After dominating on the ground last week in Cleveland, to the tune of 208 yards, the Raiders have called up reinforcements. They didn’t just elevate running back Theo Riddick from the practice squad, they signed him to the roster.
The roster spot opened up with tackle Trent Brown heading back to the reserve/COVID-19 list after reportedly experiencing complications from the virus.
Riddick had appeared in one game this season, with two carries for 13 yards. It’s possible teams were sniffing around looking to sign him off of the Raiders’ practice squad. They could certainly protect him from being stolen away, but that protection ends after the game until Tuesday each week. That’s how they had cornerback Dylan Mabin signed away by the Vikings this week.
The 29-year-old Riddick is a seven-year NFL veteran, spending the first six seasons of his career in Detroit. He has been mostly a receiver out of the backfield in his career, amassing 2238 yards on 285 catches with 14 touchdowns. He also has 1036 yards rushing with five touchdowns in his career.
He becomes the fifth running back on the roster. The others are Josh Jacobs, Devontae Booker, Jalen Richard, and fullback Alec Ingold.