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The Las Vegas Raiders are nearing a point where they will need to make a decision on running back Josh Jacobs. The team used the franchise tag on the 2022 Pro Bowler, but he has yet to sign the tender. He has until July 17 to reach a long-term deal with Las Vegas or he’s going to have to wait until 2024 to reopen contract negotiations.
If the two sides aren’t going to come to a long-term deal this offseason, Jacobs can either choose to play on the franchise tag tender, or the team can rescind it and allow him to test free agency. While the latter option is unlikely, Cody Benjamin pitched a scenario in a June 19 column for CBS Sports that would see Jacobs hit free agency and sign a three-year, $39 million contract with the Denver Broncos.
“We doubt the Raiders would prefer to trade their franchise player inside the division, but Denver’s new coach, Sean Payton, gushed about Jacobs earlier this offseason, paid decent money for starting RBs in New Orleans, and could use downhill insurance as Javonte Williams returns from injury, with newcomer Samaje Perine better suited for No. 2 duties,” Benjamin wrote. “Las Vegas could simply rescind the franchise tag if it knows Jacobs is committed to netting a bigger deal elsewhere, allowing the Raiders’ quasi-Patriots regime to save an instant $10M and revert to a RB-by-committee approach.”
What Sean Payton Said About Josh Jacobs
Javonte Williams impressed the Broncos during his rookie year in 2021 when he rushed for 903 yards and four touchdowns. Expectations were high for him in 2022, but he was limited to just four games after suffering tears to the ACL, LCL and posterolateral corner. Sean Payton is new to the team this year and has no allegiance to players from the previous coaching staff.
Josh Jacobs was the NFL’s leading rusher last year with 1,653 yards and could be the focal point for a Broncos offense that finished 21st in the league with 113.8 rushing yards per game last season. Payton even hinted after he took the head coaching job that he would have some interest in Jacobs.
“He was outstanding this year,” Payton said on a February 9 episode of “Up & Adams.” “A downhill, physical runner. For a team that wasn’t necessarily always having success, he was always consistently playing well. I’m glad he’s a free agent. I encourage everyone to look at him, get him out of the [AFC] West.
“Maybe we look at him.”
Why Wouldn’t the Las Vegas Raiders Trade Josh Jacobs Instead?
Players on the franchise tag can be traded. Just last year, the Raiders traded a first and second-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for star wide receiver Davante Adams while he was on the franchise tag. Now, star wide receivers have proven to be more valuable than running backs on the open market in recent years. The Raiders wouldn’t be looking at a huge haul if they traded Jacobs.
That said, he does have value. As noted previously, he led the NFL in rushing last year. He’s also just 25 years old. In a June 15 column for Bleacher Report, Maurice Moton stated that Jacobs would be worth at least a second-round pick in a trade. If the Raiders decided to go the route of trading him, they would likely be able to find some value considering teams wouldn’t have to take on a long-term contract that has already been signed.
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