Getty Josh Jacobs runs the ball in a Las Vegas Raiders game.
The Buffalo Bills have made upgrading their backfield a priority this offseason, bringing on a pair of power running backs to help offset the loss of last year’s No. 1, Devin Singletary.
One insider believes the Bills could swing for a more massive upgrade, targeting Las Vegas Raiders back Josh Jacobs in what would be a blockbuster deal. Mike Fisher of SI.com’s Bills Central noted that the Bills have already been in the market for a star running back last season when they looked into a trade for Christian McCaffrey, and could pull it off this year by shipping away promising young back James Cook in exchange for Jacobs.
Bills Could Seize NFL Rushing Leader
As Fisher noted, the Raiders appear to be a team in transition after the departure of Derek Carr and Darren Waller and rumors that star wide receiver Davante Adams could be next. If the Raiders should move fully into a rebuild mode, then All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs could be an attractive trade piece.
Fisher noted that the Bills could hold pat with their current backfield, giving a bigger role to second-year back James Cook alongside free-agency acquisitions Latavius Murray and Damien Harris. But the possibility of adding Jacobs could be too good an opportunity to pass up, Fisher added.
“The Bills are on-record as not planning on making an expensive-splash move. But in 2022 they did at least take the temperature of the Christian McCaffrey idea before he was traded ahead of the deadline to San Francisco,” Fisher wrote.
Only ONE RB had over 300 carries & over 50 targets in 2022…
Josh Jacobs
Can he do it again in 2023?
#RaidersNation
“What’s the Bills temperature now with Jacobs? The likelihood of an upgrade is inarguable; he’s an every-down back who would star in this Josh Allen-led offense.”
Fisher noted that it would likely take a combination of Cook and draft picks to land Jacobs, and the cost could be very high for the Bills. Jacobs is coming off a season where he rushed for a league-best 1,653 yards with 12 touchdowns while adding another 53 catches for 400 yards.
Others See Trade Possibilities for Josh Jacobs
Fisher is not the first to suggest that the Bills could trade for Jacobs. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports pegged the Bills as a contender for Jacobs if the Raiders decide to look for a trade. Benjamin noted that Jacobs has some contract uncertainty in Las Vegas, playing under the franchise tag but with no progress toward a long-term deal.
“Technically he’s locked in for 2023 under the franchise tag, but that doesn’t mean the Raiders wouldn’t field — or solicit — interest in the event a future long-term deal is unlikely,” Benjamin wrote. “Coach Josh McDaniels, remember, hails from the Patriots system that deploys multiple backs, even if he did lean heavily on Jacobs in 2022. And the veteran teased dissatisfaction with the current regime after Darren Waller’s exit this offseason. Moving the 25-year-old workhorse would instantly save Vegas.”
As The Athletic’s Vic Tafur noted, Jacobs had not signed his franchise tag tender and did not report to the team’s optional offseason workouts. The team has until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with Jacobs.