Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs.
One of the biggest decisions the Las Vegas Raiders made this offseason was not signing running back Josh Jacobs to a new contract. The former first-round pick has been the lead back for the team for five seasons and led the NFL in rushing yards just two seasons ago.
Jacobs decided to sign a four-year contract with the Green Bay Packers and doesn’t appear to regret the move. He hasn’t spoken too much about why he didn’t re-sign with the Raiders but he finally opened up about what went down.
“I never talked to the GM or none of that,” Jacobs said on the June 6 episode of the “Green Light with Chris Long” podcast. “It just was what it was. At the end of the day, I told them, ‘Look, I’ve got every Raider record since I’ve been here, basically.’ And I’m like, ‘If y’all don’t have enough respect in me to sit me down and have a conversation, then we don’t have anything to talk about.’ It’s that simple, really.”
Raiders hired Tom Telesco as general manager this offseason and he had a heavy workload as he was learning his new team. However, it’s certainly odd that he wouldn’t at least touch base with Jacobs considering his contract situation. Telesco doesn’t have a track record of paying running backs so he may have not been interested in giving the running back a new contract.
Will Las Vegas Raiders Regret Losing Josh Jacobs?
Jacobs is one of the top running backs in the NFL and hasn’t rushed for fewer than 800 yards in a season. He’s also never missed more than four games in a season so he should still have several years left of being a top running back.
With defensive linemen getting smaller and defenses using lighter boxes, running backs are becoming valuable again. Jacobs was also a team captain and beloved member of the Raiders. Whether or not the team regrets letting Jacobs walk will come down to how they replace him.
Zamir White started the final four games of last season in replacement of an injured Jacobs. He rushed for 397 yards in those four starts and the team went 3-1. If White can build off last season, the Raiders won’t miss Jacobs too much.
Zamir White Talks Finish to Last Season
White isn’t guaranteed to be the Raiders’ starting running back next season but he’s certainly the favorite. Luckily, he knows that his performance at the end of last season doesn’t guarantee anything.
“That built up a lot of confidence moving into this year,” White said of his performance over the last four games during his May 29 media availability. “But last year was last year. We’ve got to move on from that and just build off of this right now, what we’ve got going on now.
“Yeah, that’s the past.”
If White becomes the featured running back, defenses are going to start preparing for him and there’s more tape of him playing. He appears to be working hard this offseason and the Raiders are confident in him as evidenced by the fact they weren’t aggressive in adding a top running back this offseason. This could be a breakout year for the young running back.