Power back? Warren gives Raiders options
Raiders rookie Chris Warren III jogged back to the huddle after a play in Tuesday’s joint practice with the Lions with the voice of Jon Gruden ringing in his ears.
“Hey!” the head coach yelled. “Hey! Lower your pads!”
Moments later, Warren, the 6-foot-2, 246pound running back from Texas, came through the line and lowered his shoulder into Detroit linebacker Jarrad Davis. The Lions’ 2017 first-round pick shot backward onto the grass.
“I heard a sound,” quarterback Derek Carr
said after practice. “Haven’t seen Chris’ run yet, but I heard it was pretty awesome.”
“Just running a play,” Warren said. “Just saw the guy coming through, got ready to deliver a blow. That’s kind of how it goes sometimes.”
It was the most resounding play of the morning. And Warren, an undrafted rookie, said he heard about it immediately from teammates.
“Especially from Marshawn” Lynch, Warren said. “Marshawn, he liked it a lot.”
Warren, from Rockwall, Texas, is soft-spoken but carries a big frame — especially for a running back. Physically, he stands out in an Oakland backfield that, aside from Lynch, includes smaller backs Doug Martin, Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. Warren offers an intriguing option if Gruden and offensive line coach Tom Cable are looking for a situational power back.
In fact, Warren said, his first conversation with Lynch after being signed by the Raiders in May began with Lynch asking him: “How come you weren’t drafted?”
“I was like, ‘I couldn’t tell you, man,’ ” Warren said. “He was like, ‘No, you must’ve done something. You did something wrong.’ I was like, ‘No, I didn’t.’ That was our first interaction.”
Warren played three seasons at Texas and averaged 5.6 yards on 204 carries, including a 276-yard game against Texas Tech as a freshman. He also dealt with injuries and was moved to tight end in his junior season. He ran a 4.69 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and signed with the Raiders after attending their rookie minicamp in May on a tryout basis.
For the above reasons, Warren wasn’t entirely surprised to go undrafted.
“I knew I didn’t have standout numbers, but I thought there would be somebody that would take a shot,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter because I’m here now. It’s irrelevant.”
Warren said he’s thrilled to be with the Raiders. One reason is Gruden, who continues to show that concerns he no longer would be able to relate to players were premature.
“I love him — I’d play here for 20 years if I could,” Warren said. “He’s always coaching somebody. He might get on you, but he’ll always tell you when you’re doing a good job or he’ll coach you up on things that you did wrong.”
Case in point: the earful Warren received just before his big moment Tuesday.
“When I see a hole, I don’t normally think about lowering my pads, I just try to run through it,” Warren said. “But they were coaching me, telling me I need to make sure that I’m getting ready for any contact at all times.”
Despite moving all over the field growing up — he said his second-favorite position is linebacker, which might help explain his running style — Warren was adamant about playing running back in the NFL. After all, the position is in his blood.
Warren’s father played running back in the NFL for 11 seasons with the Seahawks, Cowboys and Eagles. Chris Warren II totaled 7,696 career rushing yards, and was selected to three Pro Bowls (199395), all while playing for Seattle.
Before Warren III reported for his first NFL training camp, his father provided some advice.
“Just to go out there and be you and learn as fast as you can,” Warren said. “There’s no point trying to impress somebody, because then you’re going to end up messing up on something.”
The elder Warren was also a bigger back at 6-2 and 227 pounds. The younger said their similarities as runners largely end there.
“I mean, he was really just a one-cut, get-down-the-field kind of guy,” Warren said. “He was a bigger guy, too, but he had some speed along with it.
“The way that he played, the way that I play, I wouldn’t say that they’re similar — but they’re definitely not different. I don’t think he was ever looking for contact. I don’t necessarily, either. But when I see it coming, I definitely don’t shy away from it.”