Raiders discovery Booker was a dissatisfied Denver discard
Devontae Booker isn’t sure what he did or who he did it to, but he’s glad to be free of the Denver Broncos after being put in a deep freeze as a ballcarrier.
In his fifth season, the Sacramento native has found a home with the Raiders. Booker says he thinks the talent he displayed in gaining 612 yards as a rookie in 2016 was always there under the surface, just waiting for a chance to shine.
Booker gets his first chance at his former team Sunday, when the Raiders (5-3) host
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Sunday: Broncos at Raiders, 1:05 p.m., CBS the Broncos (3-5) at Allegiant Stadium.
“I think I was still coming around as a runner even though I really didn’t get the carries I thought I should have in Denver,” Booker said in a teleconference Thursday. “I just always kept working, because never know when the opportunity was going to come. I got my opportunity here and I’m just glad I’m here and making the most of it.”
A year after being active for all 16 games and carrying twice for 9 yards, Booker
leads all NFL backs (min- imum of 30 carries) with an average of 6.8 yards per rush, with 223 yards and a touchdown on 33 attempts. Booker led a 160-yard rushing effort against the Los Angeles Chargers with 68 yards on eight carries, including an 23-yard touchdown run to open the scoring
ooker, at 5-foot-11, 219 pounds, offers a physical complement to starter Josh Jacobs, who is of similar build. The Raiders have Jalen Richard on the roster and Theo Riddick on the practice squad, but offensive coordinator Greg Olson said those two are more adept as receivers out of the backfield than scrimmage runners who could either spell Jacobs or take over in case of injury.
“We felt Devontae Booker was that guy and I think the scouting department and those guys targeted him early and had a chance to see him on film. We liked what we saw and he’s been a real pleasant addition for us,” Olson said.
Sounds too good to be true and it probably is. Given that Booker’s contract was for one year at the veteran minimum $910,000 with a $50,000 signing bonus, there were no guarantees he’d even make the roster. And it’s not like there has been a lot of film of late to watch.
B o ok e r ’s wo r k l o a d dropped each year, from 172 carries to 79 carries (for 299 yards) to 34 carries (183 yards) before last year’s bottoming out at two carries for 9 yards behind Phillip Lindsey and Royce Freeman. He played for three head coaches — Gary Kubiak, Vance Joseph and finally Vic Fangio.
“Book’s a good back. He just needed his opportunity and he’s made the most of them,” Fangio said this week in a video conference. “Been very impressed with his play; his stats bear that out. Film bears that out. And they’re using him, and
he’s a damn good back.”
If Booker is hellbent on rubbing the Broncos’ nose in their mistake, he does a good job of hiding it.
“It was very frustrating, in a way. But I can only control what I can control. I can only say so much,” Booker said. “Everybody wants to play their ex-team, but for me it’s just another game and I’ve just got to go out and we’ve just got to execute and come out with a win.”
T he Raiders discovered during training camp Booker was what they term a “three-phase player” in that he could run the ball, protect the passer and catch the ball out of the backfield. Coach Jon Gruden went to running backs coach Kirby Wilson in September to find ways to involve Booker more often.
The conversation was relayed to Booker by Wilson, which he appreciated after hearing virtually nothing from the Broncos about his workload.
Booker says he’s thankful for the chance to “show everybody that I can play and contribute. It’s never gone unnoticed here.”
He has also enjoyed an environment unlike anything he experienced in Denver.
“There’s just something different about our room,” Booker said of his position group. “I was talking with Theo Riddick, he came from Detroit, and we were talking about how it was just completely different — the opposite of how we are. He’s never been around anything like it, and I feel the same way.”
Booker said he got a positive vibe from his first meeting with the Raiders.
“I just felt like they had something special here,” Booker said. “It was a good opportunity for me to come in, work my butt off and get some carries. I thought we could do something big and I wanted to be a part of it.” LITTLETON ON COVID-19 LIST >> Linebacker Cory Littleton missed practice and was placed on the COVID-19 reserve, meaning he he’ll likely miss the Raiders’
Week 10 home game against the Denver Broncos.
Players placed on the COVID-19 list either tested positive for the coronavirus or were in “close contact” with someone who is infected. In theory, if Littleton has been in contact with someone with the virus, he could be available Sunday with continuous testing.
If Littleton tested positive, he’s out for at least 10 days even without symptoms.
Littleton, 27, has struggled in his first season with the Raiders after signing a three-year contract worth a maximum of $36 million. But he is the team’s leading tackler with 48 and has played all 527 snaps on defense.
With Littleton out, the Raiders get additional snaps from Nicholas Morrow and Kyle Wilber to go along with starting middle linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski. The other linebacker on the roster, Raekwon McMillan, is primarily an inside player and had just one snap against the Chargers.
Littleton is the 10th current Raiders player to be on the COVID-19 reserve list since training camp began, joining Booker, Maxx Crosby, Maurice Hurst, Damon Arnette, Trent Brown, Kolton Miller, Rodney Hudson, Denzelle Good and Johnathan Abram.
Miller, Hudson, Good and Abram were all in the list because of being in close contact with Brown, who contracted the virus and has gone on the list a second time because of complications from the effects of the illness.
THE INFIRMARY >> Cornerba ck T ray von Mu l len ( hamstring) returned to practice and was limited after being out Wednesday. Arnette practiced but there was no indication whether he’ll play against Denver after being out since Week 3 following thumb surgery.
• Players who missed practice were Miller and Hurst. If Miller were to miss a second consecutive game, Brandon Parker would get a second straight start at left tackle.