The last few weeks have been difficult for the Las Vegas Raiders. The week before training camp opened up was when the deadline for working out a long-term deal with franchise-tagged players expired. The Raiders used their franchise tag on Josh Jacobs, and depending on who you talk to, no deal was ever close to getting done.
Jacobs, a 2019 first-round pick out of Alabama, had the fifth-year option on his contract declined by general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels as one of their first orders of business when they took over in Sin City. It was a move that proved to be wrong, as Jacobs responded with the best season of his career.
He was an integral part of the Raiders’ offense, leading the NFL in rushing yards. With no long-term contract in place, he hasn’t reported to training camp and it is anyone’s guess when he will show up.
Dealing with one disgruntled star is tough enough. But, the Raiders are now dealing with two. Wide receiver Davante Adams has not been shy when it comes to expressing his feelings on the Jacobs situation, which are mostly frustration.
“Not having him right now is obviously something that I’m not happy with…he played like the best back in the league last year, which if you ask me he is the best back in the league.”
If the Raiders have to head into the regular season without Jacobs in the backfield, their offense is going to be in trouble. He has proven to be a productive star and if he isn’t on the field, even more attention will be given to Adams on the perimeter.
Working a new starting quarterback into the offense in Jimmy Garoppolo, it would certainly benefit the team to have one of their best players on the field. But, with the deadline for a long-term deal well in the rearview mirror, the options to come to an agreement are limited.
Unless Jacobs has a change of heart, it would not be surprising to see him sit out into the regular season. The Raiders have provided a great example of what not to do when it comes to handling homegrown stars as the Jacobs situation comes months after they seemingly mishandled things with Derek Carr as well.
