally, Oakland used the 100th pick in 2007 NFL Draft on perhaps the biggest steal of the current offseason. Kiffin and the rebuilding Raiders opted to select Louisville's Michael Bush, who suffered a severe knee injury last September and underwent a second surgery just over a month before the draft. Still, Bush brings excitement to the Raiders' backfield.

Especially when he talks.

"Right now I've been jogging, back squatting, jump roping...everything that I was doing at first, just not at full speed right now," Bush said in a televised ESPN interview shortly after being selected in fourth round. "Like I said, I'm just excited and ready to get going and...I'm just ready to prove people wrong and pick up where I left off."

After a record-breaking, 1,143-yard, 23-touchdown performance in 2005, fans can't wait to see Bush on the field.

At the outset, four weeks may seem like a long time to lose Rhodes.

Don't expect it to be a long, unbearable 28 days, though.

Especially if you're a fan of Michael Bush.

Anthony Carroll, a senior writer for RealFootball365.com, can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com.
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About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
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