Reigning NFL rushing champion Josh Jacobs and the Las Vegas Raiders find themselves in a contract stalemate with just a few days to go before the deadline for him to sign an extension.
Jacobs, 25, saw the franchise tag placed on him back in March. Said tag is worth $10.09 million for the 2023 season. The former first-round pick has yet to sign the tender and will be a hold out from training camp later this month unless he comes to terms with the Raiders on an extension ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Coming off a career-best performance, the former Alabama star has been pretty active on social media during the offseason. It’s clear that he wants a new contract that will give him some long-term security in the form of guaranteed cash. It does not look like that will come to fruition.
There are several reasons why the Raiders need to bite the bullet and hand Jacobs an extension. However, there are also several reasons why general manager Dave Ziegler and Co. have to seriously consider a trade over the weekend. Here’s why.
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Josh Jacobs does not have a long-term future with the Las Vegas Raiders
This is the most obvious indicator. Vegas’ brass did not pick up the fifth-year option on Jacobs’ contract during the 2022 offseason. It was the first major decision Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels made after being hired from the New England Patriots.
“(Saquon) Barkley getting a deal could make it more likely that Jacobs gets one, too. But McDaniels has engaged in a lot of roster turnover since he got to Vegas, indicating that he didn’t love what was in place before he got there. I would not be at all surprised to see the Raiders go with Option 3 on Jacobs and do nothing.”
Dan Graziano on Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs
Now that it’s increasingly unlikely Barkley will get a new deal from the New York Giants ahead of Monday’s deadline, the Jacobs’ situation is not on good footing. Graziano is also right in that the Raiders have engaged in wholesale roster turnovers since the firings of former head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock. In short, the tag could be a mere one-year band-aid for the Raiders.
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Las Vegas Raiders long-term plans and the running back dynamic
We are currently witnessing one of the worst markets for running backs in the history of the NFL. That’s why Jacobs joins the likes of Barkley and Dallas Cowboys star Tony Pollard in having the tag placed on him this past spring. It’s also why the likes of Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott remain on the NFL free agent market.
Let’s be realistic here. The Raiders are not going to contend with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West this coming season. Based on their issues on both sides of the ball, it would be a surprise if the Raiders competed for a playoff spot.
Why pay out what would likely be well north of $12 million annually on a running back when short-term contention is not going to be the name of the game? That would obviously have an impact on roster building and run contrary to the dynamics around the league relating to running backs today.
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Raiders have cheaper internal options, both internal and external
Recent draft picks Zamir White and Brittan Brown are options to help shoulder the load in case of a Jacobs trade. While both are unproven, they offer cheaper options with a combined cap hit of less than $2 million. Veterans Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden could also fit into the equation.
As we noted above, there are also cheaper options at running back on the free agent market. Let’s look at Dalvin Cook as an example. His track record stands above Jacobs over the years. He’s also going to have to settle for well less than $10 million annually on the open market given how things have played out.
- Dalvin Cook stats (2019-22): 5,024 rushing yards, 1,399 receiving yards, 6,423 total yards, 46 TD
- Josh Jacobs stats (2019-22): 4,740 rushing yards, 1,152 receiving yards, 5,892 total yards, 38 TD
As you can see, Jacobs and Cook have put up similar performances since the former came to the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft. Cook is just over two years older than his counterpart and is coming off a near 1,500-yard season in Minnesota. Just some food for thought.