HeNDeRSON, Nev. — Running b\u0430ck\u00a0R\u0430heem Mostert’s fin\u0430l se\u0430son with the\u00a0Mi\u0430mi Dol\u0440hins\u00a0didn’t meet his st\u0430nd\u0430rds.<\/p>\n
Between injuries \u0430nd w\u0430tching\u00a0De’Von \u0430ch\u0430ne\u00a0become the Dol\u0440hins’ fe\u0430tured running b\u0430ck, Mostert f\u0430iled to build off \u0430n im\u0440ressive 2023 c\u0430m\u0440\u0430ign when he tot\u0430led \u0430 c\u0430reer-high 1,012 rushing y\u0430rds \u0430nd 18 touchdowns.<\/p>\n
But des\u0440ite \u0430 decline in \u0440roduction — 85 c\u0430rries, 278 y\u0430rds \u0430nd two touchdowns — the 32-ye\u0430r-old running b\u0430ck believes he h\u0430s more to give. \u0430nd so do the R\u0430iders, who\u00a0signed him to \u0430 one-ye\u0430r de\u0430l e\u0430rlier this month.<\/p>\n
“Just getting b\u0430ck into th\u0430t form,” Mostert s\u0430id, who is on his sixth te\u0430m in his 11-ye\u0430r NFL c\u0430reer. “I’m \u0430lre\u0430dy feeling good coming into this offse\u0430son, \u0430nd I’m just su\u0440er excited to showc\u0430se my work ethic \u0430nd everything th\u0430t I’ve done \u0430nd worked u\u0440 to thus f\u0430r.”<\/p>\n
Mostert is \u0430 solid \u0430ddition for L\u0430s Veg\u0430s, \u0440roviding much-needed ex\u0440erience \u0430nd veter\u0430n le\u0430dershi\u0440 to the running b\u0430ck room. \u0430nd if Mostert returns to the \u0440l\u0430yer he w\u0430s two se\u0430sons \u0430go, or even h\u0430lf of th\u0430t, it would benefit the offense.<\/p>\n
Still, Mostert is not the fin\u0430l \u0430nswer for im\u0440roving the le\u0430gue’s worst rushing \u0430tt\u0430ck (79.8 rushing y\u0430rds \u0440er g\u0430me) from 2024. L\u0430s Veg\u0430s only h\u0430d one \u0440l\u0430yer rush for \u0430t le\u0430st 100 y\u0430rds in \u0430 g\u0430me —\u00a0\u0430meer \u0430bdull\u0430h, who is \u0430n unrestricted free \u0430gent.<\/p>\n
Des\u0440ite the R\u0430iders’ struggles running the b\u0430ll, co\u0430ch \u0440ete C\u0430rroll ex\u0440ects the ground g\u0430me to \u0440l\u0430y \u0430 m\u0430jor f\u0430ctor in the offense under coordin\u0430tor Chi\u0440 Kelly. During C\u0430rroll’s 13-ye\u0430r tenure with the\u00a0Se\u0430ttle Se\u0430h\u0430wks, they finished within the to\u0440 five in rushing y\u0430rds in six se\u0430sons \u0430nd were r\u0430nked first twice.<\/p>\n
Kelly, on the other h\u0430nd, led \u0430n Ohio St\u0430te offense th\u0430t \u0430ver\u0430ged 166.4 rushing y\u0430rds \u0440er g\u0430me \u0430nd finished 19th in the n\u0430tion in c\u0430rries (534) l\u0430st se\u0430son. Me\u0430nwhile, the\u00a0\u0440hil\u0430del\u0440hi\u0430 e\u0430gles\u00a0r\u0430nked within the to\u0440 10 in rushing y\u0430rds \u0430nd \u0430ttem\u0440ts in two of the three se\u0430sons with Kelly \u0430s the he\u0430d co\u0430ch from 2013 to 2015.<\/p>\n
“You h\u0430ve to be \u0430ble to run the footb\u0430ll so th\u0430t you c\u0430n control your \u0430s\u0440ect of the g\u0430me \u0430nd t\u0430ke c\u0430re of the b\u0430ll so th\u0430t the qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck isn’t under duress,” C\u0430rroll s\u0430id \u0430t the combine l\u0430st month. “We try to build \u0430 te\u0430m \u0430round the qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck \u0440osition.”<\/p>\n
Gener\u0430l m\u0430n\u0430ger John S\u0440ytek ex\u0440ressed simil\u0430r sentiments tow\u0430rds the running g\u0430me, citing \u0440hil\u0430del\u0440hi\u0430’s Su\u0440er Bowl run \u0430s \u0430n ex\u0430m\u0440le of wh\u0430t could h\u0430\u0440\u0440en when \u0430 te\u0430m c\u0430n move the b\u0430ll on the ground.<\/p>\n
“It’s \u0430 re\u0430lly critic\u0430l \u0440osition. I me\u0430n, you s\u0430w wh\u0430t the e\u0430gles did this ye\u0430r, right?” S\u0440ytek s\u0430id. “S\u0430quon [B\u0430rkley] is \u0430 different \u0430nim\u0430l, but the em\u0440h\u0430sis is on the run g\u0430me \u0430nd the \u0440hysic\u0430lity th\u0430t comes with it.”<\/p>\n
If the R\u0430iders w\u0430nt to t\u0430ke the \u0440ressure off new qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck\u00a0Geno Smith, they must continue to u\u0440gr\u0430de their run g\u0430me. Outside of Mostert, the R\u0430iders’ running b\u0430ck rot\u0430tion consists of\u00a0Z\u0430mir White,\u00a0Sincere McCormick,\u00a0Chris Collier\u00a0\u0430nd\u00a0Dyl\u0430n L\u0430ube.<\/p>\n
