Could Raiders Trade Star RB Josh Jacobs?

The draft and free agency are in the past so the Las Vegas Raiders can divert their attention to players currently on the roster. A reason why contract negotiations with running back Josh Jacobs hadn’t heated up was due to general manager Dave Ziegler being tied up with the draft. Now there’s no excuse to get contract talks going.

Jacobs is currently on the franchise tag so he can’t go anywhere but he’d like a long-term deal. If the two sides can’t come to an agreement, things could get ugly. Jacobs has said he’d like to stay with the Raiders but it remains to be seen how much he wants to get paid and how much the team is willing to pay him. It’s possible that a trade could be explored if the two sides are far apart on a deal.

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports sees Jacobs as a trade candidate and listed the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals as potential fits:

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. 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
$10M.

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Raiders Need Jacobs

Running backs aren’t nearly as valuable as they once were. Teams consistently find really good players at the position late in the draft. However, that doesn’t mean they have no value. Jacobs proved how valuable he was last season. He led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards and was named First-Team All-Pro.

The Raiders were disappointing in 2022 but Jacobs was a revelation. The former first-round pick has looked great in spurts throughout his career but last season was the first time he consistently looked like one of the best running backs in the NFL. Head coach Josh McDaniels likes to run the ball and he won’t find a better player to do that than Jacobs. Zamir White could have a bright future but he’s not going to be able to take over a game the same way Jacobs can right now. Losing him would be a massive blow as he also brings leadership to the team. They can’t afford to lose such an important player right now after moving on from Derek Carr and Darren Waller this offseason.

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Jacobs Likely Doesn’t Get Raiders Great Haul

Another problem regarding a possible Jacobs trade is that the Raiders might not be in line to get a huge return. Teams don’t use first-round picks on running backs often so they’re not going to trade one away from an older one.

Jacobs is only 25 and should have several good years left but it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Raiders would get more than a second-round pick for him. Jacobs is worth more to the team right now than a future second or third-round pick. Unless he specifically requests to get traded or starts holding out for mandatory workouts, then he’ll be with the Raiders for at least this season.

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