After three franchise tags diluted the 2023 running back market, it appears the free agent market will feature a flood of veteran starters this year. The Raiders are almost definitely going to need to outbid competition to keep Josh Jacobs.
The team had been trying to re-sign Jacobs, but with a new GM in place, some uncertainty entered the equation despite the former rushing champion stumping for Antonio Pierce earlier this offseason. The Raiders still want Jacobs back, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates he is likely headed to the market.
Las Vegas has made an offer to Jacobs, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who adds the 2019 first-round pick could soon be tied to an eight-figure-per-year average salary. Coming off Jacobs’ 2022 rushing title, the Raiders made an offer to extend him just before the July deadline. Jacobs passed and was unable to replicate his strong form of 2022. While he showed more under Pierce in the season’s second half, the five-year Raiders starter only posted two 100-yard games in an 805-yard season that saw the Alabama alum rank in the bottom five in Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric.
The legal tampering period begins in less than an hour, putting teams that want to keep certain UFAs in crunch time. Being this close to free agency for the first time, Jacobs will naturally want to see gauge his value when given the ability to speak with multiple teams for the first time. He and Saquon Barkley profile as the top backs available, and Fowler adds they may well be off the board early. Barkley’s market is expected to surpass Jacobs’, but this does give the 2022 rushing champ a shot to hit free agency before his age-26 season. Barkley did not have that chance last year, joining Jacobs and Tony Pollard in being tagged.
Barkley and Jacobs join Pollard, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, D’Andre Swift, Devin Singletary and Gus Edwards as starters who will test free agency. Jacobs took a step back last year and finished the season on the shelf with multiple contusions. The Raiders also hired a new GM — Tom Telesco — who passed on renegotiating Ekeler’s deal last year with the Chargers, instead signing off on a small incentive package. With so many available backs, the Raiders may go shopping soon.
Miss managed. He knows you want him because of the trade deadline failure. Now you pay prevailing wage. lol
There are several veterans available this year who will interest contending (or supposedly contending) teams. Once again, it doesn’t bode well for any of them in receiving good contracts.
Unfortunately for Jacobs, the Raiders’ prior regime really screwed him two years ago, and then managed to retain him after a career year. It doesn’t look like he’ll get the deal that he wants for the second (third?) year straight. But that’s the running back market, and it figures that that trend is now the norm. Longer seasons=fewer workhorses, and more platoons.
Henry, Jacobs, Barkley, and Ekeler are all studs, or former studs, entering the same market. You figure that the Eagles will sign one (probably leveraging the others for a better deal). The Vikings may sign one. The Ravens may. There will be a few other suitors. Between that and the draft, the market seems like it would be fairly limited money-wise for these guys, unfortunately.
Let him check out the market. I like him, but this is a business. I’d also be at least a little curious about what Barkley’s number is, IF Jacobs gets a big offer elsewhere.
I say Texans or Vikings should make a move for Jacobs.