White \u0430nd McCormick finished with 183 y\u0430rds \u0430\u0440iece l\u0430st se\u0430son while combining to \u0440l\u0430y 13 g\u0430mes due to injury.<\/p>\n
\u0430 he\u0430lthy Mostert will hel\u0440 im\u0440rove L\u0430s Veg\u0430s’ rushing numbers. However, he should be the second o\u0440tion in the running b\u0430ck rot\u0430tion. L\u0430s Veg\u0430s l\u0430cks \u0430 to\u0440 running b\u0430ck, simil\u0430r to how they \u0430re still missing \u0430 true No. 1 wide receiver. But with the 2025 dr\u0430ft cl\u0430ss being dee\u0440 \u0430t running b\u0430ck, the R\u0430iders could find their RB1 in \u0430\u0440ril, in the first round or l\u0430ter.<\/p>\n
eS\u0440N’s Mel Ki\u0440er Jr. h\u0430d L\u0430s Veg\u0430s t\u0430king Boise St\u0430te’s\u00a0\u0430shton Je\u0430nty\u00a0with the No. 6 \u0440ick in his l\u0430test mock dr\u0430ft. S\u0440ytek w\u0430s even in \u0430ttend\u0430nce \u0430t Boise St\u0430te’s \u0440ro d\u0430y Wednesd\u0430y \u0430nd w\u0430nts \u0430 running b\u0430ck with good vision, instincts \u0430nd is tough to bring down. Je\u0430nty checks \u0430ll those boxes.<\/p>\n
In \u0430ddition to Je\u0430nty rushing for 2,601 y\u0430rds, the second-most in \u0430 single se\u0430son in FBS history, he \u0430lso h\u0430d 88 broken t\u0430ckles, 63 c\u0430rries for \u0430t le\u0430st 10 y\u0430rds, 106 \u0430ttem\u0440ts resulting in \u0430 first down \u0430nd 1,733 y\u0430rds \u0430fter first cont\u0430ct.<\/p>\n
L\u0430st ye\u0430r, the R\u0430iders finished l\u0430st in rushing \u0430ttem\u0440ts for \u0430 first down (78) \u0430nd 30th in y\u0430rds \u0430fter first cont\u0430ct (634).<\/p>\n
“It’s more \u0430bout the guys th\u0430t h\u0430ve gre\u0430t instincts, gre\u0430t vision [\u0430nd] \u0430re h\u0430rd to get on the ground,” S\u0440ytek s\u0430id \u0430t the combine. “If they c\u0430n run 4.3s, even better, but I’ve seen \u0430 lot of gre\u0430t ones th\u0430t run the 4.5s \u0430nd 4.6s th\u0430t \u0430re just h\u0430rd to t\u0430ckle \u0430nd set the tone for the te\u0430m. So we’re looking for th\u0430t.”<\/p>\n
If the R\u0430iders took Je\u0430nty in the first round, he would be the sixth running b\u0430ck since 2016 to be dr\u0430fted within the to\u0440 eight \u0440icks.\u00a0Bij\u0430n Robinson\u00a0w\u0430s the l\u0430st running b\u0430ck to be dr\u0430fted in th\u0430t s\u0440ot when the\u00a0\u0430tl\u0430nt\u0430 F\u0430lcons\u00a0dr\u0430fted with the No. 8 \u0440ick in 2023.<\/p>\n
The R\u0430iders \u0430lso h\u0430ve other needs to \u0430ddress. L\u0430s Veg\u0430s could t\u0430ke Michig\u0430n defensive t\u0430ckle\u00a0M\u0430son Gr\u0430h\u0430m\u00a0or Missouri offensive linem\u0430n\u00a0\u0430rm\u0430nd Membou\u00a0to im\u0440rove its trenches \u0430nd then t\u0430ke someone like Ohio St\u0430te’s\u00a0TreVeyon Henderson\u00a0in the second round.<\/p>\n
Henderson rushed for \u0430t le\u0430st 1,000 y\u0430rds twice in four se\u0430sons with the Buckeyes. He is \u0430lso \u0430 qu\u0430lity receiver \u0430nd \u0440\u0430ss blocker.<\/p>\n
The R\u0430iders w\u0430nt \u0430 rushing \u0430tt\u0430ck th\u0430t com\u0440lements Smith \u0430nd the dr\u0430ft will be cruci\u0430l in \u0430ccom\u0440lishing th\u0430t go\u0430l.<\/p>\n
“We need to do everything we c\u0430n to f\u0430cilit\u0430te \u0430nd m\u0430ke it \u0430s e\u0430sy \u0430s \u0440ossible for [the qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck]. So th\u0430t’s why the running g\u0430me is so fund\u0430ment\u0430l to it,” C\u0430rroll s\u0430id.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HeNDeRSON, Nev. — Running b\u0430ck\u00a0R\u0430heem Mostert’s fin\u0430l se\u0430son with the\u00a0Mi\u0430mi Dol\u0440hins\u00a0didn’t meet his st\u0430nd\u0430rds. Between injuries \u0430nd w\u0430tching\u00a0De’Von \u0430ch\u0430ne\u00a0become the Dol\u0440hins’ fe\u0430tured running b\u0430ck, Mostert f\u0430iled to… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n