Raiders agree to deal with RB Kenyan Drake

The Raiders have gotten Josh Jacobs some much-needed help at running back.

Kenyan Drake, who gained 955 yards and scored 10 touchdowns last season for the Arizona Cardinals, agreed to a free-agent deal with the Raiders Thursday. The transaction was first reported by Drake’s agency on Twitter and confirmed by a team source.

And if salary figures via ESPN are correct, Drake isn’t arriving to play just a series or three while Jacobs gets pounded into submission. Drake received a two-year deal with $11 million guaranteed that could rise to as much as $14.5 million depending on his performance.

At 6-foot-1, 211 pounds, Drake is a no-nonsense runner who fits the mold Jon Gruden likes in his running backs. His 239 carries, 955 yards and 10 touchdowns were all career highs. In five seasons, Drake has 695 carries for 3,130 yards for Miami and Arizona and he averages 4.5 yards per carry. With 169 career receptions for 1,244 yards and six touchdowns, including two seasons with more than 50 receptions, Drake can also operate choice routes as a receiver out of the backfield.

With that pedigree, Drake figures to get considerably more work than Devontae Booker, who had 423 yards last season but faded down the stretch with the rest of the Raiders running game as they skidded to 8-8 after a 6-3 start.

Jacobs gained 1,065 yards last season — his second straight year over 1,000 — but his yards per carry dipped from 4.8 to 3.9 and he had no run longer than 28 yards. Jacobs also caught 33 passes, and while the Raiders talked of increasing Jacobs’ workload dramatically in that area, the addition of Drake suggests they can get more out of their lead running back with some additional rest.

Jalen Richard, who had his least productive statistical season with 123 yards rushing and 19 receptions for 138 yards, remains on the roster in the second-year of a two-year contract. He’s scheduled to receive more than $3.3 million in salary in 2021.

The money committed to Drake goes against the grain of how most NFL teams value running backs and will be scrutinized by NFL bean counters as excessive, a luxury item similar to that of tight end Jason Witten a year ago.