COMMENTARY | You can call him Darren McFragile or even Darren McFracture.
Either way, Oakland Raiders star running back Darren McFadden has earned the reputation of being one of the most injury-plagued running backs in the NFL.
McFadden has spent five years in the league and has failed to play in more than 13 games in any season.
When healthy, McFadden is one of the most electrifying running backs in the NFL.
Let me emphasize the when healthy part.
The problem is he can never stay healthy.
As McFadden enters the final year of his contract, the Raiders must make a decision on whether he deserves a long-term deal after 2013.
McFadden is expected to take a cap hit of nearly $10 million next season. That sure is a lot of money for a player who can barely finish three-fourths of a season.
With general manager Reggie McKenzie searching to free up some cash before next season begins, McFadden's inability to stay healthy should persuade him into exploring a trade for the injury-prone running back.
Oakland could easily get a second-round and possibly another third-round pick for McFadden, which would be huge for the Raiders since they currently don't have a second-rounder.
If McFadden does get dealt, it's not like Oakland would be left cold in the backfield. Marcel Reece was a stud in McFadden's absence last season as he averaged 4.6 yards per carry and was just as dangerous catching the football.
He was also the only Raider to make the Pro Bowl in 2012.
Reece is only making $1.4 million next season, and he's proven he can stay healthy for an entire season.
McKenzie can get solid production and sustainability at one-seventh of the cost for Reece than he can for McFadden.
Not a bad price for a general manager who is still left to clean the remnants of a financial disaster left behind by Al Davis.
DMC has been a class-act in Oakland, and his ability to baffle opposing defenses had given the Raiders' hope that they had finally found a long-term running back.
Unfortunately, McFadden's body is made of glass.
It just isn't worth it to pay a guy $10 million when he can't even give you more than 13 games a season.
Steven Slivka is a Featured Columnist for the Oakland Raiders. You can follow him on Twitter @stevenslivka.
