Maurice

Jones-Drew

Schefter cautions that a deal is “still not final,” but this story has since been confirmed by CSN Bay Area’s Scott Bair and NFL Network’s Albert Breer. Although it’ll be a “three-year” contract on the surface, the Raiders have been structuring deals to essentially make them one-year commitments. Jones-Drew turned 29 last weekend, and may not have three years left in the tank.

Per reporter Scott Bair, “all signs” are pointing toward a deal. That was the expectation after MJD arrived in Oakland Thursday afternoon. If you ignore the fact that a 29-year-old running back is one of the last things a rebuilding team needs, MJD fills the Raiders’ need for a competent bookend to fragile No. 1 Darren McFadden. Jones-Drew is on the downslope, but didn’t embarrass himself in 2013. He did, however, average a career-worst 3.4 yards per carry.

According to FOX Sports, the sides are “hoping to close a deal quickly.” To date, MJD has only visited the Steelers, but the New York Daily News reported earlier this week that the Jets are “in the hunt.” Jones-Drew would provide a declining bookend to a fragile Darren McFadden in Oakland. The rebuilding Jags let the veteran runner walk, but the rebuilding Raiders can’t stop adding players who are past their prime.

This is a tough one. MJD was a shell of his former self the past two seasons, but retires as one of the best runners of his generation, and as a fantasy football hall-of-famer. A diminutive 5-foot-7, 210 pounds, MJD ran with the power of a bull during his prime, and was one of the game’s best pass-catching backs. Even despite his rough 2013-14 seasons, Jones-Drew heads into retirement the owner of a career 4.4 YPC. He scored 79 touchdowns across 126 games. Already a dabbler in the media, MJD should be sticking around on television and radio.

The Raiders signed Maurice Jones-Drew to a three-year, $7.5 million deal, making him the favorite for lead-back duties ahead of Darren McFadden. DMC is the more talented runner at this stage of their respective careers, but he’s obviously a massive injury risk. The Raiders upgraded their line by adding power blockers LT Penn and RG Austin Howard. They may want to run the ball at will, but an insanely tough schedule may prevent them from doing so at a high clip.

It’s understandable that the Raiders are looking to get a bang for their MJD buck ($1.2 million guaranteed), but having an aging, increasingly injury prone 5-foot-7 back return punts seems like a disaster waiting to happen. To put it mildly, MJD was sluggish in the open field last season. We’ll just assume Allen was thinking out loud, and not seriously considering using MJD on special teams.

Jones-Drew averaged a career-worst 3.4 YPC in 2013. He remained somewhat effective between the tackles, but obviously lacked a second gear on the rare occasions Jacksonville’s blocking sprung him into the open field. “For awhile, I was contemplating retirement because I just didn’t feel like I had it anymore,” Jones-Drew conceded. "... I watched the game tape and I’d say, ‘Man, why’d I do this? Why didn’t I do that?’ Part of it was, just physically, I wasn’t able to do some of the same things I’m used to doing.” MJD insists he’s in better shape now and can rebound with the Raiders. The odds are firmly against him at age 29.

The only guaranteed portion is Jones-Drew’s 2014 base salary of $1.2 million. There was no signing bonus, and MJD could be released next offseason with no ramification on the Raiders’ cap. It’s telling that Jones-Drew couldn’t do better than this on the market. Oakland now has him “locked up” through age 31.

Jones-Drew played at 205 during his time at UCLA. His desire to get back around that mark shows an understanding that he wasn’t explosive enough last season while averaging a paltry 3.43 YPC. Aging running backs cutting weight is one of the best ways to put a little juice back in the tank. Jones-Drew has a realistic shot to beat out Darren McFadden for the starting title in training camp.

Darren McFadden may have the upper hand as the incumbent, but Jones-Drew has a real shot to open the season as the starter. With both Jones-Drew and McFadden’s injury histories, is it also not out of the question that Latavius Murray gets a starting opportunity at some point in 2014. The Oakland backfield is shaping up to be a fantasy quagmire.