On paper, the Raiders are set at running back with the top two of Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson. However, as McFadden has yet to complete a full season due to various injuries, the Raiders depth chart actually consists of a lot of question marks and players who have proven very little in the NFL.
McFadden has the potential to be an All-Pro if he can stay healthy, and all indications are that he is currently at 100% and ready to go for the season. However, this was also said about him before last season began and we all know how that turned out. The loss of McFadden last season was somewhat mitigated by the presence of Michael Bush, but he is now a Chicago Bear backing up Matt Forte.
Now in the Bush role is Mike Goodson, a fourth-year player from Texas A&M. Goodson was acquired in a trade from the Carolina Panthers, where he had great success filling in for an injured Jonathan Stewart, gaining on average over 100 yards in his three starts. He also gained over a thousand yards in kickoff returns for the season. If the Raiders choose to use him in a return role this season he could be a great asset in that regard.
Taiwan Jones will also be returning from injury, and if he stays healthy he can be a real game-breaker for the offense. He is blazing fast and extremely elusive, but due to his size isn't very durable. The Raiders will likely want to keep McFadden's workload light to keep him from wearing down, which will mean more opportunities for Jones.
In addition, the Raiders just signed Owen Schmitt, who is a fullback but is listed at RB on the Raiders depth chart. He is a tough, bruising runner who is more athletic than he looks and can be counted on to get the tough yards in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He is basically a slightly slower version of Mike Bush.
The rest of the depth chart is mostly camp fodder and practice squad nobodies. The full RB roster is here:
Darren McFadden
Mike Goodson
Taiwan Jones
Owen Schmitt
Manase Tonga
Tre'Shawn Robnson
Lonyae Miller
Rashawn Jackson