The Las Vegas Raiders released fullback Patrick Gurd, with at least a dozen other players to follow later today.
The Las Vegas Raiders have announced the release of fullback Patrick Gurd as the first step in their final roster cuts, according to a report from ProFootballRumors.com via the NFL’s transaction wire.
The idea of a fullback being featured in the offense of coach Klint Kubiak was always a long shot, especially with the Raiders dealing with a bit of a crisis in their running back room. Ashton Jeanty sustained a serious ankle sprain last week that rendered him unable to walk off the field, and rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. has had an excellent preseason in Jeanty’s stead.
Kubiak did add that the Raiders will be relying on him in Week 1, although it remains to be seen whether he’ll actually be on the field against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13.
"He's still on the mend and we're still working to get him back,” Kubiak said in his latest update on the running back situation. “We've got another week to assess how he's going to look going into this first game, but we're counting on him."
There isn’t a formula going forward, however, and the running back room itself may look considerably different by the end of the day as Kubiak peruses the cut lists of other, better teams. Jeanty and Washington could have some new teammates, but they’ll be splitting the load in ways that are yet to be determined.
"I think that they're both going to prepare to play a lot of football and as these games unfold, you react to the game,” Kubiak explained. “I think we got two guys that we're really excited about. ... They just got to make the most of every rep that they get.
“Not making any promises on percentages of play time. It's when you get to the game, sometimes the guy you think is going to have five carries has 20. Sometimes the guy you think is going to be just a scat protection back is in there blocking six-man protection for 20 reps. So, we've got to get ready for them to play in all phases."
Kubiak closed his comment by proving he’s studied the playbook of fired coach Pete Carroll, which featured endless doses of optimism.
"I love our guys. I love how hard they work,” the coach stated. “I love how mature they are. I love how important the game is to them and how important playing for the Silver and Black is to them. I can't wait to go on this journey with them for the next 17 weeks in a row."
