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Ever since Josh Jacobs was drafted by the Raiders, he has made it known that he loves the franchise. Not only has he talked about it, but he proved it by playing through a fractured shoulder for most of last season. This offseason, he decided to take it a step further and tattooed the Raiders logo on his arm.
That’s a pretty big move to honor the franchise. It’s very rare for a running back to retire with the franchise that he started with. Jacobs is obviously hoping to be the exception based on his tattoo selection. Also, he’s not the only 2019 rookie who has decided to get some permanent Raider ink. 2019 fourth overall pick Clelin Ferrell also showed off his tattoo, as well.
Is Jacobs the Next Great Raider Running Back?
Since the days of Marcus Allen, the Raiders have yet to find a consistent starter at running back. Charlie Garner, Darren McFadden, Latavius Murray and many others have had briefs stints as starting rushers for the team, but nobody has been a consistent star like Allen was.
Based on his rookie year, it looks like Jacobs has a really good shot at being one of the great Raider running backs. He was the first rookie for the team to rush for over 1,000 yards and he did so in only 13 games played. Not only was the best rookie running back last season, but he was also among the best rushers in the league last season.
Jacobs would only need seven more seasons like his rookie year to challenge Allen as the all-time leading rusher for the Raiders. He’s still got a long way to go, but Jacobs could be the best running back the team has had in decades.
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What to Expect From Jacobs in 2020?
The most important thing that Jacobs will need to do in 2020 is to stay healthy. When he was on the field, he was close to unstoppable for the team. It’s no secret Jon Gruden loves to run the football and Jacobs helped make the offense thrive. When he wasn’t in the game, the offense stalled. He proved his toughness by playing through a fractured shoulder for a few games, but even he couldn’t handle the pain towards the end.
The only knock on Jacobs’ game last season is that he didn’t make much of an impact in the passing game. Much was made of his ability as a pass-catcher when he was drafted, but he didn’t get a lot of opportunity in 2019. This was probably due to the fact that he was a big part of the Raider offense from day one. Perhaps Gruden and company didn’t want to make him do too much as a rookie. That should change in 2020 as it seems like a waste of his talent to not get him more involved in the passing game. He’s got a really good chance to accumulate over 1,500 all-purpose yards this season.
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