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Heading into the draft, there was some chatter that the Las Vegas Raiders were shopping Gabe Jackson. Thanks to his big contract, they were willing to give him up for a pretty low price. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, no team was willing to take on the offensive guard’s contract:
“All the while, they were shopping Jackson for a mid- to late-round pick, according to league sources. No team bit. Not at that salary, when it seems like there is a pretty good chance the Raiders cut him before June 1. That’s when Jackson’s money is guaranteed.”
Jackson is the long-tenured offensive lineman for the Raiders and has been a consistent starter since he was drafted in 2014. He’s also been one of their better offensive linemen and was rewarded for his strong play in 2017. Unfortunately, the previous regime gave him the contract and while the Raiders like him as a player, he may not be worth the huge price tag.
Mike Mayock Addresses Rumors
A lot of moves Las Vegas has made this offseason have pointed to a potential divorce between the team and Jackson. However, general manager Mike Mayock is trying to play it off like the guard is the team’s future plans.
“He’s our starting right guard,” Mayock said in a post-draft conference call. “We signed Kush and Devey, and those guys play all three internal positions. They’re inside guys. I think Gabe Jackson is our starting right guard. That’s exactly what it says.”
As Tafur pointed out, there’s a good shot Jackson gets the axe before June 1 because of his guaranteed money. Mayock won’t let the cat out of the bag in case there’s any shot they can trade him before that date. The possibility that Jackson does stick around is also still there. He’s one of the better guards in the NFL and while Denzelle Good played well in relief of Jackson last season, he’s simply not at the same level.
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Is John Simpson Jackson’s Eventual Replacement?
The biggest sign the Raiders might be ready to part ways with Jackson is that they decided to draft John Simpson out of Clemson in the fourth round.
“We really wanted to get John Simpson. He was actually on our board for [day two] and depending on how the board went, we would have taken him in the third round. But we felt like he was going to go quickly so we were able to use that fifth-round pick to move up and get him. He’s a competitive, tough and smart kid and we are thrilled with the way day three of the draft went,” Mayock said.
Simpson’s got a ton of upside and drafting players from Clemson has worked out very well for the Raiders recently.
“To know that I’m going to the Raiders and joining my teammates is huge. All of those guys are like brothers to me and it’s a bond that you can’t break,” Simpson said.
The Raiders are in a position to where they could let Jackson go, start Good for a year and then in 2021, Simpson could be ready to take over the spot. It would definitely be a lot cheaper for the team.
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