The Las Vegas Raiders and Josh Jacobs have less than three weeks now to reach an agreement on a long-term deal.
Vegas placed the franchise tag on its star running back ahead of 2023 free agency. The two clubs have until July 17 to agree on a contract extension, otherwise Jacobs would be slated to make $10.1 million under the franchise tag in 2023.
The Raiders also have the option to rescind the franchise tag and immediately make Jacobs a free agent, though that’s obviously highly unlikely to happen. They could also trade Jacobs, or the latter could simply refuse to play altogether like Le’Veon Bell did for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 (that too is unlikely).
If the Raiders shop the 2022 rushing champion, there certainly won’t be a shortage of teams interested in the 25-year-old.
Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton proposed a blockbuster trade idea that would see the Raiders sending Jacobs to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2024 second-round pick:
“While it seems the Rams have embraced the youth on their roster, jettisoning Bobby Wagner, Allen Robinson II, Leonard Floyd and Jalen Ramsey, Jacobs is going into his age-25 term with a rushing title, an All-Pro campaign and two Pro Bowl nods.
Jacobs can help reopen the Rams’ Super Bowl window to form a dynamic offensive trio with quarterback Matthew Stafford and All-Pro wideout Cooper Kupp. In a race for the NFC West title, Los Angeles could pose a threat to the San Francisco 49ers, who don’t have a clear-cut starting quarterback as Brock Purdy recovers from UCL surgery.”
The Rams finished a miserable 5-12 last year, setting the record for the most losses in a season by a defending Super Bowl champion. Cam Akers finished as the team’s leading rusher with just 786 yards and seven touchdowns, so it’s obvious that Sean McVay’s club could use more help in the ground game.
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Adding a player of Jacobs’ caliber just might help the Rams regain their form as a top-flight offense. But of course, it remains to be seen if the Raiders are actually willing to trade their star running back.
