Getty Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs.
The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have plans to use the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs, which could mean that he’ll be free to test free agency if the two sides don’t agree on a long-term deal soon. It doesn’t appear the team has plans to give him a contract before free agency.
There are plenty of teams with needs at running back Jacobs has to be among the most appealing. He led the NFL with 1,652 rushing yards in 2022 and is only 26. He also hasn’t dealt with any catastrophic injury issues. While the Raiders could certainly bring him back, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report is predicting Jacobs to sign with the Dallas Cowboys on a three-year, $30 million contract.
“A team like the Dallas Cowboys could be interested in making Jacobs an offer that the Raiders won’t match. Dallas didn’t get the desired results from Pollard in 2023, and Jacobs is exactly the sort of dual-threat, every-down playmaker that the Cowboys had during the prime years of Ezekiel Elliott’s career,” Knox wrote in a February 28 column.
“And while Dallas is facing a $3.2 million cap deficit, it has paths to creating cap space quickly. Extensions for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb could lower their 2024 numbers, and releasing Michael Gallup with a post-June 1 designation would save $9.5 million in cap space. The Raiders likely saw enough from Zamir White late in 2023 that they won’t overpay to keep Jacobs.”
Tony Pollard is a free agent so the Cowboys have a need at running back. Jacobs would certainly bring a lot of juice to the Dallas offense. This is a move that’s very possible if the Raiders decide not to re-sign the running back.
Josh Jacobs Among Top RBs in Free Agency
There are a number of well-regarded running backs hitting free agency this offseason, including Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and more. While there are plentiful options for running back needy teams, it looks like two options are standing out among the rest.
According to a March 5 X post from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Jacobs and Barkley are the clear top-two options in free agency.
Based on talks with different teams, Jacobs & Barkley sit at the top of FA RB lists, followed by the next wave of backs like Henry, Swift and Pollard. That said, some rather pay 2nd tier players around $6 million rather than $10 million-plus to Jacobs and Barkley. Let’s see.
It sounds like there are teams eyeing Jacobs so the Raiders will face competition if they want to re-sign him.
Las Vegas Raiders Want to Use Multiple Backs
A big reason why the Raiders might not bring back Josh Jacobs is due to their plans at running back. General manager Tom Telesco recently made it clear that he’d prefer the team to utilize multiple running backs and not be so reliant on one player.
“The way we’re going to play, and the way a lot of teams play, is you need more than one back,” Telesco said in his February 27 press conference. “I don’t really see a lead-back type thing. You’ve got to have more than one. You need to have two; you need to have three. They all have different roles with the team. The way this game is played, it’s hard to put that all on one person.”
It doesn’t make sense to spend big money on Jacobs if the team plans to lighten his workload but he’s good enough to potentially alter their plans.