Can Goodson carry load as a backup RB?

NAPA -- Officially, he's listed as the third running back on the Raiders' depth chart.Realistically, Mike Goodson got the lion's share of the carries in Monday's practice, and while he was not run ragged, he was run, well, a lot. Not that he's complaining, mind you.RELATED: Raiders release first training camp depth chart
Because with Darren McFadden's injury history and Taiwan Jones nursing a sore hamstring and sitting out practice Monday, Goodson realizes the spotlight could very well fall on him. Even as a sore hamstring kept him from finishing a practice last week."Yeah, it just kind of got tight on me but ever since we worked it, got in the cold tub, stretched it out, been pretty good," he said recently. "I've just been enjoying it, man, working with the guys. Everybody's working hard, trying to become a great team."The Raiders offense revolves around McFadden and while Jones and Goodson seemingly have similar games, they are diverse enough to present matchup issues."They just bring different things to the table," said fullback Marcel Reece. "Mike is very quick, very elusive. He brings more experience to the table and he's just another hard-nosed guy that we have in our room and I think we're all pretty much made up like that and just grind it out.RELATED: Mike Goodson career stats2011 game logsNews
"We expect anybody that's coming here is going to be fast, going to be quick, going to be a smart guy, going to be able to do pretty much everything. Catch the ball, catch the ball out of the backfield, catch the ball split out wide. He can do anything. We pretty much expected it and he fit right in with the group."Goodson was acquired in a March 30 trade with Carolina for offensive lineman Bruce Campbell.Two years ago, with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart injured, Goodson caught 40 passes for 310 yards and rushed for 452 yards and three TDs on 103 carries. A hamstring injury and illness last season, though, limited him to four games.All of which is why he welcomed the trade to Oakland."I just like the whole thing of just being a Raiderthe mystique of being a Raider," Goodson said. "I like the offense. (Coordinator Greg) Knapp's got us running, man, the one-cut-and-go, man, I love it. As a guy with speed, you can make cuts and just get up the field and run."He's shown flashes in team drills, bursting up the left sideline for a sizable gain with the help of a crushing block from fullback Manase Tonga this past weekend.And the way Goodson sees it, the offense does not change much when he's in the backfield rather than McFadden, or Jones."You just kind of make it work to your skill set," Goodson said."I think we're all kind of unique. I like to catch the ball out of the backfield a lot. I think Darren, man, he's just an athlete. He can catch the ball, he can run between the tackles, he can do it all. I think everybody brings their own unique thing to the game."And Jones, what does he bring?"Lightning speed," Goodson said with a smile. "He is fast. You see him run, it's like, shoo, shoo, shooF-A-S-T."Of course, Goodson has own brand of speed. One he cannot wait to unleash Monday in the Raiders' preseason opener against Dallas."Yeah," he smiled, "get out here in this black and silver and just run."