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The Seattle Seahawks are being labeled as a top potential landing spot for Las Vegas Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs despite the significant reasons that indicate a possible deal would be problematic. Seattle just drafted former UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet, the second straight season that Seattle used a second-round pick on the position.
Yet, no one loves running backs more than Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll who witnessed Jacobs nearly single handedly defeat Seattle in overtime last November. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin labeled the Seahawks, Cardinals and Bills as the top potential landing spot for Johnson heading into the summer.
“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,” Benjamin wrote on May 13, 2023. “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.”
Seahawks Rumors: Could the Raiders Explore a Possible Mid-Season Trade for Josh Jacobs?
Seattle would be wiser to see how Charbonnet and Ken Walker perform together in the new-look backfield. If the Raiders are truly unwilling to give Jacobs a lucrative new deal in 2024, Las Vegas could explore potential mid-season deals ahead of the trade deadline. Jacobs already completed his four-year, $11.9 million rookie deal and is slated to play on the franchise tag in 2023 which comes with a $10 million salary.
The star running back is coming off, by far, the best statistical season of his career. Jacobs notched 340 carries for 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per rush in 2022. The Pro Bowler also added 53 receptions for 400 receiving yards. Jacobs has made the Pro Bowl in two of the last three seasons and is also coming off his first All-Pro season.
Seahawks News: Rookie RB Zach Charbonnet Is Already Impressing in Seattle
While Walker is returning as the favorite to be the Seahawks RB1, the unit as a whole will look remarkably different with Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer departing in free agency. The selection of Charbonnet indicates he will split touches with Walker, and the Seahawks also snagged former Georgia standout Kenny McIntosh. All this has ratcheted up the pressure on DeeJay Dallas to prove he can be more than a special teams player as he heads into the final season of his four-year, $3.7 million contract.
Charbonnet displayed an impressive final season at UCLA with 195 carries for 1,359 yards and 14 touchdowns averaging a whopping seven yards per rush. The playmaker also added 37 receptions for 321 yards. According to The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar, Charbonnet already impressed during the team’s rookie minicamp.
“He’s similar to Walker in that they both have good feet, but Walker has more bounce to him with hip flexibility that allows him to make jump cuts that leave defenders in the dust,” Dugar detailed on May 15. “Charbonnet uses his feet to navigate gaps while propelling forward, and he has a good feel for how plays are going to develop.
“Charbonnet and Walker are going to complement each other well. They’re both great at generating yards after defenders make contact, they just go about it in different ways. That means it doesn’t matter which back is on the field on any given play, the defense is going to have to have its hands full trying to stop Seattle’s ground game.”
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