Getty Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs.
Based on how Josh Jacobs played when he was healthy last year, it hard to imagine him getting any better. However, the Las Vegas Raiders running back didn’t think his season was all that great. When asked to grade his first year, Jacobs gave himself a “B”. He went on to explain why he wouldn’t give himself an “A”.
“It’s a lot of yards that I feel like I left on the table,” Jacobs told the media on Wednesday. “It’s a lot of plays that I feel I should’ve and could’ve done more that I didn’t necessarily know how to do it the correct way.”
If Jacobs truly feels like he left a lot on the table, there’s no telling just how many yards he could get this year. He was a stud and already established himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL. He could go from young star to full-fledged superstar this year.
Jacobs Reveals Receiving Goal
The only area that Jacobs didn’t really impress that much was the receiving game. It was a bit of a surprise he wasn’t more involved last year as he was a very strong receiver at Alabama. That shouldn’t be the case this year and jacobs revealed that he plans to catch a lot of balls in 2020.
“I’ve kind of established the run aspect of my game,” Jacobs said. “I feel like I want to improve that even more, but also blocking, I want to put some of that on film. Also, catching. I want to catch at least 60 balls this year.”
60 sounds like a lot but the best receiving running backs usually get over 80 catches. In fact, Jalen Richard had 68 catches in 2018. That said, 60 catches would be a really good start for Jacobs. He revealed that he’s been trying to expand his skill set this offseason.
“I worked on a lot of things that receivers do, not necessarily just running back routes,” Jacobs said. “Whether it’s getting off the line, or how to stack on top once you get vertical and things like that. I’ve just been working on all the technical things that receivers do and just trying to implement that into my own style and bring what I can to the table.”
There are reports that Jon Gruden is not happy that Jacobs was snubbed for Offensive Rookie of the Year last season and he plans to prove everybody wrong. The young running back is going to get a ton of looks in 2020.
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Jacobs Addresses Injury
Everybody knows that Jacobs is a baller and is among the most talented runners in the NFL. However, his injury issues are a big concern. He got banged up a lot in college and had to miss some games during his rookie year. Luckily, Jacobs said that he’s feeling healthy now.
“I don’t feel the shoulder at all,” he said. “I’ve been doing heavy reps all summer, multiple reps, and I haven’t felt it at all. So for the most part, this is the best my body has felt. I’m lighter than I was last year, so I feel pretty strong.”
If Jacobs can stay healthy, he’s going to be in for a massive year. The Raiders have more talent on offense to help take the focus off him and they have an elite offensive line. Don’t be surprised if Jacobs gets close to 2,000 all-purpose this year.
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