With one of the best running backs in franchise history leaving the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency this summer, the Raiders had to bring in another back. They trust Zamir White, who had a few crazy games last season when Josh Jacobs was hurt. However, just because they trust him, doesn't mean they shouldn't add another guy.
So, the Raiders signed former Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison, who started for the Vikings all last season and played backup to Dalvin Cook in the years before that. So, he has experience as the starter on a team but also has experience as the backup. We are not 100% sure that Zamir White will be the starter come Week 1, but, I can confidently say that he will likely take the first snap.
That is nothing against Mattison, either. But, White is their guy, and he's the guy that Antonio Pierce went to last season when the passing game was just simply not there. That being said, that doesn't mean Mattison can't win over the starting job. This is not him trying to beat out Josh Jacobs for a starting spot, which seems like it would be impossible because Jacob has proven himself as a top back in the league.
No, White is very much still unproven. And, you may think that White has an advantage with the offensive system - no, he doesn't. As a matter of fact, there shouldn't be a learning curve with Mattison, who's joining a new team. This scheme is very similar to what he ran in Minnesota.
"Yeah, a little bit. Definitely understand the system, it's pretty much a mix of my first three years in the league," Mattison said earlier this offseason . "The [Klint and Gary] Kubiak's, [Kevin] Stefanski, and then mixing it up with Kevin O'Connell and Wes Phillips. It's a big mix of those, really just the terminology, getting familiar with that, labeling certain routes a different term than what I'm used to.
"But it's definitely helped to have familiarity with the system... That Y-zone is pretty hard to stop. Definitely, as long as the O-line gets running, running backs we're on our tracks and stay true to our aiming points. It's one of those things that can terrorize a defense, so I'm excited about that part."
The Raiders are running an entirely new scheme in 2024 than they were in 2023. Even when Antonio Pierce took over as the interim head coach , the Raiders were still running the Josh McDaniels offense. This offseason, they hired Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator, as he held the same position with the Chicago Bears last season.
The offense that they will run in 2024 is what Mattison is somewhat used to. The biggest differences will likely be terminology, which is something that can be tough to get used to. And, he will have to learn the tendencies of the offensive lineman in front of him.
Other than that, the learning curve shouldn't be that big for Mattison. In fact, he should fit in right away.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders sign running back Alexander Mattison during free agency
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