Getty Las Vegas Raiders GM Dave Ziegler.
While Saquon Barkley was able to come to an agreement with the New York Giants to avoid a holdout, Josh Jacobs is still away from the Las Vegas Raiders as training camp starts. The two sides can’t negotiate a long-term deal until after the 2023 season so his only option if he hopes to make the $10.1 million the franchise tag guarantees him is to play.
If Jacobs and the Raiders decide it’s best for both sides to move on, the options are for the team to rescind the franchise tag or to trade him. In a July 26 column for Bleacher Report, Maurice Moton listed five teams that should have an interest in trading for the running backs, starting with the Buffalo Bills.
“Because Jacobs cannot sign a multiyear contract until the offseason, the Bills can acquire him in a sign-and-trade scenario, adding the 2022 rushing champion on a one-year, $10.1 million deal or a modified contract with incentives and signing bonus similar to Barkley’s deal with the Giants,” Moton wrote.
“Buffalo can restructure left tackle Dion Dawkins’ contract to save $6.4 million, which would create room for Jacobs’ salary.”
The Bills haven’t had a running back eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season since LeSean McCoy ran for 1,138 in 2017. Jacobs has broken 1,000 rushing yards in three of his four seasons, including leading the NFL with 1,653 last season. According to BetMGM, Buffalo has the third-best odds in the NFL to win the Super Bowl. Adding a star running back would only help their chances. A 2024 third-round pick would likely be enough to get Jacobs from the Raiders considering that’s all they took back from their previous trade of Darren Waller to the Giants.
Josh Jacobs Has No Plans to Come to Training Camp
The Giants don’t have to worry about an extensive Saquon Barkley holdout but it’s looking like the Raiders won’t see Josh Jacobs for a while. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported in a July 24 tweet that the star running back was seen leaving Las Vegas and “doesn’t plan to return anytime soon.”
#Raiders RB Josh Jacobs, who hasn’t signed his franchise tender, was spotted this morning boarding a flight leaving Las Vegas.
Jacobs won’t report for training camp Tuesday and has told people close to him that he doesn’t plan to return anytime soon.
It remains to be seen if he would accept the same offer that the Giants gave Barkley from the Raiders. Jacobs isn’t a quarterback so his involvement in training camp isn’t as important as other positions. If he stays in shape, he should be ready to hit the ground running if he decides to join the team before Week 1 of the 2023 season.
Maxx Crosby Addresses Josh Jacobs’ Absence
Defensive end Maxx Crosby was part of the same 2019 NFL draft class that Josh Jacobs was. The two have formed a close friendship over the years and Crosby was with the running back when he got the news he wasn’t getting a long-term deal. While Crosby does support Jacobs getting paid, he knows that the running back can take care of himself.
“Josh is a grown man,” Crosby said in his July 26 press conference. “He’s got to do what’s best for him. … I want everyone to get paid.”
Jacobs has become a leader on the team and was a team captain last season. His absence will linger over the Raiders until he returns to the football field.