What does the future hold for Josh Jacobs?
In his first full off-season with the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Josh McDaniels has continued to set about making the team his own.
This offseason, he has already added Jimmy Garoppolo and Jakobi Meyers, and moved on from Derek Carr and Darren Waller.
These moves come as a continuation of the big changes to the roster which he initiated last year, when he added a bunch of former Patriots in Brandon Bolden, Chandler Jones and Jakob Johnson.
But one long-serving Raider who McDaniels seems keen to retain is NFL rushing leader Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs earned first-team All-Pro honours in 2022 as he led the league with 1,653 yards rushing and recorded 12 touchdowns during Vegas’ underwhelming 6-11 season, leading the Raiders to slap a $10.1 million franchise tag on the 25-year-old.
However, Jacobs was not present at the Silver and Black’s preseason training on Monday earlier this week.
Contract disputes
Jacobs missing the first day of voluntary team workouts comes much less of a surprise considering he has yet to sign his franchise tender, and there is no current reason to believe the running back will be making an appearance at the team facility anytime soon.
Earlier this offseason, Jacobs made clear that he did not wish to be tagged, telling PFT Live: “If (the Raiders) want me to come back and be the hero, (they’re) going to have to pay me like a hero.”
The leading rusher, like many other running backs who have been in his position, is keen to land a long-term deal as he heads into his fifth year in the NFL. However, the former first-round pick has admitted he would be prepared to make an exception in special circumstances.
“I wouldn’t mind if they got the right guys in the building around us. If they got some guys on defence, figure out the quarterback situation, got some guys up front.
“Then I would be like, ‘OK, I really wouldn’t mind coming back on the franchise tag.”
The Raiders have already added Jimmy Garoppolo on a three-year deal, linebacker Robert Spillane and safety Marcus Epps.
But with the team still rumoured to be in the quarterback market, and desperately in need of leaders on the defence and o-line, Vegas will likely have to wait until after the draft later this month to find out whether Jacobs will sign his tender, in which the Raiders own the 7th overall pick.
Trouble in Vegas
The decision to franchise tag Jacobs is not the only one which the former Alabama running back has had a lot to say about. Earlier this offseason, Vegas traded 2020 pro bowl tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants for a third-round pick, prompting Jacobs to tweet an explicit three-word response.
This has been just one of a number of cryptic tweets made by Jacobs, leading to a lot of speculation and uncertainty.
But one thing seems certain – as it stands, Jacobs is not pleased with the Raiders management.
Relationship with the coaching staff
The McDaniels era in Vegas did not get off to a good start in 2022, as the team finished third in the AFC West despite having been considered super bowl contenders when the season began.
But above all others on the roster, Jacobs may have had the worst transition into McDaniels team. During the 2022 offseason, the Raiders staff, headed by Dave Ziegler, declined the running back’s fifth-year option.
To worsen matters, Ziegler’s staff played the standout in the Hall of Fame Game, suggesting his place in the team was not a sure thing despite having surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards for a third consecutive time in 2021.
For Jacobs, who himself admitted that being started in the first preseason game was frustrating, the lack of confidence in him expressed by the coaching staff has to be puzzling as he continues to improve year on year.
Jacobs has claimed he wants to be a Raider for life, but he will need a much bigger commitment from the coaches around him if that is to happen.
Future with the Raiders?
With only one first round pick in the 2023 draft, and having made surprisingly few additions in free agency, the Raiders will need to hit on a number of late picks to appease Jacobs and have him sign the franchise tag.
But even if the Raiders can overcome their past drafting woes, of which Jacobs has been one of the few successful selections, it might not be enough to convince the star that Vegas can compete with the likes of Kansas City and the Chargers without established players signing their names to the dotted line.
As the Raiders try to rebuild after moving on from Derek Carr and considering the mentality of many NFL GM’s who see running backs as easily replaceable, giving Jacobs a hefty long-term deal does not completely make sense for the team, as much as he may deserve it.
Trading Jacobs for draft capital may not be off the table – especially if Vegas wishes to move up the board for a top quarterback prospect in CJ Stroud or perhaps believe Texas star back Bijan Robinson to be their guy at seven.
