Unless a long-term contract extension is reached before Week 1, Las Vegas Raiders’ star running back Josh Jacobs will be one of the top names to watch on the trade market in the coming months.
The 2022 rushing champion was given the franchise tag ahead of free agency, thus preventing him from hitting the open market. Las Vegas has until July 15 to reach an extension without Jacobs, otherwise he’ll play under the franchise tag in 2023.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports mentioned several prime trade candidates with the NFL Draft now over. Benjamin had Jacobs on there and listed the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks as potential landing spots:
“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.
The Bills could undoubtedly use a superstar running back like Jacobs to help take some of the pressure off of dual-threat QB Josh Allen. The Bills haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since LeSean McCoy in 2017, and the team’s 2022 rushing leader in Devin Singletary (819 yards), left for the Houston Texans in free agency.
Jacobs led the NFL in rushing last season with 1,653 yards. He had 12 rushing touchdowns while also recording 53 receptions for a career-high 400 yards. Second-year product James Cook and veterans Damien Harris, Nyheim Hines and Latavius Murray currently round out Buffalo’s running back room.
Through his first four NFL seasons, the 25-year-old Jacobs has 4,740 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns. Without a doubt, he would make quite the difference in a potent Buffalo offense led by Allen, Stefon Diggs, Dawson Knox, Gabe Davis and rookie Dalton Kincaid.